Hello Everyone,
January's end has come fast, hasn't it? Now the emerging joy of spring, with some brighter spells in this past week and despite the rain!
Across Newham there’s a real feeling of looking ahead, especially as we head into February and the days start to slowly stretch out again and the year continues its offer of all sorts of possibilities.
This is also a great moment to get out and about, move a little more, and focus on feeling healthier; whether that’s a brisk walk, trying something new, or just spending more time outdoors. The Council’s Well Newham service has a wide range of offers, activities and courses to help you do just that, with options for all ages and abilities. It’s all about small steps that fit into everyday life and help you feel your best. The Council offers a wide range of activities and classes that what you might want to think about, even if it’s just a short local walk – great for both body and mind!
As usual I’ve had a busy week, out and about across Newham and London to showcase how we’ve delivered our Opportunity Newham agenda that is such an integral part of building a fairer Newham for everyone.
On Monday, I had the best start to the week, with a visit to our wonderful Theatre Square in Stratford for an event, celebrating the work of youth workers – one of the most important jobs in our society – and local young people.
The Government has been clear, through its National Youth Strategy, on the importance of investing in youth work training. That’s something I’ve long believed in too. Over my eight years as elected Mayor, I’m proud that Newham Council has continued to invest in our Youth Services, making sure our youth workers gain the professional qualifications they need - helping them become some of the very best in the country as our recent National Youth Agency Peer review found.
Over the past eight years in Newham, we’ve rebuilt our universal youth services from three full-time and seven part-time youth workers covering our entire borough, to a phenomenal 42 full-time equivalent youth workers including our detached team. Prioritising such an important service in recognition of the makeup of our borough, where 38% of residents are 24 years old or younger.
Tuesday was one of the most important days in our Civic calendar, Holocaust Memorial Day, which we marked at the Old Stratford Town Hall. Here in Newham this day holds a particular resonance for us. Our borough is built on the strength of many communities, including a long-standing and valued Jewish community that has contributed to the life of East London. Many Jewish families found refuge here while fleeing antisemitic persecution, bringing with them resilience, culture, and a deep commitment to our East London community.
It was an incredibly poignant and moving ceremony which included readings, poems and songs from Newham school children, and a contribution from the Stratford East Theatre who are currently showing a play about the Holocaust, ‘Here There Are Blueberries’. We also heard a personal account from Vanessa Holburn celebrated author of Surviving the Holocaust and Stalin: The Amazing Story of the Seiler Family. As we lit remembrance candles, we reflected on the prejudice and persecution that are still with us today. Genocide and mass persecution has taken place in many parts of the world – including Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and more recently for other communities that are suffering violence and displacement, and we pledged to stand up to racism and prejudice wherever we find them. You can read more about the event here.
On Wednesday I was very proud to attend the celebration of the completion of the first phase of the Custom House Regeneration Project. A ground-breaking project developed alongside our partners, The Hill Group, which brings 95 stunning new affordable homes to our borough. This development is part of the Canning Town and Custom House Regeneration Project, one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration programmes in the whole of London. I was so happy to be there because, as we all know, homes are far more than bricks and mortar - they represent hope, security, and new opportunities for Newham residents.
The two schemes at William Paton House and Freemasons Road are all social rent too, comprising of three mansion style blocks ranging from four to eight storeys, built to Passive Haus stands for heat efficiency and lower bills.
All part of our Affordable Homes for Newham programme where co-production with our residents is central! That's why it was a huge thanks from me to the members of our resident steering committee who attended the celebration event.
I was also privileged to attend an Interfaith Supper on Thursday with Newham’s faith leaders to discuss the Council’s 2026/7 draft budget. We discussed the key headlines of the proposed budget and the process that we need to go through to agree it. The budget is always built on a commitment to fairness, wellbeing, and good financial management. Supper attendees raised questions and the concerns of their communities and gave me valuable feedback and food for thought on what they thought our priorities should be.
So, my week so far has been characterised by many of the things that are closest to my heart as the Mayor of Newham – our young people, our community, creating fantastic new affordable housing and our flourishing arts and culture scene. We are Newham and we have so much to be proud of, but I am never complacent. We are committed to continuing to build on our achievements to deliver a fairer, tolerant, dynamic Newham for everyone.
Take good care of yourself and I hope the sun continues to shine and that you get the chance to get out to enjoy it.
Best wishes, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Mayor of Newham Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter/Insta: @rokhsanafiaz | 
