The Neighbourhood fund

The Neighbourhood Fund (NCIL) is a fantastic opportunity for local community groups to bid for up to £10,000 worth of funding to spend on local initiatives that will benefit our residents.

THE NEIGHBOURHOOD FUND HAS DISTRIBUTED OVER ONE MILLION POUNDS TO THE COMMUNITY

The neighbourhood fund is a process that genuinely involves residents in recommending projects, to be funded with money received through the borough’s Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL).

Since 2017, when the council set up the fund through CIL money, over 100 residents have directed over £1,000,000 of funding to community groups. This has made it possible for over 120 groups to grow and develop across the borough.

The funding is open to community groups, charities, and social enterprises in Barking and Dagenham to bid for grants of up to £10,000.

My Volunteering Experience with NCIL - A blog post by Qaiser Ali, Resident Panel

3rd and 4th NCIL round report summary (PDF, 8.61 MB)

5th and 6th NCIL round report summary (PDF, 9.49 MB)

7th and 8th NCIL round report summary (PDF, 16.12 MB)

The Neighbourhood fund

11th Round Funding

Below table contains breakdown of the funding:

Delivery Ward Organisation Project Bid Amount
Chadwell Heath, Marks Gate Urban Promise A Student Leader is a young person (age 14-18) that is a leader and role model for the younger children in their local community that attend our after school club. Student Leaders live in the same communities as the children they serve. The programme is a fully fledged job with Student Leaders receiving a stipend, payslips, and employee reviews. This approach allows us to nurture young people into the world of work. NCIL funding would allow us to expand a programme that has been shortlisted by Barking and Dagenham Chamber of Commerce for an award in Training, Development and Education. £10,000
All Wards JD Striving for Excellence To further our mission, we’re currently seeking a grant of £10,000 to sustain our 'JDS Business Shower' programme. This ten month programme is co-designed with 20 young people (YP) between 14 and 25 to assist in their career development. The programme encompasses paid work experience, employability skills, guidance on business plan creation, and an event to showcase their ventures. £10,000
Heath Ward Barking Enterprise Centre BEC CIC has been supporting the social sector in taking over the lease for Heath Park community centre. We are working with the Independent Living Agency and True Cadence as founding partners to make Heath Park CC a vibrant space for small groups and local residents to engage in community activities. We have a community cafe, yoga, music events, and others planned to start a summer delivery programme.. £10,000
Abbey, Gascoigne, Northbury, Longbridge, Eastbury Tots n Tunes Project, "All Around the World," is an engaging continuation playgroup for children aged 0-5, aimed at fostering early cultural awareness through music. Running weekly from July to the end of March, this program introduces young children to nursery rhymes and songs from different countries. Each session, lasting about an hour, features a variety of songs in multiple languages, accompanied by simple, interactive activities that encourage participation and enjoyment.  £10,000
All Wards Life Brooks International Dare to Achieve tackles the challenges affecting the educational attainment and outcomes of children and young people 12- 16 years. Project provides out-of-school educational programs combined with recreational activities for children living in care, offering them the additional support needed to achieve higher academic levels. Additionally, we offer educational and employment support programs paired with financial literacy activities specifically targeting young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET). These individuals often struggle due to financial burdens, lack of skills, and insufficient information about available opportunities. This project, funded by your innovation fund, aims to expand our existing work across five London boroughs. Currently, we support children and young people in care in Barking and Dagenham, and with this funding, we plan to extend our reach, develop new initiatives, and enhance the scope of our services to include more beneficiaries. By scaling our efforts, we will sustain our impactful work for another year, ensuring that more young people receive the guidance and resources they need to improve their educational and employment outcomes. £10,000
Becontree Community Resources for Change Our project, Wheels in Motion, is the brainchild of one of our participants, Tracy Brace, who, as a wheelchair user, had been unable to find accessible exercise classes. With support, she applied for funding and started a chair-based exercise class for those with limited mobility. 12-16 participants now attend weekly. They enjoy the exercise and also the opportunity to increase their social network. Tracy now wants to extend and develop this and is seeking funding to: 1. Continue the exercise classes for another six months. 2. Explore healthy eating and cooking - particularly for those who are diabetic or struggling with their weight. She will also run demonstrations for anyone who needs support with cooking. £10,000
Longbridge, Valance, Heath Company Drinks ‘Wild at Heart’ offers three free afternoon sessions every month for local residents aged 60+, suffering from social isolation, who would benefit from access to community activities and reconnecting with nature. The programme is led by experienced, well-loved local artist/facilitator Matty May, and supported by local elderly resident Pip Hall. The monthly session at Valence House offers space for connecting and reminiscing with others, through poetry and songs relating to nature and shared outdoor experiences. The second monthly session at Dagenham Library offers wild craft workshops, using seasonal materials from nature/green spaces. The third monthly session, at Company Drinks, combines a friendly indoor/outdoor gathering with healthy food/drinks; and sharing stories about growing, farming and picking. The funding also allows our core team to make monthly calls, arrange transport for those with mobility issues and manage safeguarding. The new programme will also include 2 intergenerational celebratory days at our much-loved Summer and Winter Community Open Days. Since 2014 Company Drinks has offered activities for 60+ residents, mainly focusing on local histories and heritage. The groups have explicitly asked to be involved in more intergenerational and nature related activities. “Wild at Heart” directly responds to these wishes with an accessible new programme, interweaving creativity, creativity, history and generations. £8,844
Eastbrook Growing Communities Dagenham Farm Schools project is a joint application from lead partner Growing Communities Dagenham Farm and six local schools - William Bellamy Primary, Eastbury School, Trinity School, Dorothy Barley School, Barking and Dagenham College and Brookside Adolescent Unit. It will: - deliver food-growing, environmental and nutritional workshops for school classes at Dagenham Farm - create and renew food-growing gardens at six schools with ongoing support from their local farmer. - allow students to harvest fresh farm produce for school cookery lessons -welcome residents of all ages to volunteering sessions and a weekend open day The farm brings learning to life for pupils and teachers alike. Its location (Rainham Road North) is an urban desert for sustainable, fresh food so the project will dramatically improve healthy food access and inspiration, in a borough where childhood obesity is common. £9,958
Eastbury Future MOLDS  Under-12s boxing is free weekly session for local families in LBBD to foster community engagement and youth development whilst nurturing young talent. Providing a structured environment, young children can learn fitness, boxing skills, a platform to express, build self-esteem, and develop confidence. These opportunities instil foundational skills, discipline, making friends, communication skills, and increase networks of trusted adults. Their local knowledge allows us to embed key themes into boxing sessions which address local issues, for example childhood obesity.  £10,000
All Wards Write Back We have already helped hundreds of local young people to tell their stories and over the last four years have produced 16 anthologies written by young people. These volumes have covered everything from young people’s experiences of COVID-19 to their guides to local green spaces. If we were to receive this funding, we would be able to produce 6 more anthologies authored by 80 young people in Barking and Dagenham         £5,040
All Wards Sew London Workshops on repairs and alterations for adults, whether for home use or starting a business. These sessions teach special hand and machine sewing skills to repair, alter, and extend the life of garments. We will also be teaching young people, through our "Catch Them Young" program focuses on make-do-and-mend skills, showing them how to repair and upcycle clothes. These workshops aim to instil sustainable practices and reduce textile waste, by doing so they will gain a much needed life skill. £10,000
All Wards Arc Theatre  Arc will devise a powerful new youth engagement programme using live, interactive theatre to raise awareness of the consequences of sexist intimidation, harassment, stalking and sexual offences on the streets and public transport, in support of the Borough’s commitment to providing a safer neighbourhood for women. Following our 2014 ‘Touching Moments’ programme for BTP Project Empower (tackling offences on London’s transport system), this latest initiative is designed to address the issue of women/girls’ safety and perceptions of safety outside their homes, highlighting the impacts of harassment on health and wellbeing, whilst emphasising the legal/criminal consequences for perpetrators. The programme will signpost where to get help, advice and support, and what to do in an emergency as a witness or victim.  £9,974
All Wards Bluebird Pictures Short Film bootcamp Bluebird Pictures want to create a new short film that enables 18-30 year-olds who have been out of work for more than 6 months a chance to gain work experience on set, attend masterclasses with industry professionals, workshops and CV clinics to help them take their first step (or the next step) into TV and film production.  £10,000
Northbury Create London Barking Community Cinema (BCC) aims to fill a gap in the cultural landscape of Barking by providing inclusive film experiences and skills development opportunities for local residents. Hosted in the public ‘Living Room’ of A House for Artists, BCC is designed by and for the communities it serves, creating an intergenerational space for sharing, enjoying, discussing, and making films, reflecting the vibrant life of LBBD. Run by Create London and tenants of A House for Artists, Barking Community Cinema (BCC) will partner with Film London’s Spotlight project, which will provide expertise, network sharing, and high-quality projection equipment. £10,000
Thames, Heath & Gascoigne Green Shoes Arts  Activities are a constantly changing selection based on participant feedback, including wellbeing-centred activities such as mindfulness and relaxation, and visual arts including ceramics, painting, card making, and printmaking. Participants tell us that the primary positive outcomes for them are making friends, building social networks, and helping them overcome social isolation and loneliness. We want to target areas that have less support offers for the target group, ensuring that Creative Cafe reaches those who need it the most. £10,000

