Professionals from all sectors came together to put forward their ideas to make Tower Hamlets a better place, to live work and study
More than 100 professionals from sectors including business, education, health, housing, faith, community safety, and voluntary organisations came together at a Partnership Congress to share ideas and to help shape the future vision for Tower Hamlets.
The event, held at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, aimed to inform a new Strategic Vision for 2035, and improve the quality of life, advance equality, opportunity, and empower local communities.
Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman spoke about the importance of working with partners and the community on continually improving peoples’ lives in the borough.
He said:
“We come together this afternoon to shape the future of our borough, a place of extraordinary diversity, rich history, and immense potential.
Together, we are driving forward improvements in access to good quality health, education, housing and ensuring safe neighbourhoods where people can thrive.
“Our borough is a tapestry of cultures and traditions. We also face challenges as the borough with the fastest-growing population and the highest population density as well as the lingering impacts of the pandemic, the housing crisis, the climate emergency, and the cost-of-living crisis.
“But we rise to meet these challenges head-on as Tower Hamlets has always done. I’m incredibly proud of the way our community in Tower Hamlets works together and of how our Council is investing in our community to ensure greater equality, opportunity and prosperity.”
Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Fetuma Hassan, also spoke at the event.
Fetuma said:
“Tower Hamlets has infinite potential. We are strategically placed next to the City and Canary Wharf, accessible to all parts of London and access to resources that other boroughs can only dream of.
“We must dream big and have clear pathways of success so not only the few and educated can benefit but everyone.
“Whatever the barriers are for example living in poor housing, having to fight as a woman to access equal pay or not having a safe place to play as a child, these obstacles need to be broken down so everyone has a chance at success not just the few and privileged.”
Jessica Studdert, Chief Executive at New Local, an independent think tank with a mission to transform public services and unlock community power spoke at the event.
She spoke about the intricacies of ‘Power, Prevention and Place’ in creating a vision, that unleashes potential for transformative change.
She also chaired a discussion with a panel comprising the Young Mayor, Sufia Alam, Chair, Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum; Tom Venner, Chief Development Officer, Canary Wharf Group and Steve Stride, Chief Executive of Poplar HARCA.
The council is undertaking extensive community engagement to ensure the 2035 Strategic Vision is grounded in the aspirations and needs of the community. The 2035 Strategic Vision will launch next year.
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Posted on Wednesday 11th December 2024