young people

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

Free Climate Action Programme for Young People

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe, today’s young people have an all-important task. In Barking and Dagenham, the British Red Cross is partnering with Thames Ward Community Project (TWCP) and University College London (UCL) Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis to offer young people an interactive games-based curriculum (Y-Adapt) to help them better understand climate change and learn how to adapt to the changing climate in their community through their own action project.

The programme kicks off with three full days of interactive sessions filled with workshops, games, fun activities, and challenges from Monday 25^th July to Wednesday 27^th July. The participants will learn about what climate change is, its impacts around the world and how it may affect them and their community. At the end of these three days, they will work together in groups to make action plans to adapt their communities to climate change. They will then have five weeks to deliver their action project, helping to make their communities more climate-resilient. There will be weekly zoom check-ins for the young people to stay in touch with their group and receive any additional support.

Following the July sessions, there will be one final in-person follow-up session on Wednesday 31^st August between 15:00-17:00 for the young people to share their projects and celebrate. Each group will share the outcomes of their projects and capture these in ‘adaptation cards’ that will be used to inspire other young people around the world to take their own action.

All in-person sessions will take place locally at Participatory City Foundation, 47 Thames Road, Barking, IG11 0HQ with one session including a site visit to the Ripple Greenway, a 4-minute walk away. All facilitators are DBS checked and cleared and there will be a first aid trained facilitator. A free lunch from local caterers will be provided for all young people participating.

By taking part in the programme pupils will be awarded with a nationally recognised British Red Cross certificate as part of the ‘RED’ volunteering award. They will receive the first level which is ‘R’ and if they would like to volunteer further, they can work towards the next levels in the future.

The sessions are open to young people in Barking and Dagenham aged 13-25.

There are a maximum of 30 spaces and the deadline to sign up is Friday 15^th July.

You can register your participation online here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/y-adapt-tickets-362898337697.

For any questions about the programme please contact Ghutai Khuram at ghutaikhuram@redcross.org.uk at 07738808811.

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

Director blog May 2022 – Barking & Dagenham Citizens

On the evening of Wednesday 28^th April 2022 over 120 people gathered in Dagenham Town Hall (now CU London aka Coventry University) for an accountability assembly, a private event for member institutions and invited guests. Having listened to over 1,000 residents two issues rose to the top of our priorities: youth safety and the living wage, which formed the agenda for the night and our asks for candidates and speakers who represented the two parties (Labour and Conservative) that received the most votes in the last election, in accordance with the Electoral Commission’s guidelines.

The chamber reflected the diversity of the borough, as community groups, faith organisations and schools made their voices heard. Unlike many decision making spaces it was full of young people speaking their truth, winning commitments from power holders.

During elections, accountability assemblies function as platforms for community leaders to secure public commitments from invited candidates for an agenda that benefits our communities. They are not hustings and are strictly non-partisan. The vision is for an organised, healthy civil society holding the state and the market to account. Engaging in a non-partisan manner means we want to seek public relationships and commitments with whoever has power over the issues we care about. BD Citizens also sought to hold other non-political decision-makers to account, which included the NHS, the Police, and Transport for London.

When students from Coventry University spoke of the insecurity of health and social care workers employment the atmosphere was electric. The heroes that got us through the pandemic work amidst constant threats of job loss and poor pay, we heard how that affected children and families. It was heart breaking but also exhilarating as everyone recognised the burning injustice and determined, as one to insist on a collective demand for conditions to change.

When the young people from Elevate Her UK spoke of their worries of assault, harassment and abduction, Superintendent Butterfield from the East Area Borough Command Unit, responded with a clear commitment to work together. The palpable sense of threat bearing down on young people who grow up not feeling safe demands action, including access to public transport all too frequently denied for arbitrary reasons. The aggressive way stop-and-search was done was challenged alongside the loss of youth centres without consultation.

I’ve been involved with BD Citizens since 2017, when Peter Hill, Bishop of Barking invited Citizens UK to the borough. The funding from the Lottery for initiating Thames Ward Community Project was for a community organising approach and Citizens UK, of which BD Citizens is a local chapter, are the stand-out national leaders of this approach. I’ve learnt so much from them. They get right to the point. Involving those closest to the issues, to take the action needed.

We’ve done weekly leadership classes at Riverside School, led by Jamie and Zainab and the young people have won several campaigns including over £1m investment in buses and getting the keys for the Barking Food Forest site. Most of our trustees and all of our staff have done the two and three day training and come back buzzing. Fighting together for positive social change is contagious, in a good way. Barking & Dagenham Citizens are in the area.

Matthew Scott

TWCP Director

BD Citizens member organisations include:

Coventry University London
Dagenham All Saints RC Secondary School
On the Rock Church
Marks Gate Holy Family RC Church
Riverside Secondary School
Mums on a Mission
Shpresa Programme
Church at Barking Riverside
Elevate Her UK
Thames Ward Community Project

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.

Young People Meet with Cllr Achilleos to Campaign for Food Waste Collection

Young people have an excellent way of speaking the truth, even the uncomfortable ones. This is never truer than when it comes to issues of looking after our planet and taking seriously the damage our current lifestyles are having. The local newspaper, the RiverView, featured an interview with Leo about food waste and the lack of it in Barking & Dagenham. Leo wanted to do something about it.

