Hello Everyone, I hope you are well, and looking after yourself alongside those vulnerable people you know during the fourth heat wave we’ve experienced this summer - leading to the issuing of a Yellow Heat Health Alert for London and a call for us all to stay alert this weekend due to the threat of ‘fire waves’ when there’s real potential for wildfires to break out in the capital at the same time. There’s some useful research published by Imperial College London in May, on the back of the fires that broke out in the Summer of 2022, via the link above; and please stay safe this weekend by following these top tips from our Public Health team here at the Council. Before I jump into what’s been going on this past week, including what I’ve been up to, I wanted to send BIG congrats to every student who received their A Level, T Level, BTEC / Level 3 VTQ results this week. Through hard work, focus and determination over the past two years there are so many of our young people in Newham that rightly should be feeling proud of their achievements. Whatever the result, please know that you are valued, supported and are full of potential and you’ve got lots of opportunities lying ahead of you. My thanks also to our teachers and support staff across our schools who have been there to encourage, guide and inspire our young people every step of the way – alongside family members! Thank you. Talking about the awesomeness of our youngsters in Newham, on Tuesday, I was delighted to join celebrations to mark International Youth Day, celebrated globally each year to recognise the achievements and contributions of young people everywhere. Over at the Forest Gate Youth Zone, I joined hundreds of young people as they marked this year’s theme: Youth Advancing Multilateral Cooperation Through Technology and Partnerships. As one of London’s youngest and fastest-growing boroughs, Newham is home to a generation of talented, creative, and socially engaged young people, our celebration reflected my commitment to placing young people at the centre of our Opportunity Newham plans to secure an economically sustainable future as the world of work is changing rapidly because of the technological and innovation revolution. The event included a ton of interactive workshops, alongside tech and AI related explorations, so that our young people can understand better the world of emerging technologies. All part of our Newham Data Economy agenda, we were supported by over 20 partner organisations to deliver the showcase afternoon including professional networking opportunities to help inspire our future leaders and show them the host of career pathways open to them. I ended my International Youth Day by hopping over to the Beckton Youth Zone, where young people were given professional insights into the music industry by BBC Asian Network’s – and Newham homegrown talent! - DJ Limelight who offered up an afternoon of music and inspiration through an introductory DJ workshop where they learned the basics of mixing and music production, followed by an honest and motivating conversation about careers in the music and broadcasting industries. As you know, making Newham the best place for our children and young people to grow up is a passion of mine ever since I became your Mayor in 2018. That’s why I was thrilled to learn this week that the Council’s Our Newham service has been shortlisted for the HSJ Awards 2025 for our work in ‘Reducing Inequalities and Improving Outcomes for Children and Young People’. It’s one of the most prestigious recognitions of healthcare excellence in the UK, and we’ve been shortlisted because of our ‘Healthier Wealthier Families’ programme, which provides welfare advice and support to improve the financial well-being of children and families in Newham. Delivered through a strong partnership with health and voluntary sector collaborations, the programme has so far secured over £908,000 in additional income for eligible residents and supported 279 families. In addition to this, the Council has also been shortlisted for the Landscape Institute (LI) Awards 2025 for our Royal Docks Corridor project. The LI Awards celebrate the very best in landscape planning, design, management, and research, and this year’s theme - Connecting People, Place and Nature - is at the heart of our vision for the Royal Docks. The project is about creating sustainable, inclusive, and resilient spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone. With over 228 entries across 17 categories, being named a finalist is an incredible achievement. Winners will be announced on November 14th, so watch this space! This week I also visited the Newham Safety Centre at Westfield Stratford. The Safety Centre is open until this coming Sunday 17th of August for you to drop-in where experts are on hand to offer practical advice on fire safety, emergency response and first aid. As well as being able to chat and ask questions directly with emergency service heroes and heroines, there’s load to learn through interactive sessions. So pop over this weekend if you can! On Thursday, I asked my Deputy Mayor and cabinet lead for Housing Services, Cllr Amar Virdee, to head over to City Hall to join Tom Copley, the Deputy Mayor for London for Housing to showcase the potential of modular housing to help address the temporary accommodation crisis. As you’ll know, London is facing huge housing pressures because housing supply has reduced in the capital; and in Newham we are feeling it hard with currently the highest number of households in temporary accommodation in London. Against this backdrop, modular housing offers an innovative, rapid-response option to provide safe, warm, and self-contained homes. While not a substitute for the long-term investment needed in social housing, they offer a practical and immediate solution that can restore dignity and stability to households in crisis. As you’ll know, Newham is a borough where we proudly celebrate our diversity – as we are a borough like no other with ties to pretty much every single country in the world through our people who have decided to make Newham their home. As a country we’ve got links to a community of some 2.7 billion people around the world because we are part of the Commonwealth – a formidable association of 56 countries borne from a shared and complex old world empire history. These past weeks we’ve raised flags at East Ham and Stratford Town Halls in recognition of that history, marking Jamaica Independence Day, Pakistan Independence Day and today’s India Independence Day. These moments are an opportunity to reflect on history, heritage, and the contributions of generations of residents who have helped to shape Newham into the diverse, dynamic and welcoming place it is today. And as we reflect on the post-war settlement that led to the emergence of the Commonwealth, today also marks VJ Day, a chance to honour the courage and sacrifice of all who served from Britain and the Commonwealth to finally end the horror of the Second World War. As we remember the past sacrifices and the suffering endured then; we are rightly forced to think about the present conflicts and wars raging around the world. We think of all those precious children in plights of real desperation and hunger, alongside all the people suffering. So on this VJ Day as we whisper, ‘never again’, let’s once again commit to building a future of unity, not of hostility. Of justice and peace anchored in an indelible belief that through connections that deepen understanding and bonds among people and communities here in Newham – we can provide some inspiration to the world. Until next week, send my regards to your families and stay well.
Best wishes, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz | 
