about us all about Community Links
Why We Are Here
When Community Links first started, Newham faced mass unemployment, many workers were receiving very low pay, fuel poverty was widespread, families with young children were living in dangerous tower blocks, too many others had no home at all. Alongside this statutory financial support for organisations like ours was in decline and the country was heading into a recession.
Today, things are much better. Ours is a richly diverse borough, facing unprecedented regeneration opportunities. Community Links works in partnership with local and national government to solve the problems that we once felt we were fighting alone.
However, there are still major problems:
- Unemployment rate double the England average1
- 42% of the borough is amongst the 10% most
- deprived in the country with child poverty2
- Almost a quarter of the population have no qualifications3
- Crime rates a third higher than the London average3
(sources: 1- Office for National Statistics 2007; 2- Deprivation in Newham – Improving Trends 2005; 3 – Focus on Newham 2007)
We are committed to making lives better for local people and to use our experiences to help others across the country. Over the next five years, we have committed to the following strategic aims:
- Raise aspirations for a better life
- Reduce poverty
- Extend opportunities in Education and Employment
- Build stronger communities
We will achieve these through our local work in east London and widen the impact by sharing the learning through our national team, LinksUK.