Hello Everyone, I don’t know about you, but oh my goodness doesn’t it feel as if we are hurtling at supersonic speed into Christmas. With only 12 days to Christmas (and 13 days to my birthday!), I am really enjoying the festive spirit being expressed by so many lovely people in Newham. They are pulling out the stops to help those in need, through donating presents or getting ready to volunteer for Christmas get-togethers for the homeless, elderly and those experiencing loneliness. If you are one of those public spirited people in Newham, thank you! I really do believe that it’s all those wonderful residents driven by public good, civic pride and giving back that makes Newham the great place it is. And we are so lucky to have so many of them! For instance, we’ll be soon coming to the end of our current cycle of our People Powered Places programme where we have invested £1.6m into 120 projects across eight neighbourhoods as part of our participatory democracy agenda that’s all about believing in the power of our people. Working with us, they have an opportunity to shape and improve their neighbourhoods through one of the largest participatory budget exercises in the UK, and seen as best practice globally. That’s a testament to what we are delivering here at the Council as part of my vision for our borough: a place I grew up in and love; and where I am making sure that the Council always works ethically and honourably with our residents and local partners as we build a fairer Newham. Early in the New Year, we’ll be celebrating some of the great initiatives and the people being empowered through our People Powered Places initiatives – like amazing Daphne who has been running a Cooking for Health programme over at Plaistow Library. There’s also the wonderful Funmy, who’s been leading the E6 Sisters Community Pantry; and the mighty King who has used his own barbering skills to train young people in the craft of hair cutting, trimming and styling. Read more about the phenomenal local people doing phenomenal things across our phenomenal borough here! Talking of phenomenal people, last Saturday I was over at our flagship Stratford Youth Zone (also known as The Source following a collaboration with the University of East London to freshen the look of the building) to commemorate and celebrate the life of Benjamin Zephaniah. Affectionately dubbed the ‘Bard of Stratford’, Benjamin Zephaniah lived in Newham between 1979 to 2008 and loved the diversity of our people. He was also the patron of the anti-racist campaigning organisation, the Newham Monitoring Project; the Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford; and the Hibiscus Caribbean Elderly Association over in Plaistow. He also absolutely loved the Newham Bookshop by Green Street! As we hurtle into the festive period, I am looking ahead to 2025 with hope and optimism because of the progress we’ve made with our Carpenters Estate meanwhile projects, which are taking shape for local residents. They symbolise the start of the works being accelerated on the estate to show how we are making progress with our people – and it really has been a year so far of progress with one of the largest estate restoration and regeneration schemes in the country! Already, we’ve had a summer of immersion, fun and excitement with a range of activities that residents from Carpenters have been able to enjoy – from roller-skating to gardening!
In November, we welcomed new play areas for the kiddos, brought footfall back (in a nice way!) to the estate, as well as a new outdoor gym. The gym is part of our collaboration with social enterprise Steel Warriors, who literally turn knives used on the streets into gym equipment. Given the importance I place on youth safety and empowerment, I am thrilled that we are expanding our offer to youngsters through sports and outdoor activities. I am committed that here at the Council and through Populo Living, we continue to make a real difference in people’s lives and widen opportunities for our local communities – including our young people.
In the New Year, there’ll be a new café coming to the Carpenters Estate following the arrival of a disused train carriage – destined for scrappage – we are cleaning it up, kitting it out and repurposing it for something positive; a café that supports those with special educational needs and disabilities to learn and work in the hospitality sector.
Next Monday, at an Extraordinary Meeting of Council ahead of our Full Council Meeting, we will be recommending two extraordinary women to be awarded the Honorary Freedom of the Borough. Lyn Brown, born and raised in Newham and a Member of Parliament for West Ham from 2005 to 2024; and Paulette Watson MBE, also a lifelong Newham resident who has given over 22 years of dedicated service to the Newham community. You can see more about the award and the reasons for the nominations here. And finally, I’d like to pay tribute to our Council’s Trading Standards team who triumphed at the London Trading Standards Awards, winning the Intelligence-Led Team of the Year Award. Please don’t forget to heed their advice when shopping for festive gifts this year. Until next week, take care and look after your loved ones! Best wishes,
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz | 
