wellbeing

Wellbeing Navigators Comes to an End

As this chapter of working in Thames View and Barking Riverside closes and another begins I’ve been reflecting on our pilot, Wellbeing Navigators. The standout thing for me has been the relationships formed between all our participants and clients. There are so many different activities, groups and projects going on around here that once you open your eyes to them you start to see a different landscape: a network of residents striving to make their neighbourhood more connected, fun and greener. I have seen former wellbeing navigator volunteers and clients go on to work on the Henry programme, start cooking classes at the Participatory City Warehouse or leading campaigns to open up our local nature reserve. One thing leads to another as they say.

During our pilot we have helped people retrain – learning skills in motivational interviewing, mental health awareness and social prescribing and to seek new opportunities for employment – coming out of the pandemic. It’s been heartening to have applicants call me to say that having been helped out of rough patches themselves they just want to give something back to their community having been locked away for 18 months of lockdown. This eagerness has allowed us to reconnect many isolated residents back with their community, get active and feeling healthier again. Just a few warm conversations can ignite a life changing transformation. One resident we were chatting to was unaware that our Barking Food Forest was literally on his doorstep, now he’s helping to run it!

Over the course of walking groups, workshops, community events and 1-2-1s I have seen neighbours who have never met before, meet for the first time and form strong bonds of solidarity as they discuss the common challenges of bills, health, homes and overcoming loneliness in a busy city. It’s quite surprising sometimes how easily friendships can form. Despite the fact many of us spend most of our time looking at screens surrounded by four walls, once we are out and about talking to people we really are all the same: looking for a sense of connection and belonging within our community.

Alex Anthony

Wellbeing Navigator Volunteer Coordinator

Summer sorted! Check out local activities!

It’s officially the summer holidays with schools closing and we’ve put together a list of fun local activities for you and the whole family!

We are currently running our own free summer events:

Barking Food Forest – Tuesdays and Saturdays
Evening yoga for adults
Visual Arts Classes for adults

Other local events:

Summer events at Sue Bramley Centre Community Hub:

Day	Time	Activity	How to Book
1 August 2022	10:00 – 11:30 & 12:30 -14:00	Stay & Play	No booking required
1 August 2022	12:30 – 13:30	Chair Based Exercise	No booking required
2 August 2022	12:30 – 14:30	Visual Art Classes	Book via – alex@twcp.org.uk
2, 3 & 5 August 2022	09:30 – 12:30	Bow Art	Booking required
3 August 2022	10:00 -12:00	Tea & Toast – along with fun activities	No booking required
3 August 2022	11:00 – 13:00	Well Me!	Book via – makeyourmarkbandd@gmail.com
4 August 2022	16:30 – 18:00	Kids Cooking School	Charges apply call 07946899933 for more information
5 August 2022	10:00 – 11:00	Summer Crafts – Sand Art	No booking required

Day	Time	Activity	How to Book
8 August 2022	10:00 -11:30 & 12:30 -14:00	Stay & Play	No booking required
8 August 2022	12:30 – 13:30	Chair Based Exercise	No booking required
9 August 2022	12:30 – 14:30	Visual Art Classes	Book via – alex@twcp.org.uk
9 August 2022	11:00	Tim Smith – entertainer	No booking required
10 August 2022	10:00 -12:00	Tea & Toast – along with fun activities	No booking required
10 August 2022	11:00 – 13:00	Well Me	Book via – makeyourmarkbandd@gmail.com
11 August 2022	16:30 – 18:00	Kids Cooking School	Charges apply call 07946899933 for more information
12 August 2022	10:00 – 11:00	Giant Game Club	No Booking required

