Newham is in the East End of London, it is bounded by rivers on three sides and by the grass lands of Wanstead flats to the North. These real boundaries give it a far better sense of identity than would be given by arbitrary lines on a map. It is a densely populated urban area which is home to around 217,000 people and unlike much of London it is an area where the population is growing. With 9% of its population under 5 years old it tops the national league for percentage of young people.
The borough is also top of another and less desirable league. It is the most deprived local authority area in England - yet it is in no way a depressing place to live. The best thing about it is its diversity. The south of the Borough contains tightly knit communities that remember the days when Newham's Royal Docks served ships from all over the world. These days are long gone but with the creation of an airport and the building of the London International Exhibition Centre the area could again become an economic power house for the locality.
The East of the borough contains the most vibrant and self confident communities. The area around Green Street is mainly occupied by people whose ethnic origins are in the Indian sub continent. The shops, schools and community groups reflect this to the full. Newham has the second highest level of ethnic minority residents of all Local Authorities in Britain and there is also a very great ethnic diversity.
The future of the West of the borough is likely to be dominated by the decision to build the Stratford International Terminal. In the last 25 years Stratford has already been changed beyond recognition - the cobbled streets of Angel Lane (used as backdrop to the Beatles Penny Lane) have been built over but the changes in future are likely to be even greater. I live in Stratford so I hope the change will be for the better.
The following are some of the things that I am involved with in Newham. Where they have their own web sites I've made a link.