Meet the Speaker

Lewisham has a directly elected mayor instead of a council leader, so the role of Speaker fulfils many of the ceremonial and public duties traditionally associated with a civic mayor. This includes chairing full council meetings, attending community events, welcoming visitors and new citizens to Lewisham and liaising with other civic mayors and dignitaries across London and beyond.

Cllr Anwar was first elected as a Crofton Park ward councillor in 2018, where he has lived for over 15 years. He is passionate about the environment, and in 2019 he proposed a motion which led to the Council declaring a climate emergency, which has helped to shape the Council’s environmental work. He represented Lewisham Council at last year’s COP26.

This is the third year Cllr Anwar has taken on the post, with the pandemic restricting much of what he was able to do during the last couple of years. This year he’s planning to make up for lost time by getting out in the community as much as possible.

“It was strange being elected as Speaker during the lockdown, as it meant that unfortunately I wasn’t able to get out and about in the way I’d hoped,” he said. “I attended lots of online events, but it wasn’t the same so I’m excited to have a full year ahead of community events, meeting residents and businesses, fundraising for the Mayor’s charity and welcoming people to the Council Chamber.”

With the usual municipal calendar scrapped, Cllr Anwar found different ways to make a difference during the pandemic – most notably working with volunteers to set up a soup kitchen at the Lewisham Islamic Centre, which at its busiest was serving over 120 meals a day to people in need during the lockdown.

“I wanted to find a way to help people at a very difficult time,” he said. “The role of Speaker is about representing the Council, and this felt like an important way to do that. Lewisham is a special place, with great community spirit – I’m very proud to be the Speaker and to see all of that every day.”

To invite the Speaker to an event or for more information about his role please email civicevents@lewisham.gov.uk.

We wanted to celebrate the power culture has to bring people together, to unlock positive opportunities for our young people, and to shine a light on the character and rich diversity of London’s boroughs. Lewisham’s incredible spirit has certainly shone through its special programme over the past six months – bringing music, art and joy to inclusive initiatives and exciting events such as the fantastic, critically acclaimed concerts of Revolution Through Music.

The power arts and culture possess to inspire action and effect positive change is immense and it’s been great to see how We Are Lewisham has boldly seized this opportunity to focus attention on the most pressing issues facing London and the world - including the climate emergency. Breathe:2022, for example, movingly reminds us that air pollution is a matter of life and death and that every Londoner should have the right to breathe clean air, while Sun & Sea provokes us to think about the delicate relationship we have with our precious planet. Hope 4 Justice was a powerful call for change, as well as a truly spectacular performance.

The Creative Change Fund has supported huge numbers of local and grassroots organisations and, by giving residents the chance to skill up and access new jobs and training opportunities, Creative Futures is helping to cultivate the next generation of creative thinkers, activists and change makers – precisely the people who will lead Lewisham and London into the future.

Through capitalising on the success of this programme, embracing all that makes Lewisham such a dynamic and energetic place to be, and by raising awareness and inspiring change on the biggest issues facing our communities today, We Are Lewisham is helping to build a better London for everyone. I can’t wait to see what more is to come over the rest of the year, and the enduring legacy that Lewisham’s London Borough of Culture year will leave for residents and for our great capital city.

Sadiq Khan Mayor of London