FAQ

Changes to absent voting have now been introduced. If you are applying to vote by post or by proxy, you will be asked to provide proof of your identity. 

A new online application service is now live, and this will enable you to apply for a postal or proxy vote and verify your identity online.

Postal voting

New provisions are due to take effect in time for the May 2024 local elections. The provisions restrict who can handle postal votes, how many postal votes can be handed in at polling stations and other venues and set out a process for handing in postal votes.

Who can’t handle postal votes?

Political campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes, except where the postal vote is their own or that of a close family member or someone who they provide care for. Postal workers or others who handle postal votes as part of their usual duties are also exempt. 

Political campaigners contravening this rule will be committing an offence and if found guilty could face a fine and/or imprisonment for up to two years.

What are the new limits for handing in postal votes?

People who are not political campaigners can still hand in postal votes at polling stations or into council buildings (depending on local arrangements). However, they will now be limited to handing in no more than five postal votes for other electors, plus their own postal vote per election.

People handing in postal votes will also have to complete a ‘return of postal voting documents’ form, which includes some personal information (name and address) and will also need to complete a declaration.

What happens if someone doesn’t follow the rules?

Postal votes may be rejected if people don’t follow the rules when handing in postal votes. This means they will not be counted in the election, but electors whose postal votes are rejected will be informed in writing that their vote has been rejected and why following the election.

Postal votes will be rejected if:

• too many postal votes are handed in
• there is reason to suspect a person has already handed in the maximum number of postal votes at the election
• the postal votes are handed in or left without a completed form.

These rules apply to all postal votes not posted through Royal Mail e.g. posting votes directly into a council building or into a council post box, which is not Royal Mail, will need an accompanying form.

What should postal voters do then?

The best advice is to post postal votes through Royal Mail as soon as possible. If a person must hand in a postal vote in person, they should make sure to hand it in somewhere where a postal vote handing-in form is available and where the Returning Officer  is accepting postal votes.

Do not use unstaffed post boxes in any council buildings that are not Royal Mail.

What’s changing about secrecy requirements?

Voters at polling stations are protected by secrecy requirements set out in Section 66 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. This states that no member of electoral staff or a person supporting a voter may communicate information about the candidate the voter voted for. 

It is an offence to try to find out how someone has voted in a polling station and to photograph ballot papers in polling stations. The Elections Act 2022 extended these requirements to apply to postal and proxy votes as well as votes cast in polling stations.

What happens if someone breaches these new rules?

Anyone found guilty of breaching these secrecy requirements could face a fine or imprisonment for up to six months.

The clubs in this list offer free spaces for:

• Children and young people living and or going to school in Tower Hamlets

and

• Children and young people receive benefits-related free school meals.

Clubs are suitable for children and young people aged 4 to 16 years. Each club has different age groups. Check if they're right for your child before signing up.

Some clubs offer SEND places. Please enquire with the clubs directly about the support and services they offer SEND participants.

To find contact details for a club please search the website or social media links provided.

Clubs offering SEND placements

Canary Wharf Football Academy

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.canarywharffa.org

Location:

• Sir John McDougal Gardens, E14 8LN
• Bow Cross Community Hub, E3 3EY          

Mainstream (but SEND places are available)

First Kicks sports Ltd        

Find out more about the organisation and offer: https://www.firstkickssports.co.uk

Location: St Agnes Catholic Primary school Rainhill Way, Bow London EN3 3ER.      

Offers Mainstream and SEND places

Junior Adventures Group

Find out more about the organisation and offer: haf@junioradventuresgroup.co.uk

Location: St Lukes CofE Primary School, E14 3EB           

Mainstream but cater for SEND

Social organisation for unity and leisure

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.souluk.co.uk  

Locations:

• Collingwood community centre, Barnsley Street, London, E1 5RB
• Buckley court community centre, Ford Street, London, E3 5LT

Offers Mainstream and SEND places

St Andrews Youth Development Trust 

Find out more about the organisation and offer: https://www.standrewsyouthdevelopmenttrust.org/

Location: St Elizabeth primary school, Bonner Road, E2 9JY

Mainstream (but small number of SEND spaces available)

Udichi Shilpi Gosthi

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.udichiuk.org

Location: Whitechapel Idea Store, 321 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BU

