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 Newham Living Wage Event
We're excited to celebrate Living Wage Week 2023. Join us on Wednesday 8 November at City Hall for an event hosted by the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, Newham Council and Lendlease with support from the Royal Docks Living Wage Action Group.
The Newham Living Wage Event will help set your organisation on the path to being accredited as a Living Wage Employer. On the day you will hear from local employers, both large and small about the steps they took on their journey to be accredited. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to come together and join the movement.
We will be sharing success stories of Living Wage in Newham, if you would like your story to be included in the next newsletter, please email us.
For more information and to register:
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 Take part in our Borough of Culture Survey
We have launched our bid for Newham to become the next Borough of Culture 2025 and we want to hear all your creative ideas that you would like us to consider as part of our bid!
We are looking for any ideas, big, small or anything in between that will showcase how our existing cultural diversity in Newham is one of our key strengths and together we can shape plans that will make culture become the beating heart of our borough.
The survey will take around 6 minutes to complete and you will also be entered into a free prize draw for a chance to win £50 of shopping vouchers.
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 £25,000 Lyle’s Local Fund – Open for applications
In Issue 74 we announced the Tate & Lyle’s Local Fund grant programme, we're excited to inform you the fund is now live and open for applications.
This grant is designed to empower and support our vibrant community in Newham. You can explore all the details and submit your applications today.
Grants of up to £2,500 will be available, and the community fund is open to not-for-profit organisations, such as social enterprises, schools, charities and community groups, which are based in Newham and whose work benefits the residents of Newham.
The deadline to submit your application is at 17:00 on Friday 3 November.
For more information and to apply:
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Age-friendly Employer Pledge
We are pleased to announce the Council is now an Age-friendly Employer. We recently signed the Centre for Ageing Better’s Pledge to highlight our commitment to supporting a multi-generational workforce.
This means that we will be adapting job adverts so they’re more appealing to older people, assessing data in relation to age and encouraging more conversations about menopause. You can do this too. Show your staff they are valued, no matter what age they are.
For more information:
We’re looking for more catering suppliers
The Council wants to expand its Food Business Directory list of approved catering suppliers for the smaller events which we organise.
To be considered, caterers must:
- Be based in Newham.
- Pay the London Living Wage to all staff (currently £11.95).
- Have a Food Standards Agency four or five star rating.
- Offer high quality food which is healthy and sustainable.
- Invest in skills training for themselves and their staff.
If you meet all these criteria, please apply:
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 Businesses Round Table Update
On 27 September a Business Round Table discussion took place with Council Officers including Our Newham Business & Enterprise team and 22 business leaders who are members of the Newham Chamber of Commerce (NCC), hosted by workspace provider US&Co in Stratford.
The round table discussion was a follow-up to Mayor Fiaz's visit to the chamber members earlier in the year. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the Council’s emerging new inclusive economic strategy with a focus on understanding businesses’ current experience of working with the Council and what can be done to improve this.
The core topics explored:
- Business Support - an overview of the support and services provided by the Council and the Our Newham Business and Enterprise team.
- Collaboration - businesses interacting with wider Council services and how these relations can be strengthened by working together and more efficiently.
- Resilience - the challenges faced by businesses and the strategies to support growth.
Overall, the meeting was a great success with an open atmosphere encouraging healthy discussion and honest feedback around key issues including parking, street cleaning, system management, and communication in Newham. We were delighted to hear about positive feedback for the support received from the Our Newham Business & Enterprise team.
A huge thanks to colleagues at NCC and members who made time to attend the event and US&Co for hosting the event.
 Buyer Round Table for the Care sector
The Inclusive Supply Chain project in conjunction with Newham Council is running an in-person ‘Buyer Round Table’ event on Wednesday 11 October from 10:00-12:30.
This is a unique opportunity for Care sector businesses to meet procurement professionals to find out more about local authority commissioners buying behaviours and discover what opportunities will be available in the coming months.
For more information and to register:
Join the STEP X Royal Docks Internship Programmes
We’re looking to meet innovative employers based in Newham & the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone. If you’re passionate about creating a positive social impact, operate in the creative, digital, green or blue economy and are looking to diversify your workforce with an Intern, we’d love for you to join us across the next 12 months.
To get involved:
Join the Employer Information Session:
Friday 20 October – 09:30-11:30 – Good Hotel
Come and celebrate the achievements of the Royal Docks Internship Programme over the last two years, where will be showcasing live case studies from young Newham residents and employers.
For more information and to attend the event:
 Nearly sold out - last few tickets left for the Financial Strategy Event ahead of Business Finance Week 2023
Thursday 19 October – 10:00-11:00
The Old Town Hall, Stratford
Join us for this highly sought-after free event to learn about financial options available to set your business on the path to success.
Led by the British Business Bank, the event will give you the opportunity to:
- Discover financial support available to your businesses
- Understand the importance of researching the best option for your business
- Explore the range of programmes offered by the British Business Bank
- Explore products, services and support available from retail banks
- Build resilience during challenging times and manage cash flow
- Network with professionals, panellists and local businesses.
