News in Brief
Higher minimum wage
A poster campaign to raise awareness of the increased National Minimum Wage is being rolled out across the borough.
The posters, linked to a national campaign to alert workers to the new higher rate, follow a visit by the the National Minimum Wage Roadshow to Ridley Road Market on 6 February. Hackney’s Deputy Mayor, Karen Alcock, and Cllrs Guy Nicholson and Linda Smith joined the roadshow to support the campaign.
Cllr Alcock said: “I am pleased that Hackney is supporting the campaign to ensure that everyone is being paid the National Minimum Wage. It is a national standard of employment rights for every worker, and I strongly urge staff and employers alike to find out more about the new rates if they haven’t already done so.”
Posters and flyers are available at leisure centres, libraries, police stations and Council reception areas. They are also on display outdoors in parks and the Town Hall Square.The poster campaign is being run jointly by the Council and Team Hackney, the local strategic partnership.
Anyone who is not being paid the national minimum can report their employer confidentially at the National Minimum Wage helpline: 0845 6000 678 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm). For more info visit: www.direct.gov.uk/nmw
Teenager’s murderer convicted
A man has been found guilty of murdering Stoke Newington teenager Etem Celebi.
Richard Harrison-Allen, 20, of Iveagh Close, E9, shot the 17-year-old in the back in what is believed to be a case of mistaken identity.
The murder in November 2007 of Etem, a semi-professional footballer for Leyton Football Club, was sparked by rivalry between two Hackney gangs, Luton Crown Court heard.
Victor Temple, prosecuting, said following a dispute between a friend of Etem and a man from another gang, Etem and four different friends were confronted by two hooded men armed with guns. When the pair opened fire, Etem's friends ran off while he took shelter behind a parked car, only to be shot at when he too tried to flee.
Mr Temple said: "Neither Etem nor any of the friends he was with were the intended targets of this murder which may well have had its origins in mistaken identity. The mere fact he was there and trying to escape led to him being killed.”
Following the verdict on February 10, Det Ch Insp Simon Moring said: “We believe this murder was motivated by an ongoing dispute between two groups of youths.
“The Metropolitan Police are working hard to tackle youth violence and this conviction demonstrates we will vigorously pursue offenders and put them before the courts.”
Bright young business
Apprentice winner Tim Campbell is looking for enterprising young people who want to set up their own businesses.
The Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, opened an event on 17 February, to discuss Tim’s Bright Ideas Borough campaign.
After triumphing in the BBC show, he set up the Bright Ideas Trust to help young people, aged 16 to 30, create and run successful businesses. Hackney is the first borough in London to adopt the scheme, with others expected to follow.
As part of the campaign, the trust is boosting enterprise opportunities for young people who are not in employment, education or training, and have a great business idea.
Tim said: “By working with the Council and community organisations we want to add to the great work that’s already taking place and light the fuse to an explosion of enterprise and creativity that will benefit Hackney and London in years to come.”
For more info visit: www.brightideastrust.com/hackney
By-election result
A new Hackney councillor has been voted in following a byelection in Stoke Newington Central ward.
Labour candidate Louisa Maynard Thomson received 1,162 votes at the ballot box to take a vacant seat after residents went to the polls on 29 January.
The other candidates received the following number of votes:
- Matthew George Hanley (Green Party) – 783
- Karelia Scott (Liberal Democrats) – 297
- Patricia Jane Napier (Conservative Party) – 169
- Nusret Sen (Direct Democracy (Communist) Party) – 20
Overall turnout was 30.83 per cent of residents on the electoral roll for the ward, and the total number of ballots cast was 2,440.
The by-election was called due to the resignation of Jamie Carswell, who resigned from the Council last December.
Citizen Smith
In a bid to modernise the way it works, the Council is using new technology to develop a centralised customer database.
For example if a resident changes address, they will only have to tell the Council once, rather than repeating the process for a number of different services. Also they won’t have to go through their personal details each time they get in touch with the Council either – a name will be enough to pull up all the information. And by only updating one record there’s more security and less chance for error. However, as with any data sharing initiative, all residents have the option to opt out. If you wish to do so, email: info@hackney.gov.uk with ‘CI OPT OUT’ in the subject header. Alternatively write to: Data Protection, Hackney Council, Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street, E8 1EA.
It’s the business
Local entrepreneurs are being encouraged to shout about their successes by entering the Mayor of Hackney’s Business Awards 2009.
The annual event, now in its fourth year, is dedicated to celebrating the excellence and diversity of businesses in the borough. Entries must be in by 23 February and all those short-listed will be invited to a black-tie awards evening at Shoreditch Town Hall on 28 April.
Mayor Jules Pipe said: “Hackney has always been a great place to do business and that is down to the entrepreneurial spirit of the borough’s local business owners.
“This is a great chance to showcase their success and reward companies and individuals who have excelled.”
For more information visit the Mayor's Business Awards page.
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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