Cllr Usaama Kaweesa

History made in Detroit.

Huge congratulations to Mayor-elect Ms Mary Sheffield. We met on my IVLP visit and her love for #Detroit was powerful even back then.

America looks a little brighter today because of leaders like Mary and fellow Ugandan born Zohran Kwame Mamdani. All the best ✊🏾

#HERstory

Remembrance, for me, is about service: honouring those, like #Mitcham’s very own Mr William Dedman, who gave themselves to something greater than any one of us.

We can repay that by serving our community today, and teaching our children and young people the stories of this place. #RemembranceDay

Thank you @mertoncouncil.bsky.social for an awesome fireworks display tonight. Great to see so many of our residents come together to remember remember the 5th of November, even on the 8th ✨ #BonfireNight #Merton

What better way to mark #YouthWorkWeek than launching an Esports Youth Club in #PollardsHill. Got schooled by a young person on #Fortnite. These kids are good.

Thanks to Merton Libraries, our Youth Work team, #Esports and BBC Children in Need.

On Fridays after school at Pollards Hill Library 🎮

I am proud to help share our new Healthy Masculinity toolkit so that more of our young people, parents and carers can have honest conversations about respect, relationships and what it means to be a man today. This is part of our work to end violence against women and girls 💜

👉🏾 orlo.uk/Vz6fH

Not all heroes wear capes.

Met Stephen Crean, a Nottingham Forest fan who ran towards danger to confront the #Huntingdon attacker. He was hurt, but like the local hero he is, felt like he had no choice but to protect other people he didn’t know.

Thank you Stephen and wish you a speedy recovery.

Big thanks to Grace Collins MBE and @local.gov.uk team for a weekend that was so needed. Great to be with fellow young councillors, dig deep into our origin stories, and talk about bringing our whole selves to serving our communities and making a difference. Our youth is a strength. #LGAYoungCllrs

As Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, I’m proud #Merton is still the only London borough running these clubs during half term breaks too. Only handful of places are doing that nationally. Children deserve joy and opportunity all year round, and @mertonlabour.bsky.social backs this with action.

Loved visiting our free holiday clubs for children on free school meals. I sadly lost a climb to a 10 year old at Morden Hall Park and had to dodge paint at Rosie’s Art Club, but all very fun for our children. Proud #Merton is the only London borough running these in half term too. #LetKidsBeKids

Bursting with pride. Benedict Academy in our ward is top 10 in #London and 29th in the country.

Congratulations to pupils, families and staff. As Cabinet Member I see the care & hard work in our schools. Every #Merton school is Good or Outstanding.

👉🏾 www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/2556875...

We all know the global icons, but our story is here too, in the everyday role models in our community.

Our foster carers from all backgrounds who open their homes and love our children are part of that story. You are the role models our young people need to see.

#BlackHistoryMonth #Merton

It happened. I actually jumped out of a plane ✈️ 😱

Thanks to everyone who supported me. You’re helping @afcwimbledon1889.bsky.social Foundation give children in #Merton the chance to grow, feel confident and be part of something positive.

You can still donate:
www.justgiving.com/page/jumpformerton

Great to meet colleagues from #WalthamForest Council today and thanks for hosting me. Always good to talk all things Children’s Services and how we can work together across London on the issues that affect all our children and young people like tackling child poverty.

Yesterday at #Evensong we celebrated the Feast of the Dedication of @westminsterabbey.bsky.social alongside the Lord Mayor of #Westminster and mayors from across London, including our very own Cllr @martinwhelton.bsky.social.

Day two of the @local.gov.uk leadership weekend was just as powerful.

Hearing from @brendadacres.bsky.social, Mayor of #Lewisham, really hit home. Being Black in these spaces means working twice as hard to get half as far, and her story opens the door for the rest of us.

Feeling inspired ✊🏾

Day one at @local.gov.uk Leadership Weekend left me recharged and inspired.