There's still room for you to join us:
e-Business Support
Get help to grow your digital capabilities with dedicated support from Local London’s e-Business Support Programme.
Mondays – 10:00-16:00
Our Newham, 112-118 The Grove, London, E15 1NS
In partnership with Newham College, we’re thrilled to announce that in-person e-Business support sessions will be available in Startford, to help businesses which have been trading for over six months to take their business to the next level.
On Mondays, our e-Business Support advisors will be available at Our Newham offices to provide you with 1-2-1 personalised support, whether you’re looking to establish an online presence, address your unique digital challenges, boost your digital presence, or help you to optimise your operations to achieve maximum impact.
If you’re interested in meeting with the e-Business Support advisors:
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 Calling all high street businesses!
High streets beyond waste: Get started
Wednesday 25 October – 1 Old Street Yard, London EC1Y 8AF
Come and learn what a circular economy is and explore exactly what it means for you and your business and how using 'stuff' more wisely can cut costs and waste; win new customers, grow sustainably, and thrive.
High street beyond waste is targeted at:
- Food & drink businesses – pubs, cafes, microbreweries, takeaways
- Retail businesses – shops selling clothes, electricals, food
- Hair & beauty salons – hairdressers, barbers, nail salons
- Other high street services – dry cleaners, opticians, pharmacies
By joining the workshop you'll be in a position to get a head start thinking of circular activities to fund with a grant coming in February 2024.
To find out more information and join the workshop:
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Innovation challenge launched
The Future Industries Demonstrator offers expertise, support and funding, specifically designed to accelerate growth and adoption of innovations that respond to the climate emergency.
The programme will offer start-ups and SMEs:
- £20,000 grant to supplement scaling plan
- £5,000 budget to support testbed deployment
- Access to world-class workspaces
- Expert support from Plexal and UCL
- 1:1 coaching with a circular business specialist
For more information:
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Single-use plastic ban comes into force
From 1 October the Department for Food, the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) has banned some of the most polluting single-use plastic items.
Retailers, takeaways, food vendors or parts of the hospitality industry will not be able to sell or distribute single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks nor polystyrene cups and food containers to the public. This in addition to previous legislation banning single use plastic straws, plastic cotton buds and plastic stirrers, and all retailers having to charge for single use plastic bags.
You could be fined If you continue to supply banned single-use plastics.
If you require further advice on this, please email us.
For more information:
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 Affordable workspace and meeting rooms in Stratford by
Us&Co
Us&Co is located at 11 Burford Road, E15 2ST, a short walk from Stratford Station. It is a welcoming workspace for freelancers, start-ups and established businesses, so whether you need a co-working desk, a part-time workspace or a full-time private office, it can accommodate from five to 40+ people. There is also a wide range of meeting rooms, which can be booked by the hour, full-day or half-day.
We have teamed up with Us&Co to bring you an exclusive 20% discount when you use promotion code BRNEW20 to hire your next meeting or event space and 10% on desk space. You will need to email or call 0203 102 4010 to book your chosen space.
For more information:
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Cost of doing business: supporting you
As the cost of living crisis continues to hit Newham hard, including businesses, here’s lots of helpful information:
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Events and exhibitions
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The Hospitality B2B Portfolio
Wednesday 11 October – 10:00-16:00 ExCeL London
Uncover the future of hospitality especially if you’re in the food, hotel, drinks, cafe, tech, packaging and takeaway business at this year’s Hospitality B2B portfolio.
Consisting of seven industry leading events, businesses will have access to 500 innovative suppliers presenting top-quality products, alongside 200 seminars and live panels dedicated to maximising your revenue and ample networking opportunities.
To register for your preferred event:
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Karren Brady's Women in Business & Tech Expo
Wednesday 18 October-Thursday 19 October – 10:00-16:30 ExCeL London
Karren Brady's Women in Business & Tech Expo will help you develop your personal brand and grow your network. As a hiring event, you’ll meet and network with companies actively recruiting and identify opportunities to upskill.
To register for the event:
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Webinars
Google Ads, Local SEO & Google My Business
Thursday 12 October – 14:00-16:00
This workshop from the e-Business Programme will provide you with the information and skills you need to establish efficient Google Ads campaigns and how to take advantage of Search Engine Optimisation. You'll also learn how to use Google My Business to boost your presence in local search results.
Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Saluting our Sisters
Monday 16 October – 18:30-20:30
This event is dedicated to the achievements of Black businesses owned by women. You can attend the event in-person at the British Library, however, it will also be simultaneously live streamed online.
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Get listed on our Business Directory
Our Business Directory is an online database that provides you with the opportunity to promote your products and services to potential customers and other businesses. It's free to join.
Our Newham Pledge: be a force for change
The Our Newham Pledge is a formal yet voluntary commitment from organisations across Newham to make decisions and take actions that tangibly demonstrate their support for the community wealth building agenda. Its ambitions are closely linked to the community wealth building principles reflecting Newham’s overarching objective to achieve long-term prosperity, wellbeing and fairness for local residents and proactively respond to the borough’s climate emergency.
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We are here to help, contact us today at:
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