10th Round Funding

There has been a total of 36 applications for this round of NCIL:

  •  Ten of these did not pass the due diligence. 
  •  26 went to the panel for scoring they rejected 10 applications. 
  •  16 applications to be considered at Dragons Den sessions for a total amount of £149,684.
  • Of the 16, 14 organisations were funded totalling £129,774.

Details about all of the applications considered at Dragon’s Dens, and the decisions made by residents at those sessions, can be found below.

Organisation Project Bid Amount Delivery Ward
Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance If we are successful in getting NCIL funding, would like to add to activities by providing Social Media Content Creator training sessions. To deliver 2-hour sessions a week, during term time, outside of school time and engage with an additional 15 young people aged 11-16 each week, targeting those from low-income families. Beneficiaries will work with youth facilitators who will set tasks that will see them improve their communication skills, increase their creative thought processes that leads to stimulating the brain, all while gaining skills that are relevant to today’s job market. They will be encouraged to record interviews with their peers and capture feedback from those taking part with the aim to build confidence and self-esteem. £9,970 Eastbury
Sycamore Trust Project will support pre-verbal children who experience social and communication difficulties and are not using functional language. Families learn to communicate using symbols based on the PECS® System. It is an intensive ten-week programme including parent and individual child sessions.  £9,992 All Wards
Barking Churches Unite Have new space in BLC so can expand the service to offer pleasant environment for guests to sit, eat and relax in and to extend our inadequate kitchen to cater for a new buffet style food service. This will also provide a warm space during the winter. Will be able to provide plates and cutlery and cups .This enables our service to become more eco friendly and gives a more honouring service to guests. We envisage being able to offer approximately 90 sit down places in 3 sittings to start (with take away for those who can't stay and eat with us.)  £10,000 Abbey, Gascoigne
Wellgate Farm For 40 years, the Farm has been supporting volunteers of all ages and abilities many disadvantaged due to learning difficulty, disability, social exclusion, or unemployment. Volunteers would like the opportunity to build a record of achievement evidencing the skills and knowledge they have gained and in-house certification which they can use to enhance their CV’s for future training and employment. The project we seek funding for is therefore to build on the current volunteering opportunities at the Farm by dedicating staff to develop and deliver a programme of training and accreditation.  £9,748 Marksgate
Make a Difference at Sandies MADAS Charitable Organisation targets Children and Young People (CYP) @ risk of family breakdown and social exclusion from ages 3-14. Have chosen to work with CYP and family because they have the right to be heard and understood. They deserve to belong, keep fit and healthy, enabling them to contribute to society positively.  £9,540 All Wards
Wood Lane Baptist Church This project will deliver a defibrillator for people suffering cardiac arrest to increase their chance of survival. It will be available 24/7 at the church but for the benefit of residents of the ward and borough. It will be registered nationally on "The Circuit" to provide timely access in emergencies round the clock. More immediately, it will support the exercise and wellbeing activities that the church provides for the community. £2,810 Alibon & Parsloes
Early Years Cocoon The project is about developing a family friendly guide of the Top 10 parks in the borough (voted for by families) and help to activate those spaces by coordinating 5 family friendly events delivered by local partners such as: puppetry, storytelling, music, crafts and sports. We will bring families to 5 of these parks during March/24 to August/24 by running a monthly event, collaborating with local organisations. £9,870 All Wards
Peer 2 Peer P2P are committed to helping reduce the number of young people at risk of becoming groomed online. Peer Educators will deliver 40 Grooming & Online Safety Workshops to young people in schools within LBBD, educating them on how to spot the signs of online grooming, how to use the internet safely, and exploring the effects of sexting both now and in the future. They will be provided with details of what to do and where to get help if they believe that they or someone they know may become a victim. They will receive information, advice and support from someone they can relate to, allowing them to feel confident, safe and able to make well-informed choices. Workshops will be attended by approximately 30 students each, achieving a total reach of up to 1,200 young people across the borough. £9,980 All Wards
ILA We hope to support people with learning disabilities to training opportunities with this support we can insure that more people with learning disabilities who are wishing to up-skill will get more practical support our project will use one paid staff and volunteers to run the project ensuring we meet the needs of our community £7,864 All Wards
Stoneford Community Garden Stoneford Community Garden are seeking funding for local partners to continue running free activities in the garden for the community and towards developing a new community friends’ group. Thames Chase Trust, a conservation charity, runs a bi-weekly gardening club where residents learn new skills and play an active role in looking after the garden. Lucy & Charlotte, two locally based creatives, who specialise in mental wellbeing and community engagement have been running free weekly activities for local families to access nature, outdoor play and learning in the garden. Support from the Neighbourhood Fund would mean that the gardening club and family activities can continue next year.  £10,000 Village
Becontree South C of E

Aim to train and certify 150+ members of community in first aid (adults and children), to purchase 3 defibrillators and three bleed kids to be installed at the entrance to all three church buildings within our parish for emergency public use.

