We are writing to explain what WECH is doing to ensure we continue to provide residents with essential services as safely as possible, and to organise help for high-risk and vulnerable residents.

Make an appointment if you need to come to the WECH office

In order to limit the chance of sharing the virus between us, from now on visits to the WECH office will be by appointment only. We can take your calls and receive your emails, but in everyone’s interests it’s best for now that we keep personal contact down to a minimum.

Stopping WECH staff from travelling on public transport

We are making arrangements for WECH staff to work from home by ensuring they have computer equipment to keep them connected to the WECH office and to be able to take and make calls as if they were in the WECH office.

Maintaining essential repairs and maintenance

Where we have the information we are currently telling our maintenance contractors if you have self-isolated, are in an at risk group or have been diagnosed as having the virus.  If we don’t have the information we are asking them to ask. If you answer yes the contractor will act in a similar fashion as identified in the statement from K&T Heating our gas contractor.

In the event that the situation changes for the worse we are working with two contractors, one for general repairs and one for gas safety, on the rules for operating if there are significant numbers of residents, contractors and staff affected by the virus. This may result in us being able to offer only an emergency repairs service for a period.

We have stopped most community centre activities

Following official guidance to avoid gatherings in confined spaces, as part of the social distancing strategy, we have severely restricted use of our community centre.

Helping vulnerable and high-risk residents

We are making a list of residents whose age and/or health puts them into a high-risk category.

We have put a form on the WECH website www.wech.co.uk/selfisolate for you to tell us if you, any other member of your household or resident you know is self-isolating. 

We are working with the foodbank and investigating setting up a WECH Task Force to develop a safe food delivery service for WECH residents who can’t get it themselves.

Helping your neighbours

We know that many of you would like to help your friends and neighbours who are struggling. If you would like to get involved, please contact Elaine Harkins, elaine@wech.org.uk or ring her at WECH on 020 7266 3347.

Alternatively you can go to the www.onewestminster.org.uk website and follow the Covid-19 Volunteer link, where you can complete a form and they can direct you to where you can be of most help. You can also register on Westminster’s volunteer service.

Working together as a community

Keeping you, our staff, our contractors and others as safe and healthy as possible is our first priority.

WECH is a community-owned landlord, which means our community is better placed to work together and support each other during these difficult and unsettling times.

We will continue to make changes to the way we do things so as to reduce the opportunities for the transmission of the virus. And we will keep you informed about what we are doing. Finally click here for some useful links to a number of websites setting out useful information about the virus.