"Whipps Won’t Wait"

I stood united with local MPs Stella Creasy, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, John Cryer, Wes Streeting, and the Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, to send a message to government that, as the floods that severely disrupted Whipps Cross over the summer showed again, we urgently need a completely new hospital. Please do show your support by signing our Whipps Won’t Wait petition.

I know how important Whipps Cross is to the borough, providing vital care to so many of us throughout our lives. The dedicated and compassionate staff helped me and my family immensely when my son was born, and were there for us again when he needed treatment for pneumonia aged just five. A new hospital will protect Whipps as it creates memories for new generations, please share your own stories at ‘What’s your Whipps Story’.

This week I was extremely disappointed by the news that Waltham Forest will not receive any extra police officers, despite 650 being assigned across London. I have written to the Met Commissioner, Cressida Dick, and Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to ask them to explain how these officers were allocated, as you have a right to know why Waltham Forest wasn’t seen as a priority.

After a series of very serious incidents over the summer and the horrific murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, the issue of women’s safety is a key issue right across all of Waltham Forest’s communities. The news on police officers will further undermine the feeling that our residents are not being heard by those making these decisions. I shall be working with councillors and speaking to senior officers locally, to make sure we do more to ensure women feel safe in our community.

And thanks to all of you who joined me at last Thursday's webinar with health experts on the Covid-19 vaccine; if you missed it, you can still catch up on Facebook or our website.

Grace.

Councilor Grace Williams
Waltham Forest Council