                                                                                                

 £10,000 Eastbury, Goresbrook, Riverside
Radiant Ambitions Skill up for Good Success. This is a skills development program aimed at enriching 30 young girls. The project will run from February to August 2024, during school holiday breaks to meet the needs of young girls ages 13 to 19. Skill up for good success was birthed from a previous project Radiant Ambitions ran to tackle social isolation, reduce loneliness and get residents to socially connect to self and with what’s happening in Barking and Dagenham £10,000 Abbey & Eastbury
Soul and Sound The Healthy Mind Healthy Grind 6 week Plant Based Cooking Workshop is designed to ‘plant the seed’ of becoming a conscious consumer of food and learning a new life skill via cooking basic healthy plant based dishes on a budget.  £10,000 Riverside
Westbury Urban Garden Association  Westbury Community Orchard and Seasonal Hub We aim to enhance our space to encourage community participation and ensure the sustainability of the project. Through additional features, we hope to encourage volunteer opportunities and reduce social isolation. We hope to engender greater civic pride in our neighbourhood by lifting the space beyond its current form and becoming a beacon for the possible in Barking. We want to make it more usable by increasing access to water. We aim to aid community resilience and food security by creating an urban orchard. We are looking for funding for a number of things 1) lockable safe storage, 2) improved lighting, 3) improved irrigation and water capture 4) fruit trees 5) better green waste management facilities 6) sustainable off-grid toilet facilities. £10,000 Eastbury

9th Round Funding

In the ninth round of NCIL our resident panel awarded £138,749 to 14 local community groups across the borough. Below table contains breakdown of this funding:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
Barking and Dagenham Ab Phab Youth Club    This project will provide opportunities for young people aged 11-18 with disabilities and/or mental health conditions to develop their skills and independence in gardening, cooking and managing their physical wellbeing. The project will focus on three key areas. Firstly, all young people will have the opportunity to learn about the foods that can be grown in a garden and have the opportunity to plant and nurture these. Secondly, the young people will participate in regular cooking sessions where they will learn fundamental cooking skills, follow recipes, and ensuring well-balanced nutritional meals. The third focus – a thread throughout this project – will be young people developing their self-confidence and abilities to manage their physical wellbeing.   £9,716.00  Becontree
Flowing Rivers Enterprise    In 2022 they launched the Flowing Rivers Foodbank where they provided parcels of household goods to families in local community. With the rise in cost of living they observed that the support needed goes beyond providing food parcels as many residents are struggling and do not have the financial resilience to get through these difficult times. They want to address this need through the Community Cafe Project, providing employability, micro-investment, debt management and legal clinic sessions in 2023.   £9,860  Borough wide
Hedgecock Community Centre    The proposed project aims to introduce the sport of dragon boating to the residents of Longbridge Ward in Barking and Dagenham, with a focus on promoting physical activity and improving the health and wellbeing of participants. Dragon boating is a unique and exciting team sport. It is a low-impact, high-intensity workout that engages the entire body and provides cardiovascular benefits. The venue will be at London Regatta Centre, which is located outside of LBBD but is conveniently accessible via the cycle highway and a short drive from Hedgecock Community Centre. The project aims to encourage participation from all age groups and genders, with a particular focus on residents from the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities who are at higher risk of heart disease due to genetic, dietary, and sedentary lifestyle factors.   £10,000 Longbridge
High voltage Performing Arts  Music on the Move (A Community Roadshow delivered by HVPA) HVPA has an excellent track record of delivering music education and entertainment sessions and activities. They want to expand this offer to harder to reach communities within Barking and Dagenham by purchasing a van to deliver fun, educational and engaging music themed sessions through a series of Boroughwide, tailored to meet needs community activities, especially for those who find accessing current opportunities in their localities. This service will be designed to meet the needs of disabled people, gender specific groups and those affected by poverty or other issues caused by current financially difficult situation.   £9,200 All Wards
Laura I. Art Gallery CIC   The project is an extension of past project Noah`s Ark but with a difference. It will be a 10-week programme of events run by a mascot, designed mainly for young people and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds in Barking and Dagenham. Starting from September and lasting well into autumn (October), the project will consist of 1 workshop a week in school after school hours, and 1 day a week at a local organisation. - The events will be delivered by a mascot Noah, the planet, who will be visiting schools and organisations to inspire and recruit “arktivists” while educating people about the plastic waste impact on the environment and encouraging them to take an active role in saving the planet through upcycling and recycling plastic.   £10,000 Borough Wide
Love Education C.I.C   Love Education C.I.C seeks to empower and inspire disadvantaged young people, especially those from Black and minority ethnic groups, through various educational programs. Main objective is to provide safe, creative, and purposeful spaces for growth and learning. Project will offer a range of free workshops, holiday clubs, short courses, and creative sessions to equip young people with practical skills and knowledge to improve their lives. Love Create workshops will be facilitated by industry experts from various fields, including barristers, personal trainers, chefs, accountants, actors, designers, and others. Overall, Love Education project aims to make a significant impact on the lives of young people and therefore strengthen our Borough.    £10,000 Chadwell Heath
Power House Community Network    Propose delivering a Borough-wide focused event and a series of weekly sessions to create awareness of Blood/organ donation, sickle cell and health issues to a community that is opposed to donating blood or their organs or identifying with health issues. The project is designed to educate and create long-term and sustainable awareness of the issue. The project offers the opportunity to connect culturally, socially, and spiritually through tailored solutions to all community groups but with a greater emphasis on Ethnic minority groups. There will be a series of 12 sessions over six months in which basic health checks be carried out, followed by a private discussion on donations and health issues. There will also be a single large seminar with medical staff and other health groups to discuss health and medical issues. The project is designed to raise more donors and promote healthy living within the Borough.    £10,000 Heath/Eastbrook
RCCG, House of Prayer for all Nations   

The project is targeted at 2 main demographics; 

 

High School Leavers (16+ - 18yrs)- They aim to identify young people in this category by working with local Secondary Schools before the pupils graduate to sixth forms or college. They will run career development workshops geared towards supporting them to either enrol into higher/further education institutions or securing Apprenticeship/traineeship. Support will include; career guidance and counselling, CV and Cover Letter writing, interview techniques to enable them secure school admission or join an Apprenticeship or Traineeship scheme, signpost and recommend Apprenticeship Providers.  

 

Adults over 18 years will include young adults who have chosen not to attend Tertiary/further education institution and other adults over 21 who are unemployed, employed but either on low income, or earn good income but stagnated in their career. Support will include; initial troubleshooting interview, career guidance and counselling, CV and cover letter writing, job search and interview techniques.  

 

 £10,000 Whalebone, Heath & Valence 
Thames Life   The Green-Up Group will support fortnightly clean-ups operating in Thames View and Barking Riverside to activate green spaces. The project will: Clean up the environment by litter picking, tidying up green spaces and gardening activities. Increase usage of local green spaces getting residents active and outdoors. Recruit resident custodians for the Ripple Nature Reserve to facilitate its re-opening. Activate outdoor green spaces through drawing; water colouring; movement therapy, yoga & zumba taster classes; art therapy & mindfulness exercises; frisbee and handball games; digital mapping exercises; small gardening projects or ‘plogging’ (a Swedish trend combining jogging with picking up litter). Engage socially isolated and vulnerable residents through outreach. Nurturing relationships by connecting volunteers to neighbours and creating befriending opportunities. Provide catering at interval events to incentivise participation from low-income residents and families. Instil a sense of civic pride Awareness raising of green spaces   £9,999 Thames & Riverside 
Tots N Tunes C.I.C.    TOTS N TUNES provides classes to local families with young children in Barking and Dagenham through three different playgroups: All Around The World, Tots N Play and Dads Rock. This project is about compiling a book of nursery rhymes from the diverse cultures of the attendees in popular play and singing groups, with an accompanying CD and digital download. Existing platform provides a safe and inclusive environment for parents and children under the age of 5 to interact and learn from each other. By compiling a book of nursery rhymes from all cultures, they aim to celebrate the diversity of community and promote cultural awareness. This project will build on and enhance the work to improve early years outcomes, building skills, confidence and relationships, and improving communication across communities within Barking and Dagenham.    £10,000 Borough wide
True Cadence CIC    The proposed project, entitled "Raise The Bar, KING" (RTB), is a 12-month coaching and mentorship programme aimed at empowering young men between the ages of 16 and 25 in Barking and Dagenham. The programme aims to provide positive male role models, guidance on integrity, honour, and respect, and mentorship on navigating life's challenges. The programme aims to address the issue of antisocial behaviour and youth violence prevalent among young men in our community. The programme will be led by a lived experience expert facilitator, with support from other mentees and influential community leader £10,000 All wards
Urban Promise UK    Project will deliver a free after school club in Marks Gate 4 days a week for 20 primary school aged children during the Autumn Term. While attending the club children will receive help with homework and reading, mentoring from team of teenage Student Leaders, opportunities for extra curricular activities, healthy snacks, and a meal.    £9,974  Marks Gate
Wander Wild Forest School    Wander Wild Forest School is a forest school led by qualified local residents in Barking Riverside. The project engages local families in their local outdoor environment through curated sessions; families are able to develop skills in teamwork, using tools safely and learning about looking after our natural environment through an accessible format. A key aim is bringing together diverse communities to gather together to share in outdoor play and exploration.  £10,000 Riverside
JDS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE  The Creative Inclusion Project has been designed to provide a range of inclusive creative workshops, and holistic wellbeing programmes for young people aged 11+, from all backgrounds and abilities. The workshops consist of activities that include: mindfulness, self-development, essential life skills and providing capacity building support, for potential future entrepreneurs within the borough.  £10,000 All wards in Barking

