New scheme for Lee Green Residents, Pic: Albert Steinberger

Aspiring entrepeneurs in Lee Green will have the opportunity to sharpen their business acumen and hone their skills with a free course that starts in February. (more…)

Red Bull float, Pic; Calum Hall

Discount booze and value-brand beans are common sights in student abodes, and in the aftermath of the festive season budgets are tighter than ever. But it doesn’t have to be that way, as Rachael Healy finds out. (more…)

Hackney Council secures funding, Pic: Rob Purdie (Flickr)

Hackney Council has secured a £5.3million fund to improve Hackney Central Town centre area, which is expected to create over 200 jobs. (more…)

Payslips are becoming less frequent in Tower Hamlets, Pic: renway2007 (Flickr)

Tower Hamlets is suffering from the one of the highest levels of unemployment in the country.

Unemployment has reached 13.2 per cent in the borough, making it the third highest of all the London Boroughs and fifth out of 415 regions and local authorities in the UK.

According to a report released today by the Office for National Statistics unemployment in Britain has hit a 17-year high with approximately 2.68 million people currently unemployed. (more…)

Mint Vintage pic: Mint Vintage

A second boutique vintage clothes shop is due to open on Stoke Newington High Street as East End fashion spreads north.  (more…)

Trade unionists are campaigning for Canary Wharf cleaners to get living wage pic: Allistair J

Trade unionists campaigning for a London living wage for cleaners at Canary Wharf have complained of a “disrepect of civil liberties” after being ejected from the Wharf as they distributed leaflets on Thursday.

The group of around a dozen, including members of the Industrial Workers of the World union and their supporters, were forcibly removed from the premises by security at around 5pm. (more…)

Nestle building towers over Croydon's skyline pic: Darren Lehane

Nestle, the biggest private employer in Croydon, have today confirmed it will move to a new headquarters in Crawley.

“This represents an exciting new chapter for Nestle in the UK” said Paul Grimwood, the company chairman and CEO said.

It is not known when the East Croydon train station signs that declare the borough as “the home of Nestle UK” will be changed. (more…)

Steve Bullock with the Lewisham Young Mayors in October pic: Sea Jung Ra

In 2012, Steve Bullock, one of the country’s first elected mayors, will enter his tenth year as the Mayor for Lewisham.

Over the last year, the borough has been affected by the riots in August, suffered dramatic surges in knife crime and gang violence and now many of its residents will face the risk of eviction from their homes in the New Year.

EastLondonLines interviewed Mayor Steve Bullock to find out what he feels will be the most pressing issues of 2012. We asked our readers to tell us what questions they want to be answered via Twitter. (more…)

pic: Steve

Youth unemployment is rising in east London despite a drop in total unemployment figures  in East London Line boroughs.

Hackney, Lewisham and Tower Hamlets have all recorded a drop in Jobseekers’ Allowance claimants in the last three months. Croydon was the only borough to see an increase.

Tower Hamlets saw the largest decrease in claimants. Numbers shrank by nearly one per cent from 11, 486 to 10,375, while Croydon saw a rise of over six per cent from 10,147 to 10,802. (more…)

pic: Charles Alderwick

Workers in Tower Hamlets have been promised more “money in their pockets” by Mayor Lutfur Rahman after the borough became the first to extend the London Living Wage. (more…)