Making the gals look and feel good

Something good happened for a group of young women from a supported housing scheme in Bow.

They were given the opportunity learn about how to get a job in the beauty industry and also trained on some areas of this work.

Rabena Faried, manager at the housing scheme, said: “Many of the young people who live here have had very difficult childhoods and come to us with low self-esteem and little direction. This course has enabled a number of young women to enhance their skills.”

East End Life says the course, conducted by Tower Hamlets College, is useful in helping these women get jobs and have independent lives.

African Children's Choir to sway Forest Gate

Drums, shouts and a lot of stomping. The popular
African Children’s Choir is out to bring the house down when they show case their stuff at the Arc Church in Forest Gate this coming weekend.

For more info call 0208 555 4245.

Have a go at ‘running’ Newham’s hospital

Suppose that for one day, tomorrow, you were in charge of all Newham’s
health services.

Then let your thoughts drift further and consider how you
would use your time to shape the future of health in the borough.

In simple terms, that opportunity to have your voice heard is the principle
behind the forthcoming Newham Health Debate.

Over the coming months the Newham Primary Care Trust will be introducing a series of events in which local residents will be asked about the kind of health services they want.

When the process is complete the Trust will analyse the information, identify the priorities and then set about acting on the results.

Look out for the first of these events – which is a survey questionnaire that will be distributed throughout the borough and available online.

This will be followed by a workshop and then a will be a live question-time meeting.

Top prize for helping poor folk mange their money

There’s loads of struggling families this side of town who can’t cope because they don’t know how to handle their (little) money.

So when a charity comes along and helps them manage their cash it’s no small issue because by educating the breadwinners in these communities, many people benefit – from mothers to children and those who live with cousins and grandparents.

No doubt judges at this year’s Charity Awards realised this when they gave the
Quaker Social Action (QSA) the top prize in the social care, welfare and religion category.

The QSA’s robust project , Made of Money?, fought off tough competition to win the judges hearts.

The panel recognised the immense value of giving families the time and space to talk, listen and learn about money and the emotional relief that the project provides, particularly in this current climate of economic uncertainty.

The QSA has been helping poor families in East London since 1867 and I’m sure many will agree with me that they deserve the prize.

Bogus charity worker hits Ilford

Residents in Ilford have been told to be on the alert for a drug addict pretending to be a charity worker.

According to the Ilford Recorder, the gaunt woman asks people to donate to a leukaemia charity, but uses the proceeds to fund her drug habit instead.

While I see a drug addict pulling this off, I wonder how many people out there don’t know the basics of dealing with door-knockers?

Last year, Newham Council warned that in such situations, residents should ask for some form of identification and, if still uncertain, find out a bit more about the organisation being represented.

This was the time bogus plumbers and builders were doing the rounds.

The Recorder says one resident who donated in the past chased the suspect to demand the money back.

This may not be the wisest thing, as such crooks may be armed with knives and one could get seriously hurt over money unwisely given.

Battle for Banglatown looming

The good news for all is that Shoreditch High Street station will indeed re-open at some point in the near future (two years).

The stations is currently shut, leaving many who use the East London line to rely on replacement bus services. This week plans of what the station will look like were unveiled.

But good news may soon turn bad for transport officials, if members of the Bangla community get their way.

According to the London Paper, locals have been campainging to rename the station Banlgatown because of its proximity to the area around Brick Lane, home to a large Banladeshi community.

Transport officials say the renaming will cost £2m to change existing maps, signs, etc.

According to the London East website, Imam Uddin, head of the Banglatown Restaurant Association, says: "Changing the name to Banglatown is a good idea. It will give our community more of an identity.”

Iman and his colleagues have acted swiftly to deal with this identity crisis by submitting a petition to the Council for the name change.

We eagerly await the reply on this one.

Event brings together fathers and sons

This weekend the Arc church in Forestgate held an event called 300 Men in One Place, aimed at fathers and sons.

I thought it would be a men-only do, but it turns out that women were allowed to attend as observers.

Although I did not go, I understand this Fathers day event was an interesting evening. There was music, food and a number of speakers.

Ray Lewis, London’s Deputy Mayor for Young People, gave a talk on why its important to have fathers around for their children. His father deserted him when he was young, so one can understand why this topic is close to his heart.

Lewis also slammed ‘extreme feminism’. I’m not sure how the ladies who attended as observers took this bit in though.