Mental Health story - first version

By Yixiang Zeng

A local charity is calling on businesses to offer mentally ill people jobs.

Capable Communities, which co-ordinated this year's World Mental Health Day since Friday, wants to work closely with companies to get people who suffer with mental illnesses into work.

The four-day event offers an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and provide locals with a range of suggestions on how to reduce stress and depression in order to keep healthy.

Steve Porter, director of the charity, believes people with mental problems could get jobs in box offices, he said: “At the moment many tickets are operating on the web, but people want someone to talk to when booking their shows.

“What I am saying is to get the companies involved in paying someone with mental health difficulties to sell the tickets.”

He also suggested that the box office could operate in a shift system with different people working in a different time slot.

In addition, they could do other jobs in marketing. “They could also distribute marketing materials like flyers or posters to community centre or residential addresses relating with any events,” he added.

Another local charity Mind in Harrow also participated in the event, its chief executive Mark Gillham told The HA1: “One in six of the population in Harrow will have mental health problems today, that is estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people will have such difficulties.”

The charity has been training mentally ill people to become trainers, who are then employed by local companies to help their employees overcome different symptoms of mental illnesses.

Mr Gillham explained it is very important for both the trainers and companies to get involved: “These people have been out of work for long time, because of the mental health being very disadvantageous.

“Being qualified as trainers, they will have real work experience, and be able to use their own experience of mental health problem to explain directly what they have been through.

“From the company side, the manager will have better understanding of employees' mental health issues, such as life stress and depression, or not be able to work to their best capacity. So it helps their businesses.”

However, when speaking to Allen Pluck, the president of Harrow in Business, about to what extent local businesses can give a hand to those people with mental health problems, he expressed his concern by saying:“at the moment, the whole of the business support infrastructure is in complete turmoil.

“We are even struggling to obtain funding to support the survival of any local business or individuals wishing to become self-employed.”

Harvest Festival teaches children about plants

By Yixiang Zeng

Harrow children enjoyed a scarecrow hunt and a colouring competition at a local garden centre during the weekend.

The event, held at Harrow Garden Centre in Headstone Lane, was part of a Harvest Festival set up teach children more about plants and offer families tips on growing fruit and vegetables.

Children were encouraged to colour in pictures with a harvest-theme and find six scarecrows hiding inside and around the garden centre.

10-year-old Libby, was among the many children who enjoyed the activities, she said: “I thought it was quite a good idea, and I thought colouring and finding scarecrows are quite fun.”

Also taking part in the event was 6-year-old Laura, who added: “We decide what we’re going to do with the picture, like if we want to put stickers on it.”

Laura’s mum Maggie Sharrock told The HA1: “It’s important for children to understand the season, to understand how to grow plants.

“They prefer to enter the scarecrow hunt, if they win they can get a pack of seeds, like sunflower or daffodil, so they can understand how the plants grow.”

Mike Townend, manager of the garden centre, explained why it was important to organise activities for the children, saying: “It’s very important to connect our business with local community.

“Children are our customers’ future, so they are very important. It’s nice for children to have some activities while their parents are buying things.”

The 20 entries for the competition will be judged by the centre’s visitors this week and all three winners will be rewarded with arts and crafts products.

Harvest Festival story

By Yixiang Zeng

Harrow children enjoyed a scarecrow hunt and a colouring competition at a local garden centre during the weekend.

The event, held in Headstone Lane, was part of the centre's Harvest Festival which invited families to attend and provided them suggestions of how to grow vegetables and fruits.

Children were encouraged to colour pictures of their own choice with a harvest-theme and find out six scarecrows hiding inside and around Harrow Garden Centre.

Libby Radford, 10, of West Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill, was among the many children who enjoyed the activities, she said: “I thought it was quite a good idea, and I thought colouring and finding scarecrows are quite fun.”

Along with Libby taking part in the event was 6-year-old Laura Sharrock of Nelson Road in Harrow-on-the-Hill, she added: “We decide what we're going to do with the picture, like if we want to put stickers on it.”

Laura's mum Maggie Sharrock, 40, told The HA1: “It's important for children to understand the season, to understand how to grow plants.

“Competition is always good and fun. They prefer to enter scarecrow hunt, if they win they can get a pack of seed, like sunflower or daffodil, so they can understand how the plants grow.”

Mike Townend, manager of the garden centre, explained why it was important to organise activities for the children, he said: “It's very important to connect our business with local community.

“Children are our customers' future, so they are very important. It's nice for children to have some activities while their parents are buying things.”

The 20 entries for the competition will be judged by the centre's visitors this week and all three winners will be awarded “painting by numbers” arts and crafts products.

Orchestra celebrates 30th anniversary

By Yixiang Zeng

A music prodigy with only one hand won public acclaim on Saturday at a concert organised by Harrow’s Trinity Orchestra.

The event was a celebration to mark the Orchestra’s 30th anniversary, as well as helping to showcase some of the country’s most talented young musicians from the Royal College of Music.

21-year-old pianist Nicholas McCarthy, who plays with just his left hand, was among the many performers at the Trinity Church on Hindes Road.