Day	Time	Activity	How to Book
15 August 2022	10:00 -11:30	Story Time	No booking required
15 August 2022	10:00 – 14:00	School Out	https://lbbd.gov.uk/newme-healthy-lifestyles
15 August 2022	12:30 – 13:30	Chair Based Exercise	No booking required
16 August 2022	10:00 -14:00	School Out	https://lbbd.gov.uk/newme-healthy-lifestyles
16 August 2022	12:30 – 14:30	Visual Art Classes	Book via – alex@twcp.org.uk
16 August 2022	13:00 – 15:00	Summer Film Showing	No booking required
17 August 2022	10:00 -12:00	Tea & Toast – along with fun activities	No booking required
17 August 2022	10: 00 – 14:00	School Out	https://lbbd.gov.uk/newme-healthy-lifestyles
18 August 2022	16:30 – 18:00	Kids Cooking School	Charges apply call 07946899933 for more information
19 August 2022	10:00 – 11:00	Summer Craft – Build a Suncatcher	No booking required
19 August 2022	10:00 – 14:00	School Out	https://lbbd.gov.uk/newme-healthy-lifestyles

Day	Time	Activity	How to Book
22 August 2022	10:00 -11:30 & 12:30 – 14:00	Stay & Play	No booking required
22 August 2022	12:30 – 13:30	Chair Based Exercise	No booking required
23 August 2022	11:00 -12:00	Summer Crafts – Canvas painting	No Booking Required
23 August 2022	12:30 – 14:30	Visual Art Classes	Book via – alex@twcp.org.uk
24 August 2022	10:00 -12:00	Tea & Toast – along with fun activities	No booking required
24 August 2022	11:00 – 13:00	Well Me	Book via – makeyourmarkbandd@gmail.com
25 August 2022	16:30 – 18:00	Kids Cooking School	Charges apply call 07946899933 for more information
26 August 2022	10:00 – 11:00	Summer Crafts – Build a 3D Scene	No booking required

Day	Time	Activity	How to Book
29 August 2022 – Hub Closed – Bank Holiday
31 August 2022	10:00 -12:00	Tea & Toast – along with fun activities	No booking required
31 August 2022	11:00 – 13:00	Well Me!	Book via – makeyourmarkbandd@gmail.com
31 August 2022	13:30 – 16:00	Summer at Sue Bramley – event	No Booking Required

Inside TWCP: Improving Inclusion, Prevention, and Making Change – Almu Segura

I have always, one way or another been involved with working with people. Whether it was through my degree – doing performing arts, theatre in the community or with art organisations. I have worked in residential homes with people with dementia and schools to bring them together, as a teaching assistant with autistic kids, volunteering in City Farms. I have always wanted to work with people, to help them play, laugh, have fun and to have better wellbeing.

I am a local resident and founder of Nice Bunch CIC, a new community interest company that focuses on intergenerational projects to improve the wellbeing of local residents. Through working with residents and local parents, I came across the work TWCP had been doing. I often engaged with them by seeking advice for my social business and attended some of their other events. Most recently, I received a call to be the Lead on their new health outreach programme funded by OHID. I said yes! It is a great opportunity to work with my neighbours and their families. To make a better place for my little one and the little ones around me and the community, in general.

The Healthy Living Club is an inclusive 8-week exercise and nutrition programme for residents in Thames View and Barking Riverside. Primarily focussed on supporting five to twelve-year-olds, the programme is structured to work with the whole family supporting participants to live healthier lifestyles with the support of familiar local community groups delivering the activities and health practitioners.

I would describe the work I currently do as a journey where we are trying to bring funders, the community and the tools that we have; knowledge and expertise, together, to be able to create a healthier community. To improve inclusion, prevention and to even start changing policies.

My vision for Thames View and Barking Riverside is for the area to be a model for change that other cities/boroughs can copy. To show that active listening in the community can bring residents what they really need and can change policy. If we work together, we can create longstanding change. On a smaller scale, I believe in just doing small acts of kindness. Even if it’s just saying good morning to a stranger in the bus stop, even if you make a person smile for a small moment, this simple act can have ripple effects that can help creating a welcoming and nurturing community.

Almu Segura

Healthy Living Club Making Impact

The British Nutrition Foundation’s 10th Healthy Eating Week, is coming up from 13 – 17 June 2022, and here at TWCP we’re proud to currently be delivering our Healthy Living Club to support families in Thames View and Barking Riverside live healthier lifestyles, which has got off to a great start!

The programme is funded by OHID in collaboration with LBBD, and delivered by TWCP, local organisations and residents.

