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Manor Junior School in Barking planted a tree of hope last week in memory of those who have suffered during the pandemic.

The school welcomed special guests Councillor Evelyn Carpenter, Councillor Lynda Rice, Headteacher of Barking Abbey Tony Roe, and the school’s board of governors.

The planting of a tree is something current, and future generations can come together to enjoy too - it draws us together to remember and commemorate.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham are being encouraged to have their say in an ongoing survey as the east London council looks to renew a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in Dagenham Heathway.



PSPOs provide the council with the powers to deal with antisocial behaviour in a particular area and aim to change behaviours and increase civic pride.



The Heathway PSPO currently prohibits the following activities:

 

The scale of house building, growth across the borough, domestic violence, jobs and support for residents, a campaign to reduce youth violence among other things were topics discussed at last night’s council Cabinet meeting. 



The Cabinet received a report on the Corporate Plan which detailed progress in its performance in quarters three and four of the 2020/21 financial year.

A new multi-million Pound Barking Riverside Wellbeing Hub will offer residents the chance to visit a GP, book in with an advisor, such as those from the council’s Home and Money Hub, get involved with a range of community group activities, or enjoy a trip to an indoor waterpark – all under one roof.



The combined facility will also feature a gym, fitness studios, a community garden, a large event space, facilities for local community groups, and a café.

Knife crime amongst young people is a problem across the whole of London and in its continued effort to tackle this issue locally, Barking and Dagenham Council launched the Responsible Retailer Scheme in the borough.



The London-wide initiative is part of the shared commitment of the Mayor’s Office for Policing & Crime (MOPAC), the Metropolitan Police Service and London Trading Standards to the reduction and prevention of knife-related crime in London.

There was plenty to celebrate at Eastbury Primary School’s Deaf Alternative Resource Provision (ARP) this week, as staff and pupils were joined by special guests to open a new outdoor learning area.



The outdoor area boasts a colourful tunnel, two playhouses, a giant story chair and a picnic table. These new facilities will support role play to help the deaf children build their vocabulary, using speech and sign language. 

A visit to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in central London has inspired students at Mayesbrook Park School in Barking.

Students learned more about architecture during the fantastic trip and even created their own designs for construction on a larger scale in Regent’s Park this autumn.

Mayesbrook Park teamed up with RIBA, London Metropolitan University and POoR Collective (which works to develop communities by empowering young people) as part of a collaborative architectural programme. 

A new free exhibition designed specifically for young people has opened its doors at Valence House Museum in Dagenham.

The display, called ;-) :-& ;-O New Town Culture: Art for Young People (Adults Welcome), offers children and teenagers a place to interact and express themselves. 

Visitors will find gigantic, noisy art on show and get hands on with the exhibit – sit on specially sculpted chairs, play with audio buttons, watch videos, and control an interactive light projection. 

Street Cleaning teams from Barking and Dagenham have been working hard to keep the borough’s bridges and surrounding areas clean and safe, by removing unsightly graffiti, and clearing litter and fly-tips.

The initiative is part of the team’s ongoing work to keep the borough clean, safe and looking it’s best.  

Seven schools in the borough have teamed up with Inspiring Futures: The Barking and Dagenham Cultural Education Partnership to secure over £145,000 in funding to teach a new literacy programme.

The programme, called ‘The Story of Me’, looks at non-western approaches to literacy development and uses storytelling to overcome barriers to learning, including students with English as an additional language.