8th Round Funding

Below table contains breakdown of the funding: 

Organisation name  Project description   Amount requested   Wards working in  
Early Years Cocoon CIC  The project is called Hand2Hand and it is a year-long programme to foster sustainability in the community by creating spaces and mechanisms for families to come together and swap/reuse belongings with other families. The project will deliver a Family Fun day launching event to make a start and make sure families we work with are aware of this new project and join our events. Also, bimonthly Hand2Hand Swapping Events over a year. Early Years Cocoon aim to support the swapping idea which has been already happening amongst the families.  £10,000  Borough wide
Flwomen and FamilyWellness This project aims to encourage young people from as young as 4 up to teenagers, predominantly from low income families in Thames Ward to be active whilst enjoying a holistic programme of activities and learning, building social skills, making friends and feeling part of an engaged community whilst reducing the feelings of isolation and loneliness. The project also aims to prevent teens from getting into gangs and crime and focuses their time on competitive sports and indoor youth recreation. All our activities are offered at no cost to families £10,000  Thames view and Riverside Ward
The Purple Penguin Club An innovative new project to support brand new volunteers (primarily targeting young people aged 15 years upwards) and those with no prior experience of working with disabled children to to become engaged with charity supporting children. Volunteers will be well supported by trained and experienced playworkers, they will be able to access accredited training in level 2 Safeguarding training and emergency first aid as well as training sessions in Equality, diversity and inclusion, health & safety, Autism and Epilepsy awareness. up to 12 volunteers will be supported with an ultimate aim of inspiring young people to think positively about the community that they live in and to break down barriers which they may feel exist around disability and gender, (encouraging more males to consider a career in childcare and social work). At the end of the project (which will be available for volunteers to access up to 40 sessions of the year)community links will be used to support each volunteer into paid employment within our Purple Penguins, volunteering positions within other community groups or onto a college/higher learning course.   £6,171  Becontree ward
The Disablement Association of Barking & Dagenham (DABD) DABD are seeking funding of £10k to part-fund the recruitment of 1.00x FTE staff to launch new Education, Skills & Employment (ESE) division. The ESE function would provide residents with help with starting a career, returning to work, volunteering, returning to education, gaining a qualification or work placement/volunteering experience. The new ESE team will work towards upskilling local residents to enable them to fulfil their potential and ultimately move into/back into paid or voluntary employment or seeking higher education and formal qualifications to help them become more ‘work ready’ and ultimately help them move away from the benefits/support cycle and become more self-sufficient (non-reliant on government or local authority financial support) along with all the positive social, economic and wellbeing benefits that this journey brings with it. £10,000  Borough Wide 
My Giftbox Project  Community Giftbox is a new and innovative project providing diversionary whole household support for households facing inequalities to health and wellbeing through the growing Cost of Living crisis, food poverty, isolation and mental health challenges. People with lived experiences have shared how issues are often inter-related and affect the whole household which may include adults, young people and children and can escalate without positive community intervention. A team of support workers and volunteers including qualified teachers will engage at risk households and provide a fortnightly support package of personalised food packs, self-care items and facilitated art, craft, talking therapy group sessions for up to 12 whole households in age- appropriate facilitated breakout groups in safe, warm community spaces. At the end of each session the groups will eat together as families and one larger community. It will provide vital respite and relief for whole households twice monthly for five months through the most severe season of the winter and risk of greatest hardship. 10 sessions providing support to 12 households a session will reach a minimum 40 household members for 400 positive connections. Social connection will build stronger communities, resilience and address issues through early intervention of whole-household support. £9,700 Parsloes Ward 
Maide Create Ltd To Recovery by Uncovering Me Is a 12 week Recovery and Healing creative therapy programme for 16 vulnerable women who are survivors of domestic abuse. Packaged In a gift box will be heart to heart ,practical, but fun exercises, tools & techniques to take them on a heart led journey into themselves, Each week we will be gently guiding them to how they get to the new version of who they want to be By encouraging, open, honest and authentic conversations around rebuilding, growth, being mindful, self love, healing, eliminating limiting beliefs and helping them to rediscover who they are. As well as being intentional with creating a safe, sensitive, confidential space enabling room for women to grow, heal, develop, reflect and Recover. On their path participants will pick up techniques of self-sustaining ways of coping with their emotions, their thoughts that challenge them, changing their mindsets, looking at how to have future healthy relationships, as well as improving their mental health and overall wellness, all in a holistic approach.    £5,455.60  Barking
Green Shoes Art Green Shoe Arts will carry out outreach and engagement with people of the Global Majority in the Borough, aiming to tackle two issues: a lack of engagement with mental health support services, and that a comparatively small number of people from these communities engage with Green Shoes Arts (GSA). Through a series of workshops, focus groups, and research, they will determine what activities we should programme in order to appeal to a more diverse participant base. A festival of activity will be created based on findings with an aim to increase the diversity of participants, and plan our ongoing activity in line with research to ensure that any changes are at a fundamental level within the organisation, and that activity remains appealing to a wide variety of communities. £10,000  Borough wide 
Sycamore Trust  Social Survivors programme provides a safe space for Autistic young people in B&D who are ineligible for statutory support. Sycamore trust's Dagenham youth club will, focus on valuable life skills required to thrive within a neuro-typical society. Will equip young Autistic people aged 10-16 with the confidence, self-esteem, communication and social skills required to live independently as they transition into adult life, whilst at the same time facing the challenges of further education, independent living, employment, housing and relationships. Module based approach has five key elements, including; Basic life skills,Travel Training, Personal hygiene/ personal appearance,Social skills, Safe relationships £9,644  Borough wide
Barking Churches Unite Barking Churches Unite is a charity working with churches and local partners (including LBBD, local businesses and voluntary sector) to support Barking residents in poverty. It work is established under the name ‘The Source’ and operates in a number of locations. It has a Wellbeing Centre in Vicarage Field Shopping Centre; Emergency daily food provision (known as Pit Stop) & Borough Food Club at the Barking Learning Centre; and a warehouse to provide furniture and white goods. All these services are provided free of charge. The project is to develop and extend the wellbeing provision within The Source in a number of ways.  £10,000  Barking ward 
Peer2Peer Education CIC Peer2Peer Education CIC (P2P) trains young people aged 18-30 to become Peer Educators/facilitators and deliver our PSHE workshops in schools and other youth organisations, reaching around 9,000 young people aged 11-16 each year. Peer2Peer work with young people, to create awareness of social issues present in society. Domestic abuse is an issue that does not seem to be slowing in its growth. This demonstrates a need for young people to be educated on what domestic abuse is, the many different forms it takes, the support available and how to spot the signs of an abusive relationship as well as highlighting the consequences of an abuser. £9,998 All ward
Sew London Project CIC SEWING FOR PLEASURE OR PROFIT Health and well-being Dressmaking, upcycling and sewing group for Adult beginners, intermediate and advanced sewers. A series of workshops for participants on how to sew, read a sewing pattern and make and create a range of sewing projects mastering the Sewing machine. The project is a foundation to develop basic dressmaking skills and pattern reading so that learners can independently start to make clothing using a commercial sewing pattern and sewing machine. Aims: • To build confidence in sewing • Be able to identify symbols on a commercial sewing pattern and follow step by step instructions for each sewing pattern. • Gain transferable skills • Identify new career options through employment or entrepreneur pathways with skills gained with the fashion and garment industry Learn a new skill or improve on existing sewing skill as a hobby to contribute to their health and well-being. £10,000  Borough wide
HumDum UK  HumDum would like to provide more hot meals to the less fortunate, homeless plus those who are struggling to make ends meet during the cost of living crisis. However they are short of equipment required ie a commercial refrigerator, griller (tandoor) oven, dough mixer, large pans, hot food delivery bags, tiffins etc. HumDum have always provided healthy and nutririous ready meals to service users, they extend the service out of the Ripple centre, Ripple Road where they run a food bank and also the community fridge. They have limited equipment intheir kitchen on London Road, Barking, new equipment will enhance capacity and ensure volunteers are able to cook more meals for the increasing demand for our home cooked ready meals.  £9,877.39  Borough wide 
Woodlane Baptist Church The church offer their hall which is used by the community to use for events like line dancing for the aged, youth club, keep fit for families, sewing classes and are contemplating hosting walking football for men 50+ and parent and toddler groups. The heating is under strength and have led to a reduction in attendance to some events during the winter. Wood Lane Baptist Church are asking for the council to fund a commercial boiler in support of our upgrade to the heating in our hall. The Churchnwill fund other materials and the cost of the upgrade.   £4,610.98 Parsloes ward
Ultimate Counselling CIC The Resilient Family Project will support immigrant families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) including undocumented families with addressing cost of living crisis related challenges through delivery of incorporated community outreach and mental health support. The later will involve delivery of a bi-weekly drop-in consultation clinic aimed at assessing needs, improving knowledge and access to resources while the former will involve provision of individual multi-ethnic counselling/psychotherapy aimed at addressing mental health problems aggravated by cost of living pressures.   £9,990 Abbey ward
Growing Communities  The Growing Dagenham project offers Barking and Dagenham College students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) the opportunity to learn growing skills whilst immersed in the healthy environment of an organic farm. Learning gardening skills offers well-established physical and mental health benefits as well as empowering students with transferrable career skills. Around 40 students a week would attend four on farm, three hour learning sessions over 18 weeks. £9,995  Eastbrook and Rush green ward
TKO Boxing Match The projects aim is to deliver a catered boxing class for amateur female boxers to try and encourage female participation into the sport. Females are historically underrepresented in this sport and we want to change this by offering free classes to young female adults aged 12-18 so they can get a taster and hopefully in turn get into this sport. By having a female only class it makes entry into the sport more enticing as it can be daunting to have classes where the majority are male. £10,000 Dagenham ward
Companys Drinks Cosy Afternoons would be a new addition to Company Drinks programme to support local groups, households and individuals affected by the energy bill increases and general inflation, facing fuel and/or fuel poverty through the winter. It will deliver two "heat bank" sessions on a Friday and one weekend afternoon from November 2022 till April 2023, offering: - a heated drop-in space - nutritious locally produced hot food and hot drinks to eat onsite - additional food parcels and ingredients to take home - social arts and crafts activities Funding will support team members to facilitate the session, supplement food supplies and provide materials for activities chosen by participants. £9,005 Longbridge Ward