Since then, it has been exciting to link up with the Young Citizen Action Group at Riverside School and with others at Leo’s own school, George Carey Primary School to turn words into action. The young people met Councillor Achilleos, who is the Green Champion in the Borough to take this further.

Erik was one of the young people leading the discussion. He shared:

“After hearing about Leo’s food waste campaign, I felt inspired and encouraged to join his project in order to make a change. During the meeting with Cllr Achilleos we asked him if we could have a food waste collection system across the entire borough and have food waste bins and biodegradable bags provided for free.”

Everyone was pleased to hear that food waste is already high on the council agenda, and they are exploring how to implement this for residents next year. Leo reflected after the meeting, “I felt nervous in the beginning, but the Councillor was kind and very polite, when he said they would do it in 2023 it felt really good and I was excited!”

Councillor Achilleos shared: “It was great to meet with young people from Riverside and George Carey Schools to discuss food waste recently. Their initiative, enthusiasm, and engagement with the issue filled me with hope that we can overcome the challenges, to deliver a food waste service and a carbon neutral future for Barking and Dagenham. Young voices have proved particularly powerful in the climate debate, and I will be working hard to ensure those voices are heard as we work towards our goal of net-zero by 2030.”

So, progress is being made, and that leaves the question of what next? It is great that the council is hoping to bring food recycling to every home next year, for free. The young people continue to watch this to make sure it happens. There is a role each of us can play too, not only to recycle our food waste when the bins arrive, but we can reduce our own food waste today. These young people are committed to keep working for a greener future and working with our schools to do that. Did you know, 30% of the food we buy goes in the bin? We can change that by only buying what we need, saving not only waste but money too – what’s not to love!

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

Inside TWCP: 78 years in Barking – Allan Thacker

How did I get involved with TWCP & Why?

Well, just over four years ago, Barking MP Dame Margaret Hodge obtained lottery funding to set up a community project to ensure that residents of the rapidly developing Barking Riverside and Thames View could become involved in the changes that would affect both areas.

At the time I held the position of chair of Thames View Tenants & Residents association, so along with a colleague was invited to sit on a panel to interview candidates for the project leader. Our choice along with many others recommended Matt Scott for the position, so TWCP was born! I became a “Founders & Guardians” member and later a steering group member.

TWCP today has gone from strength to strength and its overriding aim is to involve and help residents “have a voice at the table” whether that be with Barking Riverside Limited or LBBD.

My vision for Thames View/ Barking Riverside?

Infrastructure. What I mean is that as Barking Riverside continues to expand over the next ten years, priority is given over to the pressures facing residents. The proposed “Health Hub” is coming, (long overdue), and the rail link is almost complete. We now have an excellent bus service with praise going to the young people of Riverside School for their achievements. The riverboat service to central London is coming, (well done BRL). Tunnelling the A13 is a major priority for residents who regularly have issues leaving and arriving at their homes.

Transport for London will pick up the bill (£1 billion+)! It would have been half that 10 years ago.

So as I enter my 78th year as a Barking resident, lot’s to look forward to.

Allan Thacker

Resident trustee of TWCP

Inside TWCP: “If you want to go far, go together” – Josiah Oyekunle

Having lived and grown up in Thames View for over 20 years, I have seen many changes in the area and always wondered how one becomes a part of change in the area. How can I be a part of something that is progressive in the area, and where is the opportunity to give back to the community that influenced the person I am today. With all the changes happening, are we building a community that future generations can benefit from and feel a sense of belonging? Do the young people have a voice/platform to be able to be a part of the community or just be labelled as a nuisance to the community. These are a few questions, which were constantly in my mind.

My involvement with TWCP started by being invited to a meeting at Riverside School about the Opera House coming to do workshops in the area. Due to my work as a music producer/DJ I was intrigued as to how this would work in the local area as this was all new to me. This began to spark ideas on whether I could run some music workshops locally. I was introduced to Jamie and had a great conversation where we spoke on the local challenges and concepts of resident-led initiatives, which would allow residents to be a part of shaping the community. This seemed like a perfect solution to some of the questions that I had and as time went on, I became more involved.

My new role as Co-chair

My new role as co-chair, first of all let me say it’s an honour! To be honest I never saw it coming however it a privilege being able to share my views on my community. I never want anyone to feel like I’m the only voice for the community because I’m not. Having lived in the locality I feel I provide a view point that is needed. I too am also in a learning process, which can be daunting but I’m happy to be here serving the community that has shaped me.

The Future of TWCP and Thames Ward

Coretta Scott King once said “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” My dad always used to tell me this African proverb “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

You may ask why I have said this, I feel the residents of Thames Ward have shown where its heart is via the various resident initiatives being set up reaching the community. I believe in order for us to go far together as a community group we need to be on the same page strategically showing how the community voice is heard. If we educate ourselves on the ways we can be solution-focused when talking to partners like the council, developer and other stakeholders, being bold but strategic in our asks to do great things.

I’m really excited to see the growth of TWCP within Thames Ward and the borough, achieving our mission of being a catalyst for sustainable community-led change. That goal may take on different forms and may be subject to change due to the nature of change happening within the borough. I would love to see in the near future community assets being placed in the hands of the community to run. It would be my dream to have a local music studio in order to develop young local talent within the area and provide work experience for those who have career ambitions in the music industry. Ultimately, whatever form sustainable change looks like, at its core it will always place the community first and create a