Father Christmas is starting his journey early this year and will be making a flying visit to Barking in a couple of weeks.

The council supported by our sponsors Countryside and PartyBox are planning another fun filled, festive day in Barking Town Square on Saturday 1 December.

Next week marks National HIV Testing Week and Barking and Dagenham residents are being encouraged to take the opportunity to have a free, confidential HIV test.

Barking and Dagenham Council have proposed plans to introduce controlled parking zones (CPZ) in more than 100 roads across the borough.

Letters have been sent to residents who live in the affected zones – designated as zones A, B, C, and D – asking for their views on the new parking plans.

Under the proposed CPZ plans, only residents who have applied for a permit will be able to park on certain roads during set hours.

A public consultation into Barking and Dagenham Council’s plans for its budget will go live next Thursday, 22 November, seeking views on its plans to bridge a £50 million government funding gap whilst protecting key services.

Government grants for local authorities have reduced by nearly 50 per cent since 2010, which has forced Barking and Dagenham Council to make unprecedented cuts totalling £153 million.

The number of young people from Barking and Dagenham achieving the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) has seen an increase of nearly 50%.

146 young people from the borough achieved the award in 2017/18 which is a 224% increase from 2013.

In total 368 youngsters enrolled on the programme of which 234 were for Bronze, 100 Silver and 34 for the Gold award.

Barking and Dagenham Council has saved almost £1 million on clear-up costs thanks to powers secured in the High Court that prevent illegal traveller campsites in the borough.

The injunction, which was amongst the first of its kind granted in the capital, prohibits any unauthorised encampments at a number of locations across the borough, as well as banning fly-tipping. It was the first to be granted on an indefinite basis.

Almost 70 new people will help transform Barking and Dagenham Council's refuse and waste team, following the local authority's biggest recruitment drive for several years.

The newly filled roles include drivers, loaders, street cleaners, supervisors and office-based staff, as the council looks to expand and improve the service to make bin collections more efficient and reliable. 

Jo Richardson Community school has been awarded the School of the Year award for ‘Making a Difference’ at the Pearson Teaching Awards.

The award acknowledges the “power of a school to transform the life chances of children” and “bring cohesion and enrichment to their local community.” 

The judges recognised that the school goes "above and beyond" to provide an education which is second to none for all its students and provides learning and "endless opportunities" for everyone. 

More than 300 people have already had their say on a scheme that protects renters from inadequate, poorly maintained and overcrowded housing.

The initiative, which was introduced in the borough by Barking and Dagenham Council in 2014, makes it compulsory for every private rented property in the borough to have a licence.

Barking Learning Centre is set to host the Young Poet Laureate Tour on Thursday 25 October, when young residents with a passion for poetry will be able to enjoy an open mic event and a series of workshops with some of the best poets, rappers and beatboxers in the UK. 

The event will take place from 10.30am to 5pm and is open to anyone aged from 13 to 25. It will feature Momtaza Mehri, the Young People’s Laureate for London, alongside a selection of other talented poets and performers.