Barking Abbey School in east London has partnered with the mental resilience programme Mindscreen, enrolling 660 pupils after a successful trial.

The pandemic has disrupted young people's lives at home and school, and piled pressure on mental health services and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos).

Residents of Barking and Dagenham are being urged to add some green plans to their New Year resolutions and do their bit for the planet by signing up to the council’s Green Garden Waste collection service.

The service, which costs just £41 for the year, collects and recycles cut flowers, weeds, leaves, grass cuttings, twigs and hedge trimmings.

Barking and Dagenham’s traveller injunction has been ruled to be legal. The council and 11 other local authorities took the case to the Court of Appeal in December 2021. 



The council’s Legal Services represented four of the successful other councils.



The Court of Appeal on Thursday, 13 January, overturned the May 21 judgment of the High Court. Mr Justice Nicklin had previously ruled that a local council cannot have a ‘persons unknown’ injunction that binds ‘newcomers’.

A dodgy landlord from Camden has been ordered to pay over £64,000 for breaking housing regulations on a property in Barking.



0n the 20 July, last year, Mr Sumon Miah of Mortimer Terrace, Highgate was found guilty at Barkingside Magistrates Court for breaching a planning enforcement notice served on a property being used illegally as a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO).

Eastbury Community School once again raised thousands of pounds for charity last term.

The school supports the Movember campaign every year by increasing awareness of prostate and testicular cancer and raising money for the charity. As well as staff getting sponsored to grow 'mos', there were assemblies to deliver the campaign's key messages, including supporting conversation around mental health to lower the rates of suicide, especially amongst men who find it difficult to talk about their problems.

Residents are being urged to have their say on the council’s latest budget plans, which include no cuts to frontline services as well as a multi-million-pound investment to improve the lives of families in Barking and Dagenham.

Around £11million will be invested over four years into the early help service to provide specialist early intervention to support those that need it the most, minimising the long-term cost to the taxpayer.

A council manager with responsibility for the borough’s libraries and community centres has been named in this year’s honours list.

Zoinul Abidin, Head of Universal Services has been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen and awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to public libraries.

Zoinul has is responsible for libraries, community hubs, social prescribing, community food clubs, children centres, healthy lifestyles and a nursery.

Daniel Adeshina, 20, from Barking, was among 10 youngsters from the east London music project Drum Works who performed with Keala Settle at this year’s Royal Variety Performance, which aired on Sunday 19 December. 

As part of senior ensemble Drum Heads, the former Eastbury School pupil, joined Keala on stage for a rousing performance of the hit This is Me from The Greatest Showman.

The latest milestone in the redevelopment of Barking’s Gascoigne neighbourhood was recently marked by a topping out ceremony.

The £56 million development alongside Ripple Road will provide 159 top quality affordable homes for local people, with rents as low as £159 a week for a one-bedroom flat at today’s prices.

Councillor Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement at the council, said meeting this milestone on one of London’s largest redevelopments is a minor miracle.

Barking and Dagenham Council has launched a brand-new advertising campaign to run across the borough encouraging residents to do their Christmas shopping locally this festive season. The campaign, which began this week, will run up until the New Year across all key retail points in the borough, including Barking Town Centre, Dagenham Heathway and Chadwell Heath.