Some of my achievements in and around Merton and Wimbledon
Making a difference in Merton
Helping Ukrainians in Wimbledon
Stephen has been helping Ukrainians in Wimbledon. Here he is with Volodymyr and Olha outside their hosted flat in Wimbledon. Volodymyr is in IT and so is able to continue working for his employer from the UK. Olha was head of a chemical laboratory in Ukraine. Stephen is here talking about Merton’s council services and presenting the couple with a literature pack translated by the council into the Ukrainian language
Supporting Investment
As council leader Stephen encouraged and supported the recent investment that has led to a major improvement in the Polka Theatre. A major Greek philanthropic organisation was one of the sponsors following an initial approach by Stephen.
Workers Rights
As the Cabinet member for Transport in Merton I have made sure we put the workforce in my department on a permanent and away from a temporary agency footing. Staff have been assimilated into permanent positions in teams and new permanent staff have been recruited externally to join the teams. Other staff who had been acting in temporary roles have been successfully appointed on a permanent basis meaning promotion and development opportunities. Recruitment is also under way to permanently fill the vacancies freed up by ending these temporary arrangements and we have created a new apprentice post. This has successfully shifted the balance of the workforce onto a more stable and permanent basis. I want staff to feel valued, enhancing their commitment to working for the Council and helping residents in the borough.
A New Concert Hall and Music Hub
I have always supported the creation of a new concert hall and music hub to be designed by the famous architect, Frank Gehry in Wimbledon. I recognise the tremendous social economic and environmental benefits to the Borough that would flow from this project. Such a building will enrich music and the arts across the Borough through education and outreach. Once funds become available to realise the project, I will urge the council to support its development.
Stephen in Brussels
Stephen was on the EU Committee of the Regions as part of the UK Delegation in Brussels representing Merton and was with the Party of European Socialists (PES) until the Tories pulled the UK out of the EU. Stephen was able to make a number of crucial interventions in arguing the case for local government to the EU Commission.
Special Schools
Stephen made sure the Whatley Centre in Cannon Hill Ward remained for educational use after Merton’s adult education service left there to be run at Merton College. It then became the temporary premises for a new secondary school now happily permanently based in South Wimbledon . Today the Whatley Centre is a special school called Melbury College that opened in September 2022. The campus is for children on the autistic spectrum and with speech, language and communication difficulties.
Stephen in Raynes Park
Stephen is here with Levant Satana the co-owner of Babylon Café in Coombe Lane in the heart of Raynes Park. Stephen frequented these same premises when they were occupied from the 1990s by Blockbuster Video providing rentals of videos and DVDs. When that chain closed the premises had a couple of makeovers before Levant took over the lease and them turned the premises into what is now a café-bar-restaurant with huge amounts natural daylight welcoming the customers. Stephen was able to use his small business experience to guide Levant around planning and licensing issues. Stephen was happy to help and puts the success of the business down to the passionate people like Levant.
Stephen in Wimbledon Chase
Stephen’s go to barber is Ahmed Nahar who runs King Barnet in Wimbledon Chase on the Kingston Road. Stephen likes the barbers here because they have exceptional skills and the place is very welcoming and is also brilliant for kids. Ahmed says he gets his news about this small but bustling part of Wimbledon with its own station and co-op store, from Stephen. Ahmed adds that Stephen has always helped with local issues and is not averse to tipping people about what to do even if it does not relate to the locality. Ahmed states “about a year ago I had some concerns relating to where I lived. Although that was not in Merton but in another London borough, Stephen still looked up the right contact for me to approach, told me how to go about making my case and the issues to hand were satisfactorily resolved.”
Stephen in Wimbledon Village
Stephen is seen here having a coffee at Maison St. Cassien with it’s owner George Ghanem in the High Street in Wimbledon Village. Like Stephen, George is an immigrant to the UK and moved to Wimbledon at about the same time as he opened St. Cassien in 1998. George likes the position of the café on the cusp of a roundabout and says “everyone can see us but a roundabout with buses passing by can bring with it problems and Stephen has always been on hand to help us when we need to contact Transport for London”. Stephen recognises the café is a safe haven from the chains that increasingly populate our high streets and is only too happy to support such businesses.
Stephen in South Wimbledon
Amira Mahfouz is one of Wimbledon’s most successful entrepreneurs. Amira runs the AYA chain of restaurants with one in South Wimbledon and the other in The Broadway. Amira came to the UK from Lebanon in 1994 and initially worked for Romania Airlines. When she met her future husband Ali the decided to go into business and started AYA in 2009. Amira has nothing but praise for Stephen “whenever I needed to work through the maze that is a council for our license needs, our business rate issues and some planning requirements, Stephen was always there in those early days. He was there for me through the covid closure and Stephen made sure all businesses accessed their covid grants without undue bureaucracy. He has my support following such a decade of delivery as our council leader in Merton”
Celebrating Diversity in Wimbledon
Stephen recently made sure that Merton Council installed a Rainbow Crossing in the Broadway to celebrate the LGBT+ community and its diversity. Stephen said “I am really proud to have created a Rainbow Crossing in Wimbledon to show a blaze of colourful support for members of the LGBT+ community. The development is part of our ongoing commitment to celebrate the huge contribution the LGBT+ community brings to Wimbledon and help raise awareness of the challenges LGBT+ people continue to face. Wimbledon is one of the most welcoming and safest areas in London and this high profile colourful artwork is a great reminder to us all, that as a community we value diversity.
Stephen is a fighter for our local NHS
Stephen has been involved in the successful campaign to save St Helier Hospital. He is now working to expose ambulance waiting times. Stephen is appalled that category two calls in England, which include suspected heart attacks and strokes, rose in September 2022 to 48 minutes. In London and that includes in Wimbledon, the average waiting time for category two calls is 42 minutes, still well over the target of 18 minutes. Stephen will fight for our corner of South West London to get the NHS resources, focus and funding we need. Whether it is retaining all services at St Helier Hospital, our local ambulance service or our GP surgeries, I will do all I can to make for a better NHS.
Read about Bringing AFC Wimbledon home
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