The Programme

Our local 8-week programme supports families to pick up healthier habits and get fitter! We have a packed programme including healthy cooking, walking, zumba, plant based cooking, gardening and cricket, and its all FREE!

A flexible programme, participants can choose something that fits their schedule, and the whole family can join in! The programme is being run by local people who also live and work in the area, so they can give advice on how to maintain healthier habits where residents live.

DATES

PROGRAMME ONE:

START: Monday 9th May

END DATE Sunday 3rd July

(last date to enrol is Monday 23rd May)

PROGRAMME TWO:

START: Monday 1st August

END: Sunday 25th September

(last date to enrol is Monday 22nd August)

The Impact

My child wouldn't eat all those veggies, and look at him, he is eating the whole thing!

Local mum with 11 year old

I just moved to the area and I know no one, I have no support at all, as my child's school doesn't offer anything after school hours. Thank you for being so flexible and caring.

Local mum with 5 year old with autism

My husband and I have been working full time for quite a while now, 12 hour shifts... we don't get to see our kids at all, so when I saw this programme, I decided to change my schedule for 6 weeks to spend time with them as a family.

Local family with 5 and 12 year old

Inside TWCP – A Flourishing Community – Lai Ogunsola

In 2018, my brother introduced me to Matt Scott, Director of Thames Ward Community Project, TWCP at an informal event in Barking.

To provide some context. I had moved back to London from Birmingham earlier that year. I previously worked in the Public Health Directorate at Birmingham City Council as a Commissioning Support Officer, prior to my role at the Greater London Authority.

While working in Birmingham, I developed an active interest in community development and regeneration and was keen to learn more about possible developments in Barking. I had seen first-hand the positive impact that community development could have in communities from my involvement in the voluntary sector via Sustrans and other community groups in Digbeth, and Edgbaston. I had discovered Impact Hub Birmingham, which was a social co–working space that empowered residents to make a difference in the city. I was keen to see a similar approach adopted in Barking.

After speaking to Matt and Jamie Kesten, I learned more about the ambitions and ethos of TWCP. The project really resonated with me. I was glad to see a desire to engage constructively with the council and the developers, Barking Riverside London to improve outcomes for residents.

I decided to get more involved as I felt the project was a perfect match for my professional skills and interests. More importantly, I felt that my 20 years of lived experience as a resident in Thames view would allow me to provide insight, historical context, a genuine resident voice and practical suggestions for future work.

My vision for Thames view and Barking Riverside is that of a flourishing community, with improved health outcomes and education/employment for residents.

Historically, relatively high rates of unemployment, poor mental health, obesity, anti-social behavioural and a range of other health and social maladies have been an issue in our community.

I have been exceptionally impressed with our joint work with Barking Council, and the local Clinical Commissioning Group, as well as our collective engagement with a wide range of partners, including the British Red Cross, University College London, The Bromley By Bow Centre, East London Citizen’s UK amongst others to address health inequity in the local area.

Lai Ogunsola

Member of the TWCP Health & Wellbeing Citizen Action Group

Thames View Playing Fields receives goal posts and pitch lines

Thames View Playing Fields finally receives goal posts and pitch lines!

TWCP works alongside other community groups and its delivery partner Creative Wellness who were really keen to improve the surface of the site. After delivering successful girls football sessions via the Barking Sports For Change Coalition supported by Nike, the GLA and Laureus Sport, there were issues finding the group an appropriate, accessible and affordable space for this activity to continue to take place locally. Having run a number of successful sessions on the Thames View Playing Fields in the summer of 2021 the group needed to find a playing surface that was levelled, marked out with proper goals for their sessions to be able to continue.

TWCP began to explore the possibility of improving the surface of the Thames View Playing Fields to increase the organised sport that could take place there.

Previously exploring a number of different options which all seemed to present barriers that were impossible to overcome be it due to cost, availability or lack of clarity over who owned and operated the space and could give permission. We are happy that the site has now been made fit for community sport groups to use.

