The Directory for Harlesden
The surest way of finding good, reliable, businesses and traders is the recommendation of friends and neighbours. Which is why, we asked members of the Harlesden Environmental Action Residents & Traders (HEART) for their suggestions. We published the first printed Directory for Harlesden in 2004 with print run of five thousand and distributed it to all the households in the HEART area.
We set out to provide a directory tailored precisely to help the people in the streets to which we delivered. So we included as much other stuff as we could find: Community organisations, the Council, healthcare, schools, sports centres, transport links and markets were all added. And we made sure only relevant stuff was included; for example we listed only local post offices – not every one in North West London!
We wanted to make sure that our information is accurate and reliable. So we made sure that any listing has a satisfied customer living locally. Every suggestion we get is carefully considered before being added to our live database, to make sure the details are correct and relevant to the areas in which we publish.
Now, over five years on, we still list only businesses and organisations that the community can trust. You can search for a suggestion or recommend a local tradesman or service.
As an ethical business we take our responsibilities seriously. We do not list or advertise businesses or organisations who seem to us to have questionable practices. Get-rich-quick schemes like pyramid selling or firms with excessive charges (however legal) are just not included.
So no scams, no premium-rate phone numbers, no upfront fees, no astronomical loan rates – just fair deals.
The next printed edition of the Directory for Harlesden will be published in March 2012.
Like to promote your business to 5,000 local households in our printed Directory or on our website? Contact us now.
Harlesden Environmental Action Residents and Traders
Harlesden is where the HEART is and that has certainly been true since the spring of 1999. HEART (Harlesden Environmental Action Residents & Traders) is a group of residents and traders who are committed to improving and maintaining a cleaner, safer, more pleasant environment for everyone who lives or works in Harlesden.
HEART was founded in February 1999 by a group of local people who felt that the area had become very neglected. This deterioration of the neighbourhood was manifest in the number of abandoned vehicles, piles of rubbish on our streets and graffiti defacing walls and buildings.
Monthly meetings were set up, where residents and traders could air their views. Council officers and representatives from the Metropolitan Police attend the meetings regularly, which gives people and service providers an opportunity to work out solutions to local problems.
Since its foundation, HEART has achieved a great deal for the local people, bringing improvements to the physical appearance of the environment. For example, we created a shrub garden in partnership with Brent Council and we liaised with Streetcare to get additional litter bins, which have dramatically reduced the amount of litter on Harlesden’s streets.
HEART has been commended, by our Metropolitan Police Borough Commander, for bringing so much positive media coverage, both local and national, to Harlesden. We have won several awards over the past four years, including Active Community Award, Make A Difference Day, Lord Scarman Trust Community Award and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award.
Harlesden enjoys a strong sense of community and HEART has contributed greatly to the community confidence and morale. In the words of our chairperson, “not only do we deal with rubbish, litter, graffiti, but what is equally important is the spirit of togetherness and social support among friends and neighbours, which has emerged over the past four years”.
HEART welcomes new members of all ages, cultures and faiths. Full members must live or work in Harlesden. If you’re not a member already, please join and persuade your neighbours to join HEART too.
We meet on the first Tuesday of each month
Patron: The Rt Hon Paul Boateng
Chairperson: Rupert Mikely
Secretary: Tanya Wilkinson
4 Greenhill Road, Harlesden NW10 8UE