7th Round Funding

In the seventh round of NCIL our resident panel awarded £149,000 to 16 local community groups across the borough. Below table contains breakdown of this funding:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
Community Resource for Change The project will deliver: 1. Enhanced 5 day a week food offer, including lunch plus tea/coffee drop-ins 2. Training programme for volunteers to develop employment related skills including:- • Food preparation o Prepare, cook low-cost, nourishing meals (including gaining Food Hygiene Level 2); • customer service: o create a warm, welcoming atmosphere for attendees; o serve food/wait on tables; • administrative skills in managing bookings/payment in liaising with food network partners to source and collect surplus food donation £9,874 Becontree
Elevate Her UK Elevate her UK will deliver Youth safety awareness workshop. £10,000 Borough wide
High Voltage Performing Art We will deliver weekly sessions teaching residents and local people to learn and play musical instruments. We will also run events in various localities in Barking and Dagenham, focusing on working with children, young people and disabled people to improve their participation, engagement, education and community spirt. We will provide a number of free community concerts and shows and offer volunteering opportunities for local people.  £8,870 Dagenham East, Chadwell Heath, Marks Gate & Becontree
Creative Wellness Wonder The project “B&D Health Surgeries” will improve residents health by making them aware, take control, eat well and encouraging them to increase physical activity. Our trained health practitioners will be using the health check tools. In addition to that we will be introducing the individual tailored diet plan. The pilot project will run for 6 months which will show the positive outcome by measuring the data before and after. The project will signpost and connect with other projects and activities to improve the physical and mental health. £9,640 Thames
Make a difference at Sandies Parents/Carers are the most important people in their child's healing and development. Filial therapy provides psychoeducational family intervention in which the therapist trains and supervises parents as they hold special person centred sessions with their own children, thereby engaging parents as partners in the therapeutic process and empowering them to be the primary change agents for their own & child development. £9,720 Borough Wide
PowerHouse Community Network The Academy will help students see the importance of education through workshops, visits to corporate and local government offices and one-on-one sessions with mentors. Students will be equipped with the information and tools they need to: • Make choices in relation to A-level subjects etc • Understand the examination results required to gain entry to universities; • Understand the type of skills and experience required for employment • Positively develop and promote themselves; • Primarily enhance and improve their career potential within the context of our community  £10,000 Eastbrook and Alibon.
Shpresa Programme We will run weekly 2-hour sessions alongside our existing supplementary school sessions each Saturday at Gascoigne School where young people will learn about community organising and activism, and will be supported to design, develop and deliver social/environmental campaigns that they themselves identify as priorities. Deliverables will be: 45 weekly campaigning sessions (60 young people in total) 3 campaigns on social or environmental topics chosen by the young people 60 young people participate in group therapy sessions 4 young people access counselling (12 sessions each)  £10,000 Gascoigne
Barking & Dagenham Progress Project The Progress Project specialises in supporting children & young people with disabilities, providing sports, social development and educational programmes. Following the COVID pandemic, consultation with young people has advised us to focus on activities which assist them safely back to the community to socialise and recover from the emotional trauma and after effects of the various lockdowns. £10,000 Borough wide
Trailnet CIC This project will be run in collaboration with three youth clubs within LBBD. We plan to support young people attending these youth clubs by offering cycle maintenance courses, where they will learn how to maintain and repair bikes. Our trained mechanics will take a selection of donated bikes to participating youth clubs and the young people will select a bike to work on over the courses' two sessions. Our Bikewize course will cover safety checks, preventative maintenance and basic repairs. £5,904 Alibon, Becontree and Thames
Jamia Almaarif ing. To deliver‘Healthy Minds Project’ in which we aim to engage the community in vital skill and community building experiences with youth as a priority. The Youth PDP gives youth a tailored programme which helps them to expand their social and professional skills set, shaping them for a brighter future. The PDP aims to improve the wellbeing of the youth students through mentors support £10,000 Borough wide
MG Relief Project CIC MGRP is predominantly an Asian Muslim women led initiative focussing on empowering and engaging women whilst giving them a platform to boost entrepreneurship and leadership skills. MGRP also focuses on bringing the community together and connecting it with the wider community. MGRP actively undertakes various socio-economic projects with the aim of benefiting the community. These include managing, operating and running community kitchens, clothing and food banks, youth clubs, money mentoring, inter-faith harmony workshops and lots more. £10,000 Chadwell Heath
Excel Women’s Association Funding will pay for a part-time Co-ordinator to reach new women and families, especially newly arrived refugees (e.g., Afghans) who are isolated, vulnerable, lacking English language and work skills and experiencing/at risk of poor physical and mental health. The cafe will be open daily offering hot and cold drinks, snacks and light lunches, encourage isolated and lonely women and girls to socialise, make friends and access fun, new activities, like exercise classes. It will also offer a chance for disadvantaged, deprived women and girls to let us know if they need our help and support and access to some of our specialist services, like employment training, mental health support, welfare benefits advice, English language training. £10,000 Thames
Laura. I. Art Gallery The project – titled “Noah’s Ark” – will be a 17-week programme of creative workshops designed for both young people and adults from disadvantaged backgrounds in Barking and Dagenham. The project will consist of 2 events a week. The workshops will consist of participants collecting littered bottles in local parks and repurposing them to create a large art installation which will be displayed in the local area for all to see. The installation will be a boat sculpture to commemorate the rich history of Barking’s fishing port but also drawing on the bleak present of the current state of our green parks which are now filled with litter. This project aims to shed light on the impact our actions have on the environment whilst also allowing people to take pride in their heritage and expressing their creativity. £9,877.39 Borough wide
