Hello Everyone, Hurtling into the weekend, I’ve spent the day reviewing and signing off council business documents; meeting with trade union reps who defend the working rights of Newham council staff, and speaking with a group of female undergraduates studying sociology and criminology over at Goldsmith University. They are studying ‘criminal justice in context’ with their Professor David Hirsh, and today’s lecture was about ‘Process, Rules, Democracy and Power’. It was interesting answering questions about my experience being the Directly Elected Mayor of Newham, as a woman and woman of colour; and the different dimensions of power. It was also wonderful speaking to the young ladies about their aspirations, but also their power as individuals to realise their ambitions and dreams.
That’s why I was really pleased this week about the power of our Youth Empowerment Services and their impact on our young people in Newham! I met a group of them on Monday as members of the Newham Civic Awards panel when we went through the final shortlisting process. More news on that soon, but they were incisive and considered; and I was proud at the ways in which we are involving our young people in decision making.
Our youth workers are so committed and dedicated to our young people; and are nationally recognised for their brilliance and I am looking forward to how we can influence the national government on their new national youth services strategy. This week has also been about business – and kicking off with getting more stuff done as we continue our purpose of Building a Fairer Newham. We had a jammed packed Cabinet meeting on Tuesday as we decided a bunch of key decisions.
These included our progress on making improvements to our role as a landlord to 16,000 households in the borough and approving £20m to be spent on fire safety improvements to high risk properties; those blocks which are more than seven storeys or 18 metres high.
We also agreed to take significant steps to address the poor air quality in the borough, which currently far exceeds both the UK and World Health Organisation guidelines, by introducing new Clean Air Parking Charges; a bold initiative designed to improve the borough’s air quality, protect public health, and accelerate the switch to greener transport choices. The new proposals also introduce a borough-wide diesel surcharge across all parking permits and products – these will be lower than those put in place by many neighbouring boroughs, but are a real incentive for change. It’s shocking to think that one in 13 deaths in Newham are directly attributable to air pollution. Any revenue we gain from this will be directly re-invested into essential services, such as maintaining our roads and supporting school crossing patrols.
We also agreed on the next steps in our effort to deliver more affordable homes for Newham. This will lead to the development of over 550 properties on disused brownfield sites in Pier Road (North Woolwich) and Cyprus (Beckton). One-third of these will be affordable, providing homes for almost 200 households currently on our waiting list.
You can see the full meeting and all the discussion by looking at the Council’s recording on YouTube, the latest session will be available shortly.
I was also delighted to be present at this week’s Newham Business Awards, promoted by the Newham Chamber of Commerce; celebrating how Newham does business and seeing first hand some of the amazing businesses and organisations who were nominated for 12 different categories.
As the Council sponsored the Young Entrepreneur Award, I was delighted when it was won by James Kaguima, founder of Skate Cabal for their vision, creativity and the impact they have made in the borough. As the founder of Skate Cabal, a multi-award-winning company, James harnessed his passion for roller-skating to build more than just a brand; he built a movement that empowers his community, one skate at a time. This award was presented to them by my Cabinet colleagues Councillor McLean and Councillor Adaja.
This weekend is also Small Business Saturday – a national initiative and a great opportunity to support locally owned businesses in the run-up to the festive season. By shopping local, we not only promote and spotlight our local businesses but also help put money into the pockets of our neighbours, rather than large corporations, keeping our cherished local areas vibrant.
During the morning I’ll be visiting New East Ham Market, Canning Town Market and Grove Market; with all the shop keepers and stall holders I am hoping to meet, I am not sure if I’ll have much opportunity to shop, but it will give me some great ideas of where to return later on!
And, in a break from the business of business, I’ll be rounding off my week at an event on Saturday celebrating the life and legacy of the iconic poet, writer and activist, Benjamin Zephaniah, a year on from his sad passing. This event run by the University of East London, in partnership with Newham Council and the Zephaniah family, promises to be a beautiful and uplifting event with many influential writers taking part. Held at Stratford Arts Centre, you can buy your tickets by following this link.
Have a wonderful weekend and don’t forget, if you’re shopping for festivities please use your local, independent shops!
Until next week, stay well and enjoy the weekend.
Best wishes,
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz | 
