Newham Life

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This section of the web site contains all the various Christian news and events happening around Newham, to give you a flavour of living in Newham.

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About Newham

The London Borough of Newham is situated east of the city, on the banks of the River Thames, north of Greenwich. It was formed from the boroughs of East Ham and West Ham in 1965.

Until the mid 19th century farming was the main occupation. Between the 13th and 19th centuries industries gradually grew along the River Lea, on the western side of the borough. In the 1850s the Royal Docks were built for new large steam ships and became the largest docks in the world. Other industries were attracted to the area and thousands of people moved to Newham from all over the world. However within a generation these industries declined and brought unemployment on a large scale.

Heavy bombing in the second world war devastated the south of the borough, and after the war many new council houses were built. From the 1950s people from overseas were recruited to help with post-war reconstruction. They have now been joined by those escaping persecution in various parts of the world.

In 2005 about 250,000 people live in Newham. The borough is recognized as the most ethnically diverse local authority in Britain. About half the population belong to ethnic minority groups, and 110 languages are spoken in the borough’s schools. 40% of the inhabitants are under 25 years old, making it the youngest population in the UK.

In the 2001 Census the religions of people in Newham were Christian (46%), Muslim (24.3%), Hindu (6.9%), Sikh (2.8%), Buddhist (0.6%), Jewish (0.2%), other religions (0.3%), no religion (9.0%), religion not stated (9.0%).

Regeneration plans for the borough continue of which the 2012 Olympics plays a huge part. An 80,000 seater stadium will be built in Stratford, which will also be at the heart of a prestigious new development, Stratford City, comprising 4,500 new homes, nearly half a million sq metres of office space, hotels, schools and a shopping centre.

Newham Borough Council’s aim is to make Newham ‘a place where people will choose to live and work’. Transform Newham would like to add ‘and stay’.