Offers Mainstream and SEND places

Mainstream clubs

Athletics Camp

Find out more about the organisation and offer/to register: https://forms.office.com/e/rTvtL0SYKz

Location: Mile End Stadium, Park Rhodeswell Road, Bromley-By-Bow, E14 7TW.  Track & Field     

Mainstream

Beyond the Bias LTD           

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.beyondthebias.co.uk / @beyond.the.bias

Locations:

• Poplar Baths Leisure Centre, 170 East India Dock Road, North Woolwich, E14 0ED
• George Green School, 100 Manchester Road, London E14 3DW

Mainstream

Easter Future Stars Football Camp

11am to 3pm

Find out more about the organisation and offer/ to register: https://forms.office.com/e/sB6vzwVGMv

Location: 190 Burdett Road, London, E3 4HL

Mainstream

Easter Isle of Dogs Multi Sports Camp

Find out more about the organisation and offer/ to register: https://forms.office.com/e/H4XqQKYdiV

Location: George Green School facilities, 190 Manchester Rd, London, E14 3DW       

Mainstream

Leaders in Community     

Find out more about the organisation and offer: Home - Leaders in Community (licprojects.org)

Location: Teviot Centre, Wyvis Street, E14 6QD  

Mainstream

London Islamic School      

Find out more about the organisation and offer: arif@londonislamicschool.org

Locations:

• London Islamic School, 18-22 Damien Street, London, E1 2HX 
• Whitechapel Sports Centre, 55 Durward Street, Stepney, E1 5BA          

Mainstream

London Jaguars Community Association

Find out more about the organisation and offer: ljca.org@gmail.com

Location: Bernie Cameron Community Centre, 32 Merchant Street, Stepney, E3 4LX 

Mainstream

London Sportif

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.londonsportif.com

Location: London Enterprise Academy, 81-91 Commercial Road, London E1 1RD

Mainstream

Manorfield Primary School

Find out more about the organisation and offer: https://www.manorfield.towerhamlets.sch.uk/

Location: Manorfield Primary School, Wyvis Street, E14 6QD   

Mainstream

Mile End leisure Centre and Stadium, GLL

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.better.org.uk /Better_LBTH

Location: Mile End Park Leisure Centre & Stadium, 190 Burdett Road, Mile End, E3 4HL

Mainstream

Newark Youth London

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.newark.org.uk  or @NewarkYouthLdn or https://en-gb.facebook.com/newarkyl/

Locations:

• Locksley Community Centre, Dora Street, London, E14 7TP 
• Cyprus Street Community Centre, Cyprus Street, London E2 0PE

Mainstream

Ocean Youth Connexions

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.oceanyc.org  

Location: Ocean TLA, Forecourt Anson House, Ernest Street, London, E1 4SE

Mainstream

Olive Tree Education

Find out more about the organisation and offer: info.olivetreeeducation@yahoo.com

Locations: Waverley House, Pepper Street, E14 9RP

Mainstream

Stifford Centre Limited     

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.stifford.org.uk

Location: Stifford Centre, 2-6 Cressy Place, Stepney Green, London, E1 3JG    

Mainstream

Trapped in Zone One

Find out more about the organisation and offer: https://www.trappedinzoneone.com/

Location: Feldy Community Space, 18 Aberfeldy Square, E14 0XA       

Mainstream

Poplar HARCA Spotlight

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.wearespotlight.com

Location: Spotlight, 30 Hay Currie Street, E4 6GN

Mainstream

Premier Education

Find out more about the organisation and offer: Premier Education | No 1 provider of Sport, Arts & Wellbeing (premier-education.com)

Location: Cyril Jackson Primary School, Limehouse Causeway, E14 8AQ         

Mainstream

SimpleGifts: Unitarian Centre for Social Action

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.simplegiftsucsa.org.uk

Location: Centre for Social Action, 117 Mansford Street, London E2 6LX        

Mainstream

Society Links Tower Hamlets

Find out more about the organisation and offer: http://www.societylinks.org.uk 

Location: 80 John Fisher Street, E1 8JX    

Mainstream

Tower Hamlets Education Foundation/Booster

Find out more about the organisation and offer: towerhamlets.ef@gmail.com

Location:

