Valence House Museum has been shortlisted for the prestigious Family Friendly Museum Award, it was announced today.

The charity, Kids in Museums, awards the prize annually to one museum, gallery, historic home or heritage site in the UK, that goes the extra mile to provide a great experience for families. It is the only museum award to be judged by families.

Throughout April and May, families across the country voted for their favourite heritage attraction on the Kids in Museums website. A panel of museum experts then whittled down over 800 nominations to a shortlist.

All Saints Catholic School has become the latest school in the borough to be awarded a coveted Artsmark Gold Award. 

The Wood Lane school joins 10 others in Barking and Dagenham that have already received an honour from the Arts Council England – the highest number in the capital.

The Artsmark Award recognises schools’ commitment to unlocking young peoples’ potential through art, helping to develop their confidence and talents.

To achieve the award, All Saints Catholic School developed a plan that was delivered across the entire school for pupils of all ages.

Barking and Dagenham Council has become the first council in the capital to back the GMB Union’s domestic abuse charter. 

 

Launched last year, the charter calls on organisations across the country to support employees affected by domestic abuse by making sure they are not disadvantaged in the workplace and by providing staff with the appropriate training.

 

The decision to support the agreement was made at the council’s Cabinet meeting, which was held this evening (Tuesday 18 June) at the Town Hall.

 

A landlord who illegally converted a Barking home into two flats without planning permission has been given a prison sentence after failing to pay almost £130,000. 

Mr Akram Hussain, of Bedford Road, Walthamstow, has been jailed for 280 days for failing to settle the confiscation order, which was originally issued to the 58-year-old in 2017. 

Children from Grafton Primary School added a few years to their age as they spent the day at Keble College, Oxford University.

On arrival, the 40 Year 5 children were split into three groups and taken on a tour of the university including the main college building, dining hall, library and student accommodation. 

During the visit, the children spoke to several university students who reassured them that it is possible for them to study there if they aimed high enough and applied themselves in the correct way.

A woman has been fined after council officers witnessed a cigarette being thrown out of a car in Wood Lane, Dagenham on Friday 14 September 2018.

The Council served a notice on Debra Ager, the registered owner of the vehicle, to identify who was driving the car at the time of the offence. After failing to comply with the notice to provide information about the driver, Ms Ager was summoned to court. 

A Dagenham jewellers has been fined a total of £1,385 for failing to provide records that showed how it disposed of its waste. 

During a routine trade waste inspection in July 2017, council officers visited a jewellers at 2a Lodge Avenue in Dagenham. 

Mr Nsubidi Batuba, the shop owner, tried to hide a bag of waste and told officers that he had previously been fined £1,433 for failing to produce Waste Transfer Notes. 

Working with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), Barking and Dagenham Council has commissioned five local community organisations to deliver positive activities to children and young people who are at risk of becoming involved in, or coerced into crime. 

Thousands of Barking and Dagenham residents have until 30 June to bag a competitive 24-month fixed tariff with the council’s energy provider Beam Energy.

The exclusive offer will give residents the peace of mind they need over their energy bills for the next two years. Compared to the Big Six energy companies, residents could see themselves saving a whopping £177*.

A memorial parade to mark 75 years since the invasion of Normandy will take place on Thursday, 6 June.

His worshipful, the Mayor of Barking and Dagenham, Councillor Peter Chand, will lead a procession featuring representatives from the Royal Naval Association and Royal British Legion, as well as councillors and faith leaders, from St Margaret’s Church in Barking at 5.20pm.

At 5.30pm the parade will arrive outside Barking Town Hall, where the Mayor, the Bishop of Barking, Trevor Mwamba, and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Darren Rodwell, will mark the anniversary.