Let Your Voice be Heard: West Ham & Stratford Citizen Assembly Saturday 9 March 1.30-3.30pm

Citizens' Assemblies In the third and final round of the 2018/19 Citizens’ Assemblies residents will have an opportunity to comment and refine their Local Community Plan that has been developed through the assembly process and by the working group members, local councillors, council officers and partners. Residents will also have an opportunity to vote on projects that will be incorporated into the Local Community Plans. You can register at www.newham.gov.uk/CitizensAssemblies and you can also register for special requirements to enable you to attend. For more information contact CitizensAssemblies@newham.gov.uk Join us at Stratford & West Ham Citizens Assembly Saturday 09 March, 1.30-3.30pm Lunch 1-1.30pm Stratford Old Town Hall 29 The Broadway, E15 4BQ

Marching Against School Cuts

Picture collage from yesterday's evening demo and rally in Westminster against cuts in school funding. Despite the rain, it was a cheerful, noisy and well attended event. Newham Labour Group met up with local activists beforehand at Stratford Station (second time within 4 days) led by our Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz and cabinet member for Schools, Cllr Julianne Marriott, to travel to the demo together.

We all arrived at the rally somewhat wet and bedraggled but signed the "Enough is enough" petition on cuts to school funding to send to Chancellor, Philip Hammond. I had to leave rally before main speakers, Angela Rayner MP and our Leader, Jeremy Corbyn MP to attend my local Newham Citizen Assembly in Stratford.

(Hat tip pictures stolen from various Party members & activists twitter & Facebook accounts). 

Your November Citizens' Assembly - 20 November 6-9pm (I hope Westhammers can attend their Assembly)

Your November Citizens’ Assemblies Join us to have your say on local priorities. The second round of Citizens’ Assemblies will run throughout November and build on the findings from the first round that took place in September.  Through the first round, and the working parties that were set up following these, 6 key priorities have been identified to address.  The top three for Stratford and West Ham are: Community Safety and Cohesion / ASB Community Development and Culture - Including Support for Young and Elderly People Environment Concerns (Litter, Flytipping) - Including Parks and Green Spaces  Email CN.Stratfordwestham@newham.gov.uk to let’s know what priority interests you the most and we will reserve your space on the round table discussion.   Across all of the Citizens’ Assemblies  Youth, Highways and Housing were highlighted as priorities for residents. This information will be collated and will feed into the borough wide strategy for these areas. You can find more information and register at www.newham.gov.uk/CitizensAssemblies For more information contact CitizensAssemblies@newham.gov.uk Putting Newham Residents at the Heart of Everything We Do. Register for Your Citizens' Assembly Newham Heritage Week 2018 Thursday 8 November - Sunday 18 November Exhibitions, heritage bus tour, films, walks, talks, children’s activities, open houses and more. This year we will be celebrating women’s right to vote and remembering the end of the first world war, alongside many more events and activities highlighting Newham’s rich heritage. For more information and updates on Newham’s Heritage Week www.newham.gov.uk/heritageweek or pick up a full programme in any Newham library. Putting Newham Residents at the Heart of Everything We Do.

Let your voice be heard: Stratford & West Ham Citizen's Assembly

Trade Union Congress finished a little early today (we worked through the lunch break to finish business.Not something that trade unionists would normally encourage in the workplace!). I will post further on the TUC.

So I was able to get a train home from Manchester to be in time for the inaugural Citizen Assembly for Stratford & West Ham Community Neighbourhood.

I am a Newham Councillor for West Ham ward.  Citizen Assemblies are intended to achieve newly elected Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, commitment to :-

"Putting Newham Residents at the Heart of Everything We Do.

During September 2018 there will be the first in a series of Neighbourhood Citizens’ Assemblies taking place across the borough in each Community Neighbourhood.

What Neighbourhood Citizens’ Assemblies

Neighbourhood citizens’ assemblies are large open meetings where you and others from your Neighbourhood decide how to improve your area.

The assembly is your chance to:

• set the priorities for the Community Plan
• discuss and work together with others to find solutions to local problems 
• connect with other local people and share knowledge
• set up local projects
• find out what is happening in your local area 
• give directions on how funding available to your area is spent

There will be a daytime and an evening assembly session in each Community Neighbourhood which will last approximately 3 hours, including a break and time to meet and greet others".

I had heard that the morning meeting had gone well with around 90 residents attending. We had about 70 plus residents in the evening. It was by far the most successful community participation event, I have ever known, either as a Councillor or a Housing officer. Residents were thoughtful, constructive and genuinely wanted to understand problems while keen to contribute to possible solutions.

Certainly, a number were quite forthright about about the serious issues that we all face and there was some difficult conversations but there was very little of the negativity and self interest that I have found in other community consultation events I have attended over the years. It showed to me what you can get if you treat residents as grown ups - treat them with respect and make it clear that you are actively listening and really want to involve them. 

The meeting decided and voted upon what would be the Stratford & West Ham priorities and I did a random drew in front of everyone to pick 4 volunteers from each ward to be part of a working Group.  The working group will meet next month and the next Assembly will take place in November.

While I have no doubt that it will not always be sweetness and light I am really excited about our Citizen Assemblies and look forward to the next one.