Minister in Newham to unveil real help for Londoners
April 1, 2009

Minister for London Tony McNulty visited Stratford today (April 1) to launch information designed to help Londoners through the economic downturn and hear about Newham Council's measures to assist residents and businesses through the tougher times.

Together with the Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales, Mr McNulty visited Workplace, which advises residents on employment options and helps employers recruit staff.

The Minister spoke about the new Real Help for London booklet, which details support the Government has introduced to ensure people are equipped to take advantage of opportunities that will arise when the upturn comes.

He said: "The Government has introduced a wide range of measures to help people through these hard economic times. Real Help for London provides information and advice on the support available to them."

Newham Council already has a package of measures to alleviate the impact of the downturn. The Workplace programme has already placed more than 2,000 people into jobs since it was launched in 2007 and Mayor Sir Robin Wales has promised a further 1,000 people will get into work by March 2010.

Newham's recession recovery measures include:

For residents:

• No increase in Council Tax
• Proactive support for residents in danger of eviction and homelessness to keep them in their homes
• Greater promotion to residents of the welfare benefits to which they are entitled
• Employment service Workplace will help the recently unemployed back into work as soon as possible
• Greater numbers of and promotion of employment opportunities at Newham Council
• Promotion of adult training and learning opportunities to residents
• Major investment in making the borough cleaner and safer to encourage people to visit and shop in Newham.

For businesses:

• Fast-track of payments by the council to businesses
• Increase in opportunities for local businesses to win contracts from the council's own procurement systems and from developments in the borough such as the 2012 Games, Stratford City and Crossrail
• Promotion of the borough's shopping districts such as Stratford and Green Street to residents, council employees, fellow Londoners and the capital's international visitors
• A signposting service for Newham firms to sources of business support and finance available in the borough and the wider public sector.

Sir Robin Wales said: "We all face having to tighten out belts in the current economic climate, but we are doing everything we can to help people and businesses. These are certainly tougher times, but we're on their side. We want them to be in the best position to withstand the pressures and recover quickly."

Employers and individuals who would like more information or to book an appointment can call 020 8430 4331 or visit the Workplace website www.newhamworkplace.co.uk

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