Hello Everyone,
I hope you're well and enjoying the longer and brighter days, fingers crossed the sunshine sticks around for the weekend! This week, we marked 57 years since the tragic collapse of Ronan Point in Canning Town. It was a moment of solemn reflection for our borough. A faulty gas cooker connection triggered a partial collapse of the 22-storey block, claiming five lives and forever changing how we think about building safety. It’s a reminder that when shortcuts are taken in construction and safety is compromised, the consequences are devastating. Tragically, as we saw with the Grenfell Tower fire nearly eight years ago, those lessons haven’t always been acted on. On Tuesday, I was pleased to share the publication of our Improving Your Homes: Newham Housing Services Improvement Plan. This is a major milestone in our efforts to turn around a housing service that, as many of you know, has faced serious challenges. Last year’s Regulator for Social Housing issued a C4 rating to Newham Council about its failure to meet a number of new consumer standards introduced last April 2024. Since then, we’ve taken action - and a lot of it – to produce this new plan which sets out exactly how we’ll do better. The plan is about rebuilding trust and putting our residents living in our council homes front and centre at all that we are doing to turn our housing services around so that it meets consumer standard excellence. It will take some time, but my focus is ensuring that the Council creates lasting change through dedicated focus on ensuring that each and every resident is assured that they live in a safe and decent home, and that the services we provide them are excellent. You can read my statement following the publication of the Housing Services Improvement Plan here. This week, I also attended my first meeting of our voluntary Newham Transformation and Improvement Board, which was set up last year in response to the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge Report. Chaired by the formidable Rob Whiteman and involving a range of external experts to support the Council’s passion to improve, we discussed our response to the Best Value Notice issued to the Council last week by the government. As I wrote last week, I take this notice extremely seriously. I’ve told all senior officers at the council throughout this week that this is their wake-up call for accelerated improvement across the Council including its culture and practice; as well as its response in securing the financial sustainability of the council and highlight improvements and transformation happening right now. They know that they have to respond with honesty, urgency and action. In other news, this week was also Mental Health Awareness Week. We know how important mental wellbeing is – and how much loneliness and isolation can affect our residents, especially older men. Today, I was delighted to visit the fantastic Men in Sheds project (our 2024 Civic Awards Winners!) – a space where older men come together to chat, build, and support one another. Projects like this are about community, connection, and care – and they’re exactly the kind of initiatives we need more of. We also hosted a community mental health event at Plaistow Library on Tuesday, with several health and wellbeing stalls and a workshop helping shape our Mental Health Strategy 2025–35. Speaking of which, we’re currently consulting on our new Mental Health Strategy, and we want as many voices as possible to be involved. The first phase of this consultation is a short survey – it only takes five minutes to complete – and you can do that by following this link. On Wednesday, I was thrilled to join the brilliant AI Challenge event organised by our Data Team, South by South West, and LDE, and hosted at Plexl in the Olympic Park. Around 80 students from three of our local schools gathered to explore how artificial intelligence can help tackle biodiversity challenges right here in the Olympic Park. Their ideas were inspiring, hopeful, and smart. And it reminded me again – our young people are not only the future, they are the now. We're investing in these opportunities because we believe Newham should lead the way in innovation, sustainability, and skills for the future economy. It is essential to our Building a Fairer Newham plan. And on that note, I was joyed to see that all three of Newham’s constituencies – East Ham, Stratford & Bow, and West Ham & Beckton – have been ranked in the top 20 in England for social mobility – showing how our building a fairer Newham is working across the borough for everyone. With a range of empowering and tackling poverty services; our long-running Eat for Free school programme for all our primary pupils (which saves families £500 per year per child, and for the past 2-years funded through money we receive from the Mayor of London); and 96% of our schools rated good or outstanding, this is proof that our building a fairer Newham efforts are working and having impact for our people. You know that I am passionate about creating opportunities, raising aspirations and delivering on our promise to make Newham the best place for children and young people to grow up. Lastly, tonight I’m really looking forward to attending the Foster Carers Awards, where we’ll be recognising the extraordinary individuals who provide loving homes to children in care. Foster carers are the backbone of our care system – quietly transforming lives every single day. They are true heroes. If you know one, give them a big thank you this week. They truly deserve it, and if you are interested in becoming a foster parent, you can read all about what it entails and how to apply here. Until next week, look after yourself and say hello to your loved ones for me! Thank you!
Best wishes, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE Follow what I am up to via X/Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz | 