UKON Career To deliver x4, (8 sessions) of Creative Thinking workshops that offer creative, and practical ways to upskill and support benefactors in gaining employability skills that can add to CVs, through practical exercises which are creative craft and carnival-themed This is an innovative, practical project creating opportunity for gaining real work experience, develop creative thinking and resilience and business set up skills. Participants will: • Create two Carnival Masks using creative thinking and problem-solving skills £3,215 Borough wide
Old Dagenham Methodist Church Our project will deliver the following a Peace/Remembrance Garden in the space in front of the grounds at Old Dagenham Methodist church. The garden will pay tribute to the life of Durran Kajiama (a 17 years old local boy who was victim of knife crime, when he was stabbed and killed close to Old Dagenham Methodist Church). It will also provide the community with a serene place for all who live in the borough can visit, reflect on and remember the lives of their loved ones. £5,200 Village
Every Person is Capable The Man Down men’s mental health sessions will fulfil the criteria related to ‘improving personal wellbeing’ and equipping men with the tools for increased ‘life expectancy’ by reducing suicide and emotional difficulties. EPIC Expression workshops are designed to improve ‘personal wellbeing and happiness’ by giving young people with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) an opportunity for social integration and expression of trauma. By equipping young people with tools of self-expression, they will ‘reduce anti-social behaviour’ using creativity as an emotional outlet. EPIC Jam will culminate all workshops undertaken to all B&D residents, including young people into a community celebration day. It will bring community cohesion through urban arts, live music, fresh vegetarian food and workshops into one day £8,470 Thames and Gascoigne

6th Round Funding

In the sixth round of NCIL resident panel members awarded £113,764 to 14 local community groups. The table below contains details of the funding groups:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
DABD DABD will launch a new Education and Skills & Employment division to provide residents with help with starting a career, returning to work, volunteering, returning to education, gaining a qualification or work placement/volunteering experience. £10,000 All wards
Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance BDYD will deliver a project called ‘Bar-Ham Leaders in Conversation’ (BHLC). To build on their youth social action programme called Bar-Ham Leaders and deliver training in the art of conversation using local young people’s lived experience to drive change to have a stronger influence in society, £9,984 Abbey Ward
Green Shoes Art Green Shoes Arts (GSA) will create a new weekly youth theatre group for young people aged 12-18 in Barking & Dagenham.  The sessions will be run by a professional whose life experience reflects that of the local community. Participants will learn life skills including writing and presentation. This programme will specifically target hard to reach groups in the community, and through this funding it will make it free to access for those who cannot afford to pay. £10,000 Chadwell Heath, Marks Gate & Becontree
HumDum UK Digitalising the food network to co-ordinate and minimise food waste £10,000 All wards
Hatfield Community Hall To create a sensory garden to be used by the community £7,000 Goresbrook & Becontree
Wood Lane Baptist Church To host 2 sessions of theatre style production over the festive season. This is aimed at fostering community integration and social cohesion among residents. It is also an opportunity for families who would not normally be able to afford such events to participate and so contribute to the quality of their festive period in particular, but their life in general. £2,200 All wards
MIND To provide a free to access, person centred counselling service for 40 individuals who are experiencing bereavement or a deterioration in their mental wellbeing as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Provide initial assessment and up to 6 weekly sessions with a fully trained and experienced Counsellor. Counselling will be delivered using a blended mix of online, telephone and in person sessions, dependent on the requirements of the individuals. £10,000 All wards
Pennu Charity To create and run “Ready, steady, Art”. It will be held once a week and aims to bring together the elderly from different race, religion, social orientation and ethnicity to socialize in order to combat loneliness and isolation. £5,000 Eastbrook
Barking Churches Unite 'The Source Warehouse' People moving from emergency accommodation or homelessness often need support with supplies of vital goods eg beds,fridges etc to help them settle into their new homes. This nearly always comes at a cost out of reach of many. The Source warehouse is a place where people who need furniture ,white goods ,household equipment and furnishings and can't afford new ,can be given good quality second hand items free of charge. £10,000 All wards
Becontree Horticultural and Allotment Association To improve the facilities at Manning Road, for schoosl and young disable groups, by converting an unused hut into a shelter/tea/lunch room with a small kitchen with electricity for a kettle along with a sink, seating and lighting by putting in armoured cable electricity to shop/office and adjoining hut, allowing the groups to attend the site when the weather is unpredictable. To also improve the toilet facilities on site by putting in hot water.   £10,000 Village
Peer2Peer Education CIC To train 5 young people from B&D with no previous experience, to become Peer Educators (PE’s)/facilitators. To work with them to build on their soft skills, classroom management and complete child protection training. This will enable them to deliver Mental Wellbeing Workshops as well as navigate a fulfilling career and make a positive contribution to their communities. The PE’s will deliver 40 workshops to schools within B&D, engaging students in activities around self-confidence, managing anxiety, communication, conflict resolution and also signposting to external support. £9,966 All wards
Humourisk CIC The aim of project is to build a community-led space (shed) for isolated and vulnerable men and young volunteers to connect, create and learn. Shed Life has gone from strength to strength and provides activities and peer support for marginalised, economically inactive men and young people not in education and training (NEET). £10,000 Thames
Sycamore Trust UK Project is designed to support B&D parents whilst awaiting diagnosis of Autism and post diagnosis for their child Waiting times are presently 18 months or more and this can prove to be an enormous distress to a family that is hoping to get help for their child and is unable to access SEN facilities. £9,784 All wards
Arc Theatre Arc Theatre aims to prevent the carrying and using of knives and weapons by delivering ‘Boy X Interactive’ – our hard-hitting participative performance programme for students aged 11+ in schools/PRUs, their teachers, parents and the wider local community. £9,800 All Wards