Wellbeing Navigators Receives £10K Funding

The Wellbeing Navigators Programme recently received £10k from LBBD’s connect fund to run events that combat social isolation in Thames Ward. Other groups given the funding include Company Drinks, Ultimate Counselling Services, Future Molds, Harmony House, and Rights Development Services. They will be using the fund to expand their existing services as well as putting on new exciting events: such as Company Drinks who will be creating a ‘queer (LGBTQ+) garden’, reminiscent garden (for the OAPs) and others. Harmony house will be using the funding to give their workers more quality time with each contact, getting them the person centred help they require.

Wellbeing Navigators will be using the money to run new additional events that residents want: such as gardening, arts, sports and wellness groups. We chose these activities as a way to give residents a positive focus, to take our minds off our post lockdown worries and on to something positive and life affirming. To ground our thoughts back to our neighbourhood and the people in it – reconnecting us with our community.

During these activities, residents will be able to chat to wellbeing navigators in a relaxed setting about further wellness options and services.

We are still offering residents an amazing free resident to resident, 1-2-1 support through warm conversations with motivational interviewing and signposting to other fun activities and helpful services.

For more information email Alex@twcp.org.uk

Joining up Wellbeing and Community Events

The pandemic has forced many of us to become isolated but as things have opened up the importance of meeting in-person has become even clearer and pertinent to our health and wellbeing.

The Wellbeing Navigator programme is a network of local volunteers based in the community who can help residents on their health and wellbeing journey. The volunteers support local residents through signposting and referrals to community activities and have recently partnered with community groups to engage residents.

The joint Wellbeing Navigators and Roding Rubbish litter picking event on January 30th 2022, was a great opportunity for local people to experience the health benefits of outdoor community work and socialising, tackling wellness in an exceedingly positive way. People met at the skatepark in Ripple Greenway. Steven Champion from Roding Rubbish made an announcement to sum up its purpose – that simply being outside and speaking to friendly people could be a simple cure for anxiety and low mood, reaffirming the need for us all to have a community group we belong to.

As volunteers removed rubbish lodged in hedges with ‘grabbers’ next to others, they found themselves socialising with each other. There were smiles all round. Local passers-by thanked volunteers for tidying up the neighbourhood as they were on their way to the shops or walking their dogs – leaving volunteers with a real sense of doing tangible good. The whole of Ripple Greenway was visibly cleaner after the session.

Thereafter, Steven and the Wellbeing Navigators led the group to Grounded Coffee at the Wilds. On the terrace, a community group true/false game was shared, and then a social prescribing mapping game to test peoples local geography of community groups and activities. People ended the afternoon discussing the variety of groups and activities in the local area, which was a successful outcome for the Navigators, leading more local people to groups that will benefit their health and wellbeing.

Local School Opens its Doors to Community Sport

Thanks to Thames View Junior School and its new Headteacher, James Smith, more community football will soon be offered to local residents, particularly girls and young people in the local area.

Thames Ward Community Project and its local delivery partner, Creative Wellness, have had a problem for several months which we just couldn’t seem to resolve. After supporting Creative Wellness and its founder, Barking Riverside resident Khushnood Ahmed, in running a number of very successful girls football sessions via the Barking Sports For Change Coalition supported by Nike, the GLA and Laureus Sport, we couldn’t seem to find the group an appropriate, accessible and affordable space for this activity to continue to take place locally. Having run a number of successful sessions on the Thames View Playing Fields in the summer the group needed to find a playing surface that was levelled, marked out with proper goals for their sessions to be able to continue.

TWCP staff explored a number of different options which all seemed to present barriers that were impossible to overcome be it due to cost, availability or lack of clarity over who owned and operated the space and could give permission.

A fortunate turn of events came via social media when staff realized that a local football club, Premier Kids Soccer, who were tagging the @ThamesWardCP account into lots of the excellent activity they were running at the Thames View Junior School presented an opportunity to connect with the club director and later the school headteacher. Both of these meetings were a breath of fresh air as the PKS Chairman and Club Manager, Bank, also works within the school and was able to introduce us to James Smith, the new headteacher. Mr Smith welcomed the opportunity to connect the school to the wider community with open arms and couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the opportunity for his students to gain more opportunities to play football outside of school as well as offer up the school facilities for use by the wider community outside of school hours. For TWCP and Creative Wellness this has been the culmination of countless emails and phone calls and so to have such an outcome was really incredible after encountering so many obstacles.

