Havering Council is marking the first anniversary of the pandemic and initial national lockdown.

The borough's residents and staff are invited to take part in a national minute’s silence at midday tomorrow (March 23) to mark a year since Prime Minister Boris Johnson brought in the first lockdown.

Romford Town Hall will also be lit up in yellow, the colour of the charity leading the event, Marie Curie.

This comes after Covid-19 has claimed the lives of more than 800 people in Havering since last March.

Havering Council has also produced a commemorative book to mark the anniversary, which will include residents’ messages of remembrance and thanks.

The online book, available on the council website, is an opportunity to remember those lost and give thanks to individuals and organisations that have gone above and beyond to help people across the borough through lockdown.

Councillor Damian White, leader of Havering Council, said: “This has been a tragic year for so many, and my heartfelt condolences go out to each of you living with the loss of a loved one.

"We are developing plans for a memorial garden to have a lasting memory for all we have lost to this awful virus.

“But it has also been a year where we’ve seen the best of our Havering spirit.

"I am so proud of the way residents, the council, our staff, partners, and the voluntary sector came together to tackle this pandemic head-on. The huge show of kindness throughout the year has left me truly humbled.

“This comes alongside the wealth of support we’ve provided to our most vulnerable residents and businesses. Our ‘Havering Helps’ fund, worth nearly £4.5 million, has included free school meals for families, help with heating homes and assistance getting food and medicines.

“After such a challenging year, we should now look to the recovery roadmap and the vaccination programme for hope.

"More than 80,000 Havering residents have now had their first vaccination. By continuing to work together, and doing our bit to stop the spread of the virus, we can all look forward to better days ahead.”

For further information about the wide range of support available, please visit: www.havering.gov.uk/covid19