Hello Everyone It’s a BIG hurrah to 2025 and a BIG hello back from me! I hope you’ve had a restful break over these past two weeks and joyous celebrations to usher in the New Year. I spent my time volunteering at a local night shelter over at the Bonny Downs Church in East Ham. It’s part of a network in our borough organised by local churches and through the Newham based local charity, the NewWay Project. For nine days it offered people from all walks of life a comforting welcome, food and a bed. I also volunteered daily last week at the Crisis at Christmas Day Centre over in Stratford where some 300 people came for food, company and all kinds of support. You’ll be thinking why is she writing about all of this sad stuff at the start of the New Year!? Well, partly because the New Year ushers in reflection but also bundles of hope. In this instance, I have so much hope because there are so many people stepping in and showing up to help others in our borough going through hard times right now. So I am embracing the New Year with excitement about the endless possibilities it can bring, as well being ready to deal with the major challenges facing the Council including the impact of the London-wide housing crisis in our borough such as the soaring temporary accommodation costs; and the impact of growing demand in social care. It also means that the Budget plans we are going to need to set in February will bring a lot of changes in how the Council is run, and what services we are able to deliver with the money that we have. But I will be expecting the Council to continually improve the services it does provide so that every penny and pound we spend is spent effectively and on the outcomes we want to see. That's why as we welcome in 2025, the importance of our Building a Fairer Newham agenda remains so important to me and all of us at the Council as we continue our work standing up for our communities and improving our borough so it’s a great place for you and your families to live. We’ve got a lot of work to do as we deliver on our building a fairer Newham promise, and already in the past year we’ve: - Endorsed our new 50 steps to a Healthier Newham strategy 2024-2027
- Awarded an Adult and Young People’s Substance misuse services to support those in need
- Agreed to enter into a lease for the Stratford Market Village Centre to save businesses and jobs
- Approved contacts with Repowering Communities to install solar panels on council rooftops and we’ll be launching our Community Energy offer soon!
- Commissioned main construction works to restore the Will Thorne Pavilion in Beckton Park
- Delivered 160 e-chargers across the borough and the procurement of more cycle hangers
- Allocated a contract for Domestic Abuse Community Services • Refurbishing a single homeless accommodation building for adult care leavers; plus another 63 homes for families and care leavers
- Purchased the freehold of 95 homes; plus the lease of 461 homes in the face of the housing crisis
- Funded the development of 179 more new homes in Stratford; and approved our first Community-Led housing scheme in Custom House!
- Continued plans to rebuild Victoria Street for homes our people can afford, and for some 500 homes in the south of the borough through our housing company Populo Living.
And there’s loads more that we’ve done in the past year; and loads coming up in 2025! Until next week, when I’ll be sending another update, have a restful weekend, keep warm and Happy New Year!
Best wishes,
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz | 
