Barking and Dagenham Council wishes a very happy Diwali to its residents who are celebrating this weekend.

The council knows this is a special time of year, usually a time for coming together with family and loved ones. 

But as new lockdown restrictions came into place last week, the council wants to remind residents that it’s vital that they celebrate at home and only with those from within their household or support bubble.

Barking and Dagenham council’s ground-breaking Wall of Shame web series has reached its 50th episode.

The pioneering series, which premiered in August 2018, aims to identify and fine fly-tippers caught on camera with the help of eagle-eyed viewers.

Dagenham Park CofE School has created a stunning display as part of a whole school Remembrance Day project.

Staff and pupils made 963 poppies to create a wonderful four-metre high structure to commemorate those who lost their lives during the wars. Pupils learned the meaning behind different colours of poppies and included these in the display to honour all members of the community.

The Barking and Dagenham catering service BD Together is celebrating the recognition of two of its school catering teams in the LACA Awards for Excellence.

The LACA Awards acknowledge individuals and teams who make a real difference to school food and education catering. William Bellamy Primary School and Eastbury Community School were shortlisted in the Primary School Team of the Year and Secondary School Team of the Year categories, respectively. 

Councillors from across the capital with responsibility for the safety and educational needs of children have written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP, asking for more support to make school settings safe for staff and young people.

In their letter, the Councillors made clear their desire to work closely with the government to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on the health, wellbeing and education of children. 

Barking and Dagenham is celebrating Interfaith week this week which runs from 8 to 15 November. 

This is a national event designed to focus on interfaith understanding and cooperation, strengthen good interfaith relations, increases awareness of the different and distinct faith communities and increases understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham on the lookout for their next job are being encouraged to get in touch with the council’s job shop to take advantage of a number of jobs available this week.

Burglaries tend to increase around Christmas time and to help residents stay safe during the festive period, Barking and Dagenham Council and the police are holding an online Q&A session with residents.

The session, which will take place on Tuesday 10 November at 5pm, will see the police give tips on what residents can do to reduce the likelihood of them becoming a victim to burglary and there will also be an update from the Burglary and Robbery Investigation Team on the latest activities in the borough.

Local volunteers providing a service to local residents have been rewarded for their hard work and dedication after scooping the Volunteers for Learning award at an online ceremony which took place yesterday, Wednesday 5 November.

The British Museum and the Marsh Christian Trust announced the winners of the volunteer awards which celebrated the work and achievements of museum volunteers across the UK for last year.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham aged 16 plus and above are being invited to apply for apprenticeship roles in the construction industry, working on building sites across the borough.

The council’s Construction Job Shop will be working closely with Be First and Joe Brennan Training (JBT) to recruit several trade apprentices on various sites across the borough.