Spotlight Focus Hammersmith & Fulham

Hammersmith & Fulham turn to young blood to drive borough initiatives forward

Emma Apthorp became Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s youngest ever Mayor in May this year.

I’m grateful to have this opportunity to make a difference and that in this Mayoral year, improving life for women and girls, will be the centrepiece

At the tender age of just 22, Apthorp was appointed to modernise the role, encourage more young people to engage in democratic public life, and make improving the world for women and girls the cornerstone of the next mayoral year.

H&F Leader Cllr Stephen Cowan who nominated Mayor Apthorp said: “Emma is smart, committed and really cares about making a difference. As our new Mayor, she will not only help revitalise our local democracy for future generations, but she will also craft new ways forward that improves life for women and girls”.

Cllr Cowan pointed to Sir Michael Marmot’s ground-breaking report two years ago which found that, over the previous decade, life expectancy had actually fallen for Britain’s poorest women.

Meanwhile, violence against women and girls had increased, and women would bear the brunt of the worst cost-of-living crisis since records began.

“None of this is acceptable to us. Our message to everyone facing these challenges is: we’re on your side. I’m delighted Emma will help lead this fight.”

Mayor Apthorp added: “I’m grateful to have this opportunity to make a difference and that in this Mayoral year, improving life for women and girls, will be the centrepiece”.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council ongoing support for women under threat is evidenced in its backing of Fawzia Amini, a leading Afghan women’s rights judge who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban seized control. She was head of the legal department of the Ministry of Women and headed the violence against women court.

Amini has a degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Criminology, and has spent more than 20 years working in Afghanistan’s Supreme Court.

She is currently living in temporary accommodation in the borough with her husband and four daughters. Each of her daughters, along with all other school aged Afghan refugees living in temporary accommodation, were given a suitable school place within the borough.

Local connections

Mayor Apthop was born and raised in Hammersmith before going off to study at Cambridge University. As an undergraduate between 2017 and 2021, she actively supported local causes, for example, campaigning for the university to pay its employees a living wage.

She has also fought for penal reform through the charity Sing Inside and fundraised for several breast cancer charities.

In response to the pandemic and educational inequality, she provided free mathematics GCSE tuition for teenagers.

Mayor Apthorp is not the only 20-something brought in to provide new ideas and perspective. Working alongside her is 23-year-old Councillor Trey Campbell-Simon who represents the Walham Green Ward.

Cllr Campbell-Simon has been appointed as the borough’s lead councillor for youth advancement and will work with the council’s cabinet and mayor to improve wellbeing for young people and help make sure they have the best possible life chances.

It is an exciting time for Mayor Apthorp and Cllr Campbell-Simon to be involved with new projects in the Hammersmith & Fulham borough. For instance, the council is set to deliver more than 250 homes in the heart of White City.

The council is working with residents to redevelop the central area between India Way and Canada Way. No existing social housing on the estate will be demolished and no private developers will be involved.

The council is keen to stress that 50% of the new homes delivered as part of the White City Central project will be affordable, with a mix of social rented and shared ownership homes.

The other half will be available to buy on the open market. The money raised by their sale will help fund the new affordable housing, accessible community facilities and landscaped outdoor areas.

Much-needed affordable homes

According to the Borough Council, the project will deliver the greatest number of genuinely affordable homes in a decade.

Rather than being priced out of the local market, the cornerstone of the council’s development strategy is to share the prosperity of a booming White City with local residents to ensure that the next generation can also call Hammersmith & Fulham home.

In addition to the new housing, the area will boast a large new community hub – featuring a café and teaching kitchen. Also, a new nursery, community garden and an outdoor gym.

Father Richard Nesbitt, 55, local resident and chair of the White City Residents Advisory Panel, wholeheartedly supports the project. “This is a once in a generation – or rather, once in several generations – opportunity to provide truly affordable housing for local White City residents,”

“It is a truly resident-led project specifically designed to bring long-lasting benefits to our community. Let White City shine brightly for all to see!”

But it is not just residents that are set to benefit from new development projects – the are also great opportunities for businesses to establish themselves in a regenerated area.

Phillips-Van Heusen Corp (PVH) the parent company to fashion brands like Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger is the latest arrival in the White City Innovation District.

The fashion giant will be moving into a brand-new office space at White City’s new-look Television Centre in early 2023.

The redevelopment of BBC’s old Television Centre is creating a thriving hub for the artistic industries and is part of a larger £8bn regeneration of the White City area.

White City is fast turning into a global hotspot not only for creative heads, but for makers and entrepreneurs in science and tech.