News & Events

Businesswoman gives beauty an Indian touch	30/05/2013
Maleka Dattu, founder of growing skincare brand, Merumaya A businesswoman who went from the corporate world to self-employment will answer students’ questions during a visit to Newham College on 4 June. Students completing beauty, hair, make-up, business and other courses will learn from Maleka Dattu’s experience of creating her own successful skincare brand. Maleka launched Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare®, www.merumaya.com/ , in October 2012 and her products were in select John Lewis stores and online from 12 January 2013. She said: “I took an interest in all things beauty from a very young age. After 27 happy and successful years in corporate life, when I could no longer conform to things that did not make sense to me, I decided to fulfil my dream and began the creation of Merumaya Integrative Effective Skincare. It has been in the works since spring 2010.” As an executive, she was part of the team that grew Clinique to the number one position in the UK. She was voted by her peers as Cosmetic Executive Women’s Achiever of the Year in 2006 and was credited for devising the most successful skincare product launch in the UK for the French company, Lancôme. Maleka worked her way up from sales, training, marketing, communications, new product development, and general management for in the US and UK. She was the general manager in the US and the UK for the environmentally-friendly, US-based, beauty company, Origins and then worked for Lancôme. Born in Whittington Hospital north London, Maleka’s parents came from Zanzibar and Dar-es-salaam and have their family origins in India. Maleka and her products have featured in numerous magazines and newspapers including: Woman Magazine, Asian Voice, Star Magazine, Daily Express, Marie Claire, Tatler, Company, and Vogue. On 4 June, Maleka will be at East Ham Campus between 9.45am and 12noon and will spend around one and a half hours talking to students.


East London students sow up international textile contest	24/05/2013
Young people studying in Newham swept the board in a textile design contest that attracted students from Britain and Ireland. Four young women from Newham College came top out of over 240 entries in the first Student Textile Design Challenge, recently (9 May). Cheila Guerra, 23, from West Ham, Hannah Jarrett, 18, Ilford, Kimberly Hawmmond, 18, Greenwich, and Johanna Moloney, 19, Bexley, are having their winning works exhibited in Essex. The students created new designs based on historical pieces of textile in a contest developed by design company, CAMAC, the Warner Textile Archive and Braintree District Museum. PIC NewhamCollege, CAMAC Design, Cheila Guerra Chelia Guerra’s design They are currently completing a Diploma in Fashion Studies and were among 14 other Newham College students who were shortlisted. The College’s Fashion and Tailoring Training Manager, Chris Hall said: “We’re proud of our students especially since they demonstrated creativity to do the task and skill to compete with students from all over the British Isles. “Fashion and tailoring are important industries for the UK and we’re confident that in the future they can make special contributions to them. “We feel that there is talent in east London and elsewhere and these results indicate that our courses can develop that talent.” Students had to draw inspiration from a copy of a piece of design history housed at the Warner Textile Archive. They then produced an innovative and contemporary mixed media textile-related response. PIC NewhamCollege, CAMAC Design, hannah jarrett Hanna Jarrett’s design Contestants were judged by professionals from the textile, design and heritage industries including internationally acclaimed textile historian Mary Schoeser, and Patricia Christie, Chair of Textiles Education and Research in Europe, part of the European Textiles Network. Newham College and the Fashion and Textile Museum, near London Bridge, which is owned by the College, have gained international profiles in fashion and tailoring. Last month, Newham College student and Savile Row apprentice, Emily Squires, was awarded The Golden Shears, the top prize in the bi-annual Olympics for the younger generation of the bespoke tailoring trade, at a ceremony in the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in the City of London. In February 2012, college student and apprentice, Emily Martin was judged the Young Tailor of the Year in BBC3 programme. The College has supplied apprentices to member firms in the Savile Row Bespoke Association. Sixty shortlisted designs are on display at the Braintree District Museum, Manor Street, Braintree, Essex until 11 June 2013.


Students urged to lead youth away from crime	20/05/2013
Around 270 teenagers studying in Newham were instructed today on becoming anti-crime role models. Retired and volunteer prison officers, offenders and other specialists spent a day in workshops teaching students from Newham College about the reality of prison and crime. The charity, Prison Me No-Way! and the College worked together to give 16 to 19-year-old students the tools to help themselves make their future positive and crime free. Explaining the aim of the charity, Co-ordinator, Graham Chapman said: “The media shows prison as if it’s a luxury. We see people coming into prison who at first think that way. But prison is depressing, boring and definitely no luxury. There’s nothing good about prison life.” Volunteer, Graham Chapman addresses Newham College students The manager of English courses for 16-18-year-olds at Stratford Campus, George Melvin, dubbed the event ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’. He wanted his students to be able to show other young people that they can do more than just crime. He said: “This is not just about young people avoiding jail sentences. It’s more so about encouraging them to lead their peers away from crime and to open-their-eyes to the close relation between actions and consequences in life.” “By giving them tools to beat crime and encouraging personal development, they can show other young people that law breaking is not a good option. “It’s part of our effort to develop students outside as well as inside classrooms by bringing in experts and putting on such activities.” The day consisted of role plays, experiencing a jail cell constructed in a van, guidance from experts, group discussion with offenders and meeting prison officers. Workshops covered anti-social behaviour, the role of Metropolitan Police, the work of prison officers and drugs awareness and domestic violence. Street life: volunteers, Ollie Woods, Kath Longstaff, use a street scene to warn against anti-social behaviour Humanities and science student, Charanjit Gill, 18, from East Ham does not have friends likely to become anti-social. Nonetheless, he said: “The day has given me interesting things to think about how to avoid getting into sticky situations. “If anyone I know started to say some crazy things, I would tell them they shouldn’t do anything.” Student, Charanjit Gill would turn youths away from crime Other organisation involved in talking to students included Serco and Newham Action Against Domestic Violence. Further information Prison Me No-way!, www.pmnw.co.uk The No Way Trust is a national educational charity set up in 1993 by prison officers who wanted to make an impact on the lives of young people and turn them away from crime and its consequences, using highly innovative educational techniques. It provides a quality service to help young people make a success of their lives and stay safe using innovative and fresh approaches that encourages positive decision making, designed to reduce or remove the possibility of offending behaviour. The Trust’s core aim is to raise the awareness amongst young people about the causes, consequences and penalties of crime, and the effects of antisocial behaviour. It has so far reached over 4.5 million young people through the hard work and sheer determination of its volunteers.

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