TWCP will continue to explore the possibility of improving the surface of the Thames View Playing Fields to increase the organised sport that can take place there but, in the meantime, we want to send a massive shout to Premier Kids Soccer for the excellent work they do and thanks to Thames View Junior School for their commitment to the wider community it serves! We look forward to working with you both in the future.

It's a great breakthrough after countless efforts from myself and TWCP for the girls of Thames Ward. After a successful pilot, the girls wanted to carry on but due to lack of space we couldn’t continue. Their families noticed that they had increased in confidence and physical activity. The girls that attended didn’t get a chance to play in school because either they were not selected or lacked confidence. I am thankful to Thames View Junior School for giving a chance to our girls to learn, play and thrive.

Khushnood Ahmed Tweet

Barking Food Forest: Growing Community and A New Year!

The Barking Food Forest Project has got off to a flying start. After several hurdles including underground scans, lockdowns and more, we finally got to start on site gardening sessions in August of 2021. The community got the ball rolling, preparing the site and building wooden planters to grow vegetables.

By September, school was back in and students of all ages began to get involved with weekly gardening sessions. All the way from toddlers at LEYF Nursery to secondary students at Riverside School, the younger members of the community jumped head first into all the gardening tasks.

There’s been a lovely symbiotic process, where the different groups attending the garden at separate times have been working towards a shared vision. A great example was our first batch of veggie planters. The community (residents) built the planters and got them filled up with compost, ready for planting. Then the nursery and primary groups planted them up with veggies. The secondary students and the community groups helped later on with weeding and mulching, creating a cosy blanket of grass cuttings – to help keep the young plants insulated and hydrated over winter.

Saturdays have been lots of fun and an opportunity for all the different groups to work on the garden together. We have a few junior gardeners who come with their nursery/primary group on a Tuesday and then come with their family on a Saturday.

It’s a been a whirlwind of a first season. Although, we started towards the end of the growing season, we’ve got a lot done.

Resident and student gardeners have planted a hedgerow to attract birds and wildlife and created a pond – which is happily getting filled by the winter rains. We also planted many shrubs, flowers and young trees, which are all creating a real sense of the Food Forest that we have envisioned together.

Barking Food Forest has had a couple of great events this year. Both the Pumpkin Party and the Diwali celebration had a great turn out. Residents and also neighbours from further afield in Barking and Dagenham got together to garden, celebrate and meet other like minded folks from the area. The kids had a blast playing games and doing seasonal arts and crafts. Some of the residents even brought delicious home made food to share with the community. Nothing brings people together like enjoying tasty food, in future we look forward to sharing the goods that we grow together as well.

In November, we celebrated a major win: the Mayor of London Climate Kick Start awarded Barking Food Forest and Riverside Bridge School £10K to create a Rainwater Harvesting System. The Bridge School Kitchen and Barking Food Forest, will each have a system to capture rainwater and use it for watering the garden. What’s more, it will include a solar powered automatic watering system, so that the school plants thrive even during the long hot summer holidays.

Students from Riverside Bridge and Riverside Secondary school also got to meet Mayor Sadiq Khan at an exciting award ceremony in central London. They were inspired to hear of some of the other projects by schools in London and the Mayor’s ambitious goals for nature and wellbeing in the capital. Best of all the students were recognised and celebrated for being champions of positive environmental change that will benefit all London’s residents, wildlife and ecology.

Barking Food Forest is currently taking a break for the winter and will reopen in March for our first full growing year!

We’re also using the winter break to move forward with planning applications for our proposed structure and other plans. The next year should see some major changes to the garden site, so watch this space! Better yet come along and get involved.

Community Gardening sessions are open to all and run on Tuesdays & Saturdays from 10am-12pm. The garden will reopen in mid-March.

Nikhil Rathore

Permaculture Designer & TWCP Steering Group Member

IG: @barkingfoodforest

FB: Barking Food Forest

Tag: wellbeing