New Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz led a minute’s silence in memory of student Sami Sidhom ahead of a community meeting on Monday 14th May about how Newham can be made a safer place for everyone.
Sami, 18, from Forest Gate, died following a stabbing attack close to his home last month.
The public meeting at Durning Hall was called in response to his death and that of a 14-year-old boy who was shot dead in the area last year.
Almost 200 people attended the meeting where residents, agencies and organisations involved in tackling youth crime and prevention, including Newham Council, shared and listened to opinions.
Mayor Fiaz spoke of her commitment to dealing with youth violence and having young people at the heart of conversations about the problem.
She said: “My decision to emphasise the importance of youth safety as part of my mayoralty hasn’t been a consequence of the events that we have all been witness to over recent weeks and months; it has been a constant feature in the lives of our young people for some time. Their safety is something we must all drive forward.”
During her first week in office the Mayor’s inaugural event was an assembly for young people staged at Forest Gate Youth Zone where their voices could be heard.
