Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Times’ readers this week.

Support for our cinema

Sam Postlethwaite, on behalf of The Lexi Cinema Team, writes:

The Lexi Cinema would like to take the opportunity to thank our community who have rallied around us at this anxious time to help us over the fundraising finishing line for The Lexi Hub. We reluctantly closed our doors on March 16 with a large amount still to raise, and you have amazed us with your support and faith in us.

Over the last year we have relied on the tireless support of our local councillors and the leaders of the council and for culture to secure funds for our build. The Lexi is also proud to have received the top award of a £50,000 pledge from Sadiq Khan’s Mayor’s Fund as part of our crowdfunding campaign to kit out the new space. Thank you to London Borough of Brent, the Mayor’s Fund and our many, many local supporters for seeing the value of investing in arts and culture at the heart of our community, and keeping them accessible to all.

While the Lexi is closed, we look forward to building the new Lexi Hub which will bring 20 - 25 local people back into the workplace and help kick-start the local economy.

Our curated online cinema project Lexi Virtual is free to everyone and will be running throughout closure - until we’re confident we can reopen safely for our staff, volunteers and customers.

Cinema is a place for connection as well as escapism and we need both more than ever at the moment. Later in 2020 we hope to celebrate Brent Borough of Culture in true style with Queer East Film Festival and the No Bass Like Home Film Project.

We would also like to thank all who have brought donations to our foodbank collection point, including big donations from our friends from the Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden , and of course to Sean our legendary gas man who has been delivering our donations to Brent Food Bank.

This has been such a difficult time for so many of us in Brent, and we thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity.

Mental health backing for staff

Dr Gary Marlowe, chairman, British Medical Association (BMA), London Regional, writes:

Covid-19 has undoubtedly put a huge strain on the health and wellbeing of NHS staff. It has greatly exacerbated the challenges staff faced before the pandemic and now it is adding significant new ones.

Many doctors have experienced a significant rise in their workload and have had to deal with the added anxiety of concerns over PPE and their own safety while delivering care on the frontline during the pandemic. It is unacceptable that 48 per cent of frontline workers in London are carrying this burden.

The NHS must step up its mental health support offer to all staff in London during and after this pandemic.

Supporting the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of the workforce must be a top priority for the NHS for the long term.