Amazing to hear from Lord Marvin Rees and @drshabina.bsky.social: two powerful examples of values-driven leadership that reflects the communities we come from.

We need more of this kind of leadership, especially now ✊🏾

With our last bank closing, #Mitcham deserves a banking hub for our people.

Big thank you to Siobhain McDonagh MP for leading this campaign and making sure Mitcham isn’t left behind. Proud to stand with others fighting for our community.

Mitcham matters!

#MentalHealthMatters, especially for our children.

Thanks to Off The Record for the incredible work you do in #Merton creating safe and supportive spaces where our young people can talk openly, be heard and feel understood. These conversations make a real difference and we need more 💙 #ShareSupport

Great being back with my @restlessdevelopment.org family celebrating 40 years of youth-led change.

Volunteering with Restless in #SouthAfrica and #Uganda taught me that I can make a difference. Without that, I doubt I’d even be a #Merton councillor.

That’s what Restless is all about: #YouthPower ✊🏾

Doing my small bit whenever my iron levels will allow 🩸

And no, it is not because I keep seeing ads everywhere calling for more black men to donate. Okay maybe a little.

If you can, hit up NHS Blood Donation. If not today, please help spread the word.

#GiveBlood #SaveLives #GivingType #NotIronMan

Great food, great company and a great visitor in our Business Secretary Peter Kyle.

Thank you to Siobhain McDonagh and all the incredible volunteers, and to Peter for showing @mertonlabour.bsky.social some love and continuing to beat the drum for our small businesses & high streets 🌹 #LabourOfLove

Out on the doors with our brilliant @mertonlabour.bsky.social team and Siobhain McDonagh. Always great to meet residents, hear what’s on their minds and support our #Ravensbury colleagues doing fantastic work for our communities 🌹#LabourDoorstep

Congratulations to Cllr Joan Henry for such a powerful #BHM event. Joan lives that message, lifting young people up through her work and her words.

The theme Inspire a Generation says it all. Best way to fight hate and division is through more of this. Our young people give me faith in the future.

Can never say CONGRATS enough to our incredible Children’s Services team. Their dedication, care and leadership continue to make #Merton one of the best places for children and young people to grow up.

Truly proud to work with such passionate people every day.

www.mertonlabour.org/local-news/o...

It was inspiring to join our Deputy Mayor at the Jack Petchey Achievement Awards and celebrate so many incredible young people from across #Merton.

Their confidence, passion and pride on stage reminded me why I believe so deeply in youth leadership. They inspire me every single day.

#YesYouthCan

Mitcham ushers in Black History Month ✊🏾

Always proud to see our community come together to celebrate our culture and history. Thank you to the Positive Network for helping make it happen and keeping the spirit of unity alive in Merton.

#BlackHistoryMonth #Mitcham #Merton

It is not easy to talk about what it means to be a man today. That is why I am so proud of our young people, youth workers, Safer Merton and Voicebox for creating this toolkit to support conversations on healthy masculinity and tackle male violence against women and girls 💜 #HealthyMasculinity

Thank you to my Cricket Green colleagues and Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP for coming to Haslemere Primary School this afternoon to speak with our parents about secondary school places.

All our schools in #Merton are rated good or outstanding and our children deserve nothing but the best.

This afternoon, again with Siobhain McDonagh MP and Cllr Edith Macauley, we were at Bond Primary School informing parents about our 15 Oct briefing on choosing the right secondary school. #Merton has all good and outstanding schools and our parents deserve to know that when making these decisions.

Farage vows to scrap indefinite leave to remain, placing thousands at risk of deportation Reform UK plans to force non-citizens to apply for visas with high salary thresholds and no access to NHS services

Thousands of Londoners have indefinite leave to remain.

They have legal rights and are our friends, neighbours and colleagues, contributing hugely to our city.

Threatening to deport people living and working here legally is unacceptable.