Did you know that if you are looking after someone else’s child for a prolonged period of time, you need to let the council know as this is called private fostering?

Next week, (8 -12 July) is Private Fostering Week which aims to raise awareness around the number of young people that are living in other people’s care as well highlighting the importance of letting the council know.

Figures show that approximately 20,000 children up and down the country live away from home in private fostering arrangements, but less than 50 per cent of these arrangements are registered.

A new support offer to help strengthen the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) in Barking and Dagenham is set to launch today.

Learning from the River Roding was an exhibition at Barking Town Hall between 3 and 6 June.

 

The exhibition is continuing at The Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design in Whitechapel from 19 June to 30 June and is part of the London Festival of Architecture. The exhibits include a 1:1000 model by students of Cass Unit 14, of the River Roding which forms the western boundary of Barking and Dagenham. 

 

Thousands of pupils from schools across the borough have been learning invaluable life skills as part of the annual Junior Citizen scheme.

The three-week initiative, run in partnership by Barking and Dagenham Council and the Metropolitan Police, gives children who are about to start secondary school advice on a range of subjects in a fun and entertaining way.

The Windrush flag was flown over Barking Town Hall at 12pm on Monday 24 June to mark this year’s Windrush Day.

Cllr Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement said: “The Windrush generation have made a massive contribution to our borough in particular and the whole country, and their descendants have continued to enrich the social, economic, political and religious life of our communities.

JOIN us, along with Martina Cole and other celebrity writers and publishers, in celebrating local people who are making themselves heard across the UK and further afield…

Write On! is a new, quarterly magazine published by Pen to Print, a project borne in Barking and Dagenham. Funded by Barking and Dagenham Council and the Arts Council, it links local writing communities into the publishing industry by showcasing the work of emerging writers. 

Residents are being warned about the risks of using ‘man with a van’ adverts to get rid of rubbish, after a couple from north London were fined £200 for fly-tipping in the borough. 

Enforcement officers from Barking and Dagenham Council discovered a large number of cardboard boxes and bin bags dumped on New Road, Dagenham, in May this year. 

On Saturday 29 June, the free Steam and Cider Fair rolls into town over at Old Dagenham Park between 11am to 6pm.

 

Come down with family and friends for some traditional entertainment and attractions, which reflects the borough’s rural and industrial heritage.

 

A day of getting up close to vintage steam engines, seeing these great vehicles on display in all their historical glory. Also, get close to the array of classic cars and vehicles lined up and see them take to the arena in our famous parade.

 

Weighing in at 3.5 tonnes and standing at more than seven-foot-tall in height, the latest tool in Barking and Dagenham Council’s fight against grime crime has been released. 

The Hako Citymaster 1600 is a compact street sweeper that has interchangeable attachments, meaning its use can be quickly changed from road sweeping to deep cleaning or tackling oil spillages. 

The council has bought four of the vehicles at a cost of £200,000 as part of wider plans to clean up the borough’s streets. 

It was cheers all around for the education sector in Barking and Dagenham last week as two teachers were named Teachers of the Year at an annual awards ceremony.

Taking place at the Mayfair headquarters of the Royal Aeronautical Society last Friday, Ann Armstrong of All Saints Catholic School was named Well-being Champion of the Year for both London as a whole and the combined district of Barking and Dagenham and Greenwich.