Newco Products is the latest version of an organisation that originated in 1922.

Origins

Under the Blind Persons Act of 1920, the London Society for Teaching and Training the Blind set up workshops. In 1932 the Society was terminated and the responsibility for the workshop was taken over by the County Borough of West Ham. The workforce comprised 5 Boot Repairers, 5 Mat-Makers, 8 Basket Makers and 7 Home Workers, including knitters and pianoforte tuners.

West Ham Lane

In 1932 the Council moved the workshops to one location in West Ham Lane and laid plans to erect a new workshop on the site. In 1938 the Municipal Workshops for the Blind was opened on 11th April, 1938 by the Minister of Health, the Rt. Hon. Sir H. Kingsley Wood. The photograph shows him with the then Mayor, Councillor Esther Bock, J.P. at the official opening of the workshops.

During this decade the number of blind ex-service people declined and the workshop opened itself up to employing an increasing greater range of disabilities. A number of different products were tried during this period but the income generated was only marginal to the cost of the service.

In the early 1980s the workshop, now known as Newham Municipal Industries, introduced kitchen unit manufacture and gained the specified supplier status from the Council for kitchen units.

Bridge Road Depot

The decision was made to build a purpose designed factory at Bridge Road Depot to house the existing production of kitchen units, the proposed new window works and also to incorporate the DLO Mill & Joinery Works.  This was officially opened  in 1995 by William Hague, MP. Who was then Minister for Social Security and the Disabled and Leader of the Conservative Party.