5th Round Funding

In the fifth round of NCIL resident panel members awarded £99,952.63 to 12 local community groups. The table below contains details of the funding groups:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
Barking & Dagenham Youth Zone Cooking workshop for children aged 8-12, senior members aged 13-19. Through the workshop children and young people will gain basic kitchen skills, benefits of eating healthy and cooking on budget. £9,262.63 All wards
Maidie Create LTD 6-week creative mental health & well-being programme ‘Unbox your wellness – De stress & sleep well kit’ for vulnerable women in the refuge who are survivor of domestic violence. £5,700 Within LBBD
High Voltage Performing Arts Musical programmes to improve people’s mental health and unite the community, through education and participation to benefit the whole community. £4,500 Chadwell Heath
Dagenham (Police & Community) Boxing Club Upgrading essential equipment for the gym, which will enable them to continue providing amateur boxing sessions for the community also provide service to underrepresented local groups. £8,250 Village
Triangoals Community Interest Company Wellbeing activities for children living in Thames ward, aged between 4-16 years. Activities include: football, martial arts, ballet, yoga etc. £10,000 Gascoigne
Right Development Foundation One to one mentoring and small group mentoring. Support service users with activities such as goal setting, career pathways, attain level 1 and 2 activator qualification and work experience. £9,250 Goresbrook/Mayesbrook
Independent Living Agency Support residents with learning disabilities to come out of COVId-19. On to one support with activities such as: walk in the park, shopping safely, using public transport and ensuring service users are eating healthy. £8,500 All wards
Early Years Cocoon Produce second parenting booklet by collaborating with families. Bringing people together and strengthen their communication skills, contributing to sense of belonging. £7,970 All wards
Youth League UK Education support programmes for disadvantage people aged 11-15 years from diverse background, to help them to catch up with their learning that was disturbed by the pandemic. £10,000 All wards
Chadwell Heath Community Centre Arts and craft programme for children aged between 5-12 years old. Employability programme for young people over the age of 16 years old. £6,520 Chadwell Heath
Age UK RBH Befriending and on-line groups workshops for elderly people who are isolated and with no contact with family or friends. £10,000 All wards
Barking Muslim Association Trust Upgrading and replacing essential gym equipment to continue service provision and expand the service. £10,000 Abbey

4th Round Funding

In the fourth round of NCIL our resident panel awarded £112,355 to 12 local community groups across the borough. The table below contains a breakdown of this funding:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
The Hug Support Group Running parent support group, family activities and services such as: domestic abuse and violence support. £10,000 All wards
Barking Muslim Association CIO Preparing a Sensory Room to help children with special needs to overcome barriers to service provision. £10,000 All wards and out of borough
Sycamore Trust UK Their project is to prepare autistic young people in Barking and Dagenham for work, work experience and voluntary opportunities. £10,000 All wards
Wellgate Community Farms Their volunteering projects helps residents into/closer to employment: the farm provides hands-on experience and skills for those interested in working with animals. £10,000 Chadwell Heath, Marks Gate and borough and beyond
Ultimate Counselling Training Support services CIC Sunflower Immigrant Project will empower asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants including unaccompanied asylum seeking minor who reside in LBBD. £9,995 All wards
Robert Clack Development Trust and Alumni Delivering activities to former student and current such as: career workshop leading inspirational assemblies, mentoring and motivating student’s success, study workshop and university open day visit. £10,000 All wards
Gale Street Organics Their project is to create educational space for children and adults where they will learn about food, how to grow, nutrition as well as wildlife and the importance of maintaining wild space.  £8,960 Becontree and Eastbrook
Company Drinks CIC The Good Food Collective (GFC) goals is to grow into permanent and inclusive network of local growers, cooks and producers. Aim is to create business opportunities for local food specialist. £7,600 All wards
Street Space CIC The Barking Bridge project (TBBP) is to transform two footbridges connecting Essex Road and to improve daily lives of people who use them. £10,000 Abbey, Gascoigne, Longbridge
London Riverside Church Running various social action project to help people who are in need in the community. These actions include providing emergency food bank, kids fun packs etc and running life skill course. £10,000 All wards
Whiting Avenue Tenants & Resident Association Will make improvement to the play facilities on their estate. This is their main play area, locally known as The Court or Football Court. This will enable to raise profile of the estate as well as bring families together to enjoy the facilities and feel part of the community. £5,000 Abbey
Barking Reach Resident Association Barking Food Forest is a resident-run project to develop a community garden. Their project will deliver sustainable community garden which will be resident-owned asset to develop accordingly to environmentally friendly principles. £10,000 Thames

3rd Round Funding

The third round saw our resident panel award fund the below 13 projects for a total of £129,405:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
Shpresa Programme Supplementary school at Gascoigne Community School every Saturday. Targeted particularly at the Albanian-speaking community (though open to all) and it comprises of regular activities. £10,000 Gascoigne
Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance Expansion of ‘Youth Dance Instructor Training’ course and will offer support to 12 young people aged 16-19 the chance to learn the foundation of becoming a dance instructor in an out of school youth offer. £9,920 Abbey
bMoney Wize Ltd Hear Your Book Project: local people will be invited to write and publish their writing in an audible format to sell it online. £9,998 River, Village
Make a Difference at Sandies Free talking therapy to residents of Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Havering residents. The therapy is for residents suffering from mental ill health, depression, domestic violence, age and medical concerns. £10,000 Becontree, Alibon, Chadwell Heath, Heathway, Mayesbrook, Whalebone
The Source - run by Barking Churches Drop-in centre for people needing support with unemployment, housing, homelessness, loneliness, mental health issues etc. They will broaden their service to guest by facilitating mental health and well-being projects. £10,000 Central Barking
Kingsley Hall The Eden Community Supermarket will offer healthy food including donated produces from Crisis Fare-share and local suppliers and fresh produce grown in their urban micro allotments. £9,600 All Wards
Excel women’s Association Wellness café for women and families in the borough. Will provide community to access basic ICT support for the resident that are otherwise digitally excluded due to language and cultural barriers. £10,000 All Wards
Bluebird Pictures International film in Barking and Dagenham celebrating culture and community. Film makers at all levels invited to submit a short film out of which a winner is selected and prized with everything they need to get started in the film industry. £10,000 Abbey
Reede Road Allotments Enriching the lives of disabled, low mobility and isolated person allowing them to grow fruit and Vegetables within a community environment. Over next few years is to improve one allotment sites at Reede Road. £10,000 Alibon
Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex & London Supporting undocumented children who have the right to British citizenship or status but cannot assert that right due to a lack of legal representation. £10,000 All Wards
HumDum UK Providing hot and fresh items to vulnerable persons in the borough, the service is extended to providing cooked and raw take away meal, health, hygiene, sanitation and clothing support. £10,000 All Wards
St Chad’s Church Chadwell Heath Improving access and mobility issues in a small landscape are via repurposing an unused concreted area and part of the pre-school garden. £10,000 Chadwell Heath, Whalebone
Green Shoes Arts CIC A month-long Festival of programmed activity specifically for and by artists, performers, directors, musicians, dancers and participants who have live experiences of mental health. £9,887 Chadwell Heath, Whalebone Heath

