Since last week Newham’s town halls in Stratford & East Ham have been illuminated in purple light in solidarity with the family of George Floyd, his family, & the #BlackLivesMatter movement worldwide.
His death in America has unleashed an unprecedented demand for an end to racism and inequality in all societies. In Newham many people have been motivated to make a stand.
Councils everywhere are beginning to work with their local communities to look at the appropriateness of certain monuments and statues on public land and council property. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced that the Capital’s statues, plaques and street names will be reviewed to ensure they reflect the city’s diversity. The stain of the slave trade appears on streets, memorials and buildings all over the country, named after leading figures of this inglorious past. We’ll be launching our own project to identify those in the borough that are associated with the slave trade and what we can do about renaming them. More details will be available soon.
On Monday I joined members of Newham’s youth community on a Zoom call to talk about the killing of George Floyd, #BlackLivesMatter and what we are doing at the Council to tackle racism and racial inequality.
Their message was loud and clear. Enduring inequality and everyday racism is impacting on young lives here in Newham. We need to understand how they feel, what they need to feel safe and valued, and how we can deliver on the promise to make Newham the best place in country for children and young people to grow up and where they can thrive and flourish. This evening at our meeting of Cabinet, we agreed the measures that our Youth Safety Board will implement to do just that. You can read the full report here.
This week the number of people dying as a result of Covid-19 has continued to fall. While the downward trend appears to be cause for optimism, I urge everyone to maintain the efforts to keep the spread of coronavirus down to prevent a second wave. Our young people will be important voices in this respect in the months ahead and Newham’s Health and Wellbeing Board agreed last night that they will have a huge role to play as we ask them to be our community champions. You can read more about our plans for this new phase of responding to Covid-19 here. You can also read our plans to address the serious issue of the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority Communities here.
Next Monday, we will see one of the most significant relaxations in lockdown restrictions when many shops, markets, and shopping centres re-open for business.
The Council has been working hard on our high streets, and with our businesses, to ensure re-opening can be achieved in line with Government social distancing and hygiene guidelines, and provided retailers can demonstrate they have completed a coronavirus risk assessment and are complying with the guidance.
Places of worship will also be allowed to re-open from Monday but for individual private prayer only. Communal worship is expected to be included in a future phase of the Government’s recovery plan from 4 July at the earliest.
If you have symptoms of Covid-19 (a new cough, fever or change in your sense of taste or smell) please don’t rush back to the shops for the sake of your health and for the safety of others. Please isolate immediately, stay at home and book a test via nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. Also don’t rush to the shops if you live with people who have health conditions and are extremely vulnerable to catching the virus, think about how they can continue to be protected and avoid the risk of becoming infected from the virus and potentially seriously ill.
The measures we are taking to make it easier, more pleasant and safer to walk or cycle on short journeys around the borough include widening pathways, extending cycle lanes, and introducing improved signage and on-street stencilling to encourage social distancing. We have already completed this work in some of the highest footfall areas of the borough, but we want you to help us continue the fight by suggesting areas where you think they are issues around be able to maintain a social distance, or cycle or walk safely. You can make your suggestions by visiting Propose changes to our streets to help with social distancing, walking and cycling page.
On Tuesday, there was more important news from the Government, when it confirmed that its plan for all primary school years to go back to school before the end of term has been dropped. It was always a misguided approach and the climb down was long overdue; and will be a huge relief for many parents, teachers and schools.
We’ve been asking parents to complete an online survey to gauge feelings about sending children back to school and the impact on their education. If you are a parent or carer, you have just a few more hours to have your say. It takes just five minutes to complete and can be completed here.
As we approach the weekend, please remember that we are still in the midst of a global Covid-19 pandemic. So please take all precautions, observe social distancing, avoid public transport where possible, and wear face coverings. Continue to follow personal hygiene measures, wash your hands, avoid touching your face and if you are in an at-risk group, or have vulnerable people in your household, please think very carefully about the risks involved.
From Saturday I am restarting my twice-a-month Mayor surgeries, which I had to stop because of the Covid-19 pandemic. While I won’t be able to meet residents face-to-face, appointments will happen online over Zoom. They’ll be taking place between 10am and 12pm and you can book an appointment here.The number of people I can see during the two hours is limited, so you will need to book in advance. When filling out the form, please do provide some information on what you want to talk about. Zoom details will be sent to each resident once an appointment has been confirmed. If I am not able to talk to you personally, my mayoral casework team will be able to help.
On Sunday our town halls will be lit up green as we remember the 72 people who died three years ago in the fire at Grenfell Tower in Kensington. The colour green was chosen to represent the plight of those who were killed in the blaze. It was a terrible tragedy that should never have happened and the anniversary is a time to remember and reflect.
As always, please continue to play your part in protecting yourself, family, friends and our community here in Newham.
Stay safe.
Best wishes.
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE
Mayor of Newham