He said: “It was the first time I have played this piece with an Orchestra, I was very pleased because it’s such a good Orchestra to play with. The reaction from the audience was good as well.”

Nicholas performed Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a piece that was composed specifically for a one-hand pianist.

Another highlight was 16-year-old composer Nick White, who had been commissioned to write a piece called Bugle to mark the Orchestra’s special occasion.

The music director of the Orchestra, Michael Murray, told The HA1: “The concert is not only to celebrate the past 30 years, but also to show the talent for the next 30 years. We want to have young performers and composers who can work with us.”

A particular success on the night was a performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, which requires a large Orchestra.

Peter Farrell, 64, a piano teacher from Hertfordshire, said: It’s absolutely fantastic and wonderful, the standard is exceptional.

“I think the Planets is an extremely difficult Orchestra piece, the technique and the music. All the players are exceptional for a local Orchestra.”

Harrow Orchestra story

By Yixiang Zeng

A music prodigy with only one-hand won public acclaim yesterday at a concert organised by Trinity Orchestra in Harrow.

The event was a celebration of the Orchestra's 30th anniversary with the aim to showcase the country's most talented young musicians from the Royal College of Music in London.

Nicholas McCarthy, the 21-year-old pianist who only has a left-hand, is among one of many who showed their talent on Saturday night.

He said: “It was my first time to play this piece with an Orchestra, I was very pleased because it's such a good Orchestra to play with. The audience has good reaction as well.”

Nicholas performed Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a piece composed specifically for a one-hand pianist.

Another highlight at the event was young composer Nick White, the 16-year-old from the college's junior department, who has been commissioned for the opening piece called Bugle to mark the groups' special occasion.

He said in his own note the main melody for 'Bugle' came while improvising at the piano, “I wanted to explore the more 'solo' aspect of the orchestra in this piece, so most of the melodies here are played by one instrument at a time.”



The music director of the Orchestra Michael Murray told The HA1: “The concert is not only to celebrate the past 30 years, but also to show the talent for the next 30 years. We want to have young performers and composers who can work with us.”

The best part of the concert was when the Orchestra performed Gustav Holst's The Planets, which requires a large Orchestra.

Peter Farrell, 64, a piano teacher from Hertfordshire, said: It's absolutely fantastic and wonderful, the standard is exceptional. I think the Planets is an extremely difficult Orchestra piece, the technique and the music. All the players are exceptional for the local Orchestra.”

Harrow in LEAF show draws crowds

by Yixiang Zeng

Thousands of people turned out once again over the bank holiday weekend for Harrow’s biggest horticultural festival.

The annual Harrow in LEAF competition brought together plants and vegetables grown by green-fingered residents, with prizes handed out for the best produce on display.

Georgia Weston, chairman of the charity, said: “We try to encourage people who grow stuff in the borough, who have bees, art work and photography, encourage them to show off their work by entering the competition.

“It’s open to everyone who wishes to enter. We try to bring a lot of people together, and it is nice to be recognised within your community.

The two-day event also offered games and live music for families, as well as stalls selling products from local businesses and charities.

It replaced the former Harrow Show five years ago and now attracts a large number of local volunteers who help out over the weekend as well.

Harrow in Leaf show story

By Yixiang Zeng



Thousands of visitors were attracted to the community's traditional horticultural festival at the bank holiday weekend.

The sixth annual competition, organised by Harrow in Leaf, aims to bring the whole community together and encourage the locals to show off their talent.

Nita Mcewan, 46, of King’s Road, South Harrow, explained how she was amazed after she had visited the two tents displaying vegetables, flowers, arts and crafts made by the community members, allotment and horticultural societies, and Harrow Beekeepers Association.

She said: “It's a very good event, and we never see something like this. They have got a fantastic site as well.

“This is amazing. We followed people who run the clubs, learned how they grow the vegetables, how they looked after them. I'm looking forward to join one of the societies.”



Georgia Weston, Chairman of Harrow in Leaf, said: “We try to encourage people who grow stuff in the borough, who have bees, art work and photography, encourage them to show off their work by entering the competition.

“It's open to everyone who wishes to enter. We try to bring a lot of people together, and it is nice to be recognised within your community and it's very good for the community."

Apart from the exhibition displayed at the Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre, the two-day event also offers games, fun and live music to the families, and helps promote local businesses by inviting them to set up stalls to sell their goods.

Ms Weston added: “It's also a chance for people in the borough to come and look around, buy some stuff, and have some coffee. We provide something nice that people can go locally.”

Speaking with the winner of this year's “The Best in the Show”, John William Harding told The HA1 he has always brought his garden plant dahlias to the shows, “I go to lots of shows like this, and I like to keep the standard up.



“I enjoy people to come to see my dahlias, and try to make them really nice. I spend a lot of time and a lot of input.”

The show, which replaced the former Harrow Show five years ago, has also attracted plenty of volunteers to help out during the event.



Silsila Rokai, 19, of The Bye Way in Harrow, said she and her sister are very excited to come and help out at the event: “I am interested to help people so I think it's a good idea to spend some time to see what everyone is doing, and find out what they are up to.

“I am very surprised that so many people want to volunteer, and I definitely think about volunteering again next year.”