2nd Round Funding

The second round saw our resident panel fund the below 10 projects for a total of £88,302:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
Trailnet The Becontree Cycle Centre offers low-cost refurbished bikes to borough residents and also offer free bike checks, low-cost servicing, and advice on all aspects of local cycling, including training and route planning. The Pedal Power programme provides free cycle mechanic training courses to individuals. £9,700 All wards
Company Drinks Wild & Wellbeing is a year long programme for local families and carers with children based at Company Drinks in Barking Park. They will run weekly Gardening and Craft Sessions, with family lunches and organise trips to discover nature across LBBD and east London. £6,900 Longbridge and Barking
NFCB The two projects are Carpet Bowls and Nimble Fingers & Board Games (Knit & Natter).  Bringing together residents who live on their own or feel isolated. The Carpet Bowls activities help residents keep fit and make new friends. The Nimble Fingers group make items such as premature knitted hats and cardigans, knitted hats for the homeless and knitted poppies and knitted baby items for a local Trust £2,765.12 Chadwell Heath and Whalebone
Al Madina The Hive is a Women’s Hub offering a range of services for women in Barking and Dagenham delivered by the women of the community for the women. Its overall aim is to encourage, enable and empower women to have the skills and confidence to achieve what they want in life. The Hive is there for ALL women and is set in the grounds of Al Madina Mosque in Barking, the space is warm and welcoming. £10,000 Abbey
UKON Carers UKON offer all the schools (and PRUs) within the Borough the opportunity to participate in arts & culture workshops designed to inform pupils of employment opportunities in various cultural industries. The plan is to grow the social media presence by developing the website to better inform people and organisations across the Borough of the services. £10,000 All wards
Box Up Crime Is a drop-in youth centre in the heart of Barking, which provides mentoring, counselling, for young people as well as creative and teaching spaces focusing on enterprise and business free of charge for young people to use - improving wellbeing and fostering local talent.  £10,000 Abbey
Nia Nia Huggett Women’s Centre is a beautiful, safe, community space for women in Barking and Dagenham of all ages and ethnicities. The space includes computers on which women research information, activities and services, prepare CVs and job applications, make contact with friends and families (UK and overseas). The funding goes towards staff to support the volunteers and increase the availability and use of the drop-in service. £10,000 All wards
Youth League UK Led by young people, local community members will refurbish and equip the ATTIK community centre, make it more secure and attractive to more users and introduce new activities for under 13-year olds.  They will paint and re-carpeting, install CCTV, purchase music production equipment, publicise centre activities and recruit new members £9,950.42 Village
Ultimate Counselling Therapy Service Flourishing & Fervent Families project will empower 125 people from 25 Black, African and Minority Ethnic (BAME) families who live in the Borough and that have a child/children involved with social care services or/and have at least one family member experiencing mental health problems. Services provided will include provision of support with access to employment, education or training, parent/child art therapy groups, integrative parenting training workshops plus counselling and psychotherapy. £9,987.50 All wards
Independent Living agency Promote and delivers a healthy lifestyle project which will meet the needs of residents with various disabilities. The main focus for the project is to reduce social exclusion and isolation. There will be a weekly peer support forum which will look at a healthy living program with a 'come dine with me' at the end of every session, where everybody has the chance to bring some healthy food in and share in a small group, enabling social interaction and showing a way of living healthily. £9,000 All wards

1st Round Funding

The first round (February 2019 to May 2019) saw the Resident Panel award £112,799 to 13 local community groups across the borough. You can see the breakdown of this funding in our table below:

Organisation name Project description Amount requested Wards working in
Barking and Dagenham Youth Dance Supporting 10 local young people to design, lead and learn from their own youth-led project. £9,946 All wards
U3A Advancing education- in particular the education of older people and those who are retired from full time work- and contributing to personal development. £3,188 All wards
Humdum UK Delivering a hot and fresh foodbank weekly to vulnerable persons and providing sufficient food and support for individuals to cook. £9,417 All wards
Mums on a Mission The Intergenerational Programme is a space for adults to interact with young people, engaging in sessions that explore self-development and topics such as promoting healthy relationships and entrepreneurial skills. £10,000 All wards
Barking Churches Unite Offering a weekly drop-in centre for the homeless and those in need of help at Barking Library, providing free meals and support. £3,000 Abbey, Gascoigne
Community Resources Offering healthcare support, classes and activities for participants who are isolated and struggling with issues such as poor physical/mental health, domestic abuse, housing, language barriers and poverty. £9,998 Parsloes, Becontree, Mayesbrook, Valance
Creative B&D Ensuring that Dagfest- an annual community-led outdoor arts festival in Dagenham Village- can inspire more local people and get neighbours talking and working together. £10,000 All wards
Ethnic Minorities Partnership Developing and implementing a community-based cardiovascular disease and diabetes awareness and support programme for 200 adults aged 40 to 70 years resident in River ward. £9,950 River
Harmony House Dress for Success will support the neediest families in the borough to provide a new school uniform for their child. The project will be targeted at year 6 pupils who are transitioning to their Secondary School. £10,000 All wards
Peer2Peer Helping to reduce the number of young people at risk of becoming involved in knife crime and/or entering into gang culture in Barking & Dagenham. £9,990 All wards
TKO TKO Boxing Club provides opportunities for children and young people to engage in boxing in Barking and Dagenham. £7,500 Abbey, Gascoigne
Triangoals Kids fitness activities for young people and children such as football, karate, ballet and multi-sports. £10,000 Thames, River
Young Stars Football PlayTime Football Club brings children (aged 8-16) together weekly to participate in various football activities regardless of ability, skills or gender. £9,900 River
The Neighbourhood fund - text

Testimonials

Barking & Dagenham Youth Dance

“NCIL funding has had a huge impact on BDYD. It has allowed us to increase our youth offer by engaging with more local young people in a leadership project that will see local teenagers organising and creating their very own community event. BDYD received the funding after presenting to a panel of local residents so it’s very rewarding to know we were chosen by local people, not only ensuring they are given a voice in how the money is being distributed, but also they will be able to enjoy the Community event due to take place in 2020.

BDYD worked with London Youth, M&C Saatchi and Parliament on a youth leadership project called Goodvibes. A group of BDYDers worked together to create a community social with the aim to bring local people together, which took place at the Broadway theatre on 23 June - this has now been followed by an advertising campaign led by M&C Saatchi. Look out for BDYD members Kayden and Artenisa all over billboards in B&D now!”

Georgina Alexiou, Founder & Project Manager, B&D Youth Dance

Community Resources

“We were excited to get through to the second round and thrilled to receive a grant of almost £10,000 which has so far enabled us to buy equipment for our pilates class and for drop-ins run by our volunteer pharmacist and also to start a bi-weekly Let’s Get Moving class, run by Whole Body Therapy, to improve the mobility of some of our older participants. In September we are starting a Zumba class and are also looking to begin ballroom dancing and carpet bowls in the near future.

This funding is proving to be invaluable in helping us to support local residents to improve their fitness and make friends at the same time.”

Sally Dixon, Open Doors Project Co-ordinator, Community Resources.

The Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) is a fee that we charge developers who are building new housing developments in the borough, which is set aside to fund local neighbourhood schemes such as community initiatives, health projects or environmental improvements. By encouraging residents to award funding to local community projects, we can link residents to the opportunities that regenerate the borough, create and support the priority of No One Left Behind.

Please see our NCIL application for funding guidance information (PDF, 190KB)

If you have any questions, please contact the Participation and Engagement Team direct by emailing community@lbbd.gov.uk.