How long have you been in post and what made you want to become a councillor?
I became the Thames Ward councillor in May 2022. I have been a resident of this ward for the last 17 years. In 2005, when I first moved here, it all looked very different to the way it is now.
I have been involved with various organisations whilst I have been a resident of this area. I’ve become the secretary of the Thames View Muslim Association, chair of the Tenants & Residents Association and secretary of the Thames View Community Garden. These organisations gave me the opportunity to work with the community and understand their needs and the issues residents were facing. In order to do more for the community I felt it would be good if I was a councillor of this ward.
What area are you responsible for?
I am responsible for Thames View Ward and I share the area with Councillor Fatuma Nanule.
What is a typical day for you as a local councillor?
My typical day as a councillor consists of dealing with queries received through emails. People send in their queries and I follow them up or get them through to the relevant officials, departments, and members. I am a member of two important committees – Licencing Committee, and Planning and Admission Committee. There are several briefings that take place and I attend those on a regular basis. Any new development in the borough needs to go through our committee hence these meetings and briefing are quite regular.
What are the main concerns you hear from local residents at the moment?
Residents have all sorts of concerns mainly housing, law and order, lack of youth engagement programmes, drugs, crime, etc.
What is your view on the new ward boundaries (Thames Ward becoming Thames View and Barking Riverside)?
I believe it is a great move. With the development going on the area has become much bigger and therefore this change will bring many benefits to residents. We can already see that as a result of this we have five councillors instead of three. This will allow us to work more closely with the residents. It may bring some challenges initially, but I am certain it will be a benefit to the community.
