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The recently elected Young Mayor, Jessica Soares Paim,  is supporting domestic violence charity Refuge during her term representing the young people of Barking and Dagenham.     

The members of the Youth Forum voted unanimously on who they would support and raise money for throughout the year, with several options available. The Young Mayor and her sub-group thought it right to support Refuge due to concerns that cases of domestic abuse could be on the rise because of the current lockdown situation.     

Barking and Dagenham Council has joined 18 other London councils to lend its voice to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) call to the government to pause its plans for academy conversions so that councils can concentrate on work to support vulnerable children and those of key workers.

In the letter signed by 19 senior London councillors to the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson, CBE, MP, Secretary of State for Education, they are asking that academy conversions be suspended to allow councils to focus on supporting schools and nurseries to stay open. 

Barking and Dagenham Council has paid tribute to a much-loved local GP who unfortunately died from Covid-19.

Dr Zishan Haider who was 80 years old and lived in Dagenham had worked as a GP in the borough for over 30 years and was a friend and mentor to other GPs across the borough.

Councillor Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration said: “The late Dr Haider was committed to serving our community here in Barking and Dagenham and our thoughts and prayers go to his family at this difficult time.

Today is National Offer Day and has seen 91.2 per cent of Barking and Dagenham parents given their first preference primary school, placing the east London borough second in London.

The figures released by the Pan London Admissions Board show that Barking and Dagenham has, again, smashed the London average of 84.98 per cent. 

The deadline to apply for a primary school place was 15 January 2020 and figures show Barking and Dagenham Council received 3467 applications, just under 200 more than last year.

Last week in the run up to Easter, the council’s Homes and Money Hub service received 152 phone calls from residents for help and advice with managing their finances during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the lockdown began in March, the service has supported 198 households with a number of issues. A total of 98 residents are being supported with Council Tax arrears, 78 with rent areas and have also issued 123 food bank vouchers to help people through the crisis.

Help to tackle the coronavirus pandemic has come in the form of essential personal protection equipment delivered to Barking and Dagenham Council from friends in the far east.

Friends of the borough from as far as Hong Kong and China have offered their support in the fight against the pandemic.

ASF Group, Hong Kong donated 1000 face masks, 10 boxes of disposable gloves and 20 500ml bottles of hand sanitizers, while the and the Peoples Government of Qingyuan Municipality in China have sent 30,000 disposable protective masks.

Businesses across Barking and Dagenham will be supported through the coronavirus pandemic with a relief package of just under £39m.

This is a mixture of Business Rates Relief and grants to be paid to eligible businesses. The council is immediately applying £14m of the Government’s Business Rates relief to eligible businesses, and where it holds bank account details, will start making grant payments to eligible businesses from the Government’s Coronavirus business grants programme from today, Thursday 9 April.

A 7 year old resident has been making good use of her time away from school by using her talents to create a colourful artwork to thank the borough’s essential workers – her local bin collectors.

Clara Baxter from Dagenham, a Year 2 pupil at Thomas Arnold Primary School, did a painting in honour of her borough’s refuse collectors, thanking them and reminding them to stay safe.

Clara said she decided to create the painting “to say thank you and to make people happy.”

Hundreds of selfless volunteers who have been helping the borough’s most vulnerable residents during the coronavirus crisis have been appreciated for their efforts by Cllr Saima Ashraf, the council’s Deputy Leader.

In a letter to the nearly 300 volunteers, Cllr Ashraf who is also the Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, wrote to thank them for their support with BD-CAN. She said:

Residents of Barking and Dagenham, in particular those using the borough’s parks and open spaces are being reminded to pay attention to and practise the social distancing rules if they want to continue using them.

The council is increasing patrols in its parks following a weekend which saw over 150 moved on from the parks for ignoring the rules, despite signs being put up and play areas taped off.