• Idea Store Chrisp Street Market, 1 Vesey Path, E India Dock Rd, London E14 6BT
• Idea Store Whitechapel, 321 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1BU

Mainstream

Tower Hamlets Youth League United   

Find out more about the organisation and offer: https://thylunited.com

Locations:

• Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London, E2 6HG
• Mile End Leisure Centre, 190 Burdett Road, London, E3 4HL     

Mainstream 

Tower Hamlets Youth Sport Foundation (Platform Cricket)

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.platform-LDN.org

Location: Stepney Green Maths, Computing & Science College, E1 4SD

Mainstream

Weavers Adventure Playground Association  

Find out more about the organisation and offer: Adventure Playgrounds – Childrens play in London | Adventure Playgrounds | – London Play (londonadventureplaygrounds.org.uk)

Location: Weavers adventure playground Viaduct place, E2 0DR         

Mainstream

WISE Youth Trust   

Find out more about the organisation and offer: www.wiseyouthtrust.org.uk

Locations:

• St. Peters North community Centre 1 Marian Place, Pritchards Road London, E2 9AX
• Mile End Stadium, 8 Copperfield Road, London, E3 4RT

Mainstream

Data Protection: Idea Store Membership

Your personal details are required for the creation of a library account. This information is held on a common database shared by the London Libraries Consortium [LLC] authority members. It is password protected and only accessible to Idea Store and LLC staff. Details of all completed transactions i.e. items borrowed and returned, are kept within the system for two years and details of non-completed transactions i.e. items borrowed and not returned are kept for six years. 

You can sign-in to our online catalogue to view the last 18 months of your borrowing history.

We collect and use depersonalised details, which do not identify you as a named individual for statistical analysis of our services, such as Idea Store Online usage and the number and type of library items borrowed. This allows us to review and provide better services.

When you register for a library account:

• We will need to collect your email address. This is so that we can send you pre-overdue, overdue and reservation notifications;

• You can choose to opt-in or opt-out to receive marketing emails that alert our members to new services and Idea Store courses that may be of interest. You can opt-out of receiving marketing communications at any time by using the ‘Unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of the marketing emails.

Idea Store Learning: How We Use Your Personal Information 

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1988.  We will keep your data for a maximum of 6 years in line with our retention schedule and to meet the requirements of our funding providers, The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). View 'How We Use Your Personal Information [PDF]

Idea Store Learning: Health Screening Questionnaire Privacy Notice
It is necessary for us to process your name and health information, disclosed on the Health Screening questionnaire, to ensure that you complete Health, Fitness & Wellbeing, Cookery, Technical Education and Visual Arts class activities / exercises safely.

We keep your data for a maximum of 6 years in line with our retention schedule and to meet the requirements of our funding providers, The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
View Idea Store Learning: Health Screening Questionnaire Privacy Notice [PDF]

Idea Store Website Data Protection

We respect and protect the privacy of everyone who visits this website.  This website does not store or capture personal information, but merely logs the customer's IP address that is automatically recognised by the web server.  The IP address is not linked to anything that identifies an individual and therefore your user session will remain anonymous to Tower Hamlets Council.  We do not use cookies for collecting user information from the site and we will not collect any information about you except that required for system administration of the web server.

Consent for the Use of Images

If you attend an Idea Store activity, event or course you may be asked to consent to having your photograph taken, as an individual or as part of a group, for promotional purposes only. These images may appear in our printed publications, such as the course guide, on our website or other marketing materials or media. The images are only used to promote Idea Store. We do not use the images taken, or the information you provide on the consent form, for any other purpose. We do not include personal details in our printed publications or on our website. We retain a copy of the image and the related consent form on the council’s secure network.  If we have taken your photograph you may withdraw your consent for use at any time.

Tower Hamlets Council Data Protection and Freedom of Information 

You can find out more about your rights on the Tower Hamlets Council Data Protection and Freedom of Information  web page, and this includes details of your rights about automated decisions, such as the ranking of Housing Applications, and how to complain to the Information Commissioner.  

Contact Idea Store

If you have any concerns or questions regarding the use of your Idea Store membership or learning data, please contact Denise Bangs, Idea Store Business Development Manager [Digital Services]
denise.bangs@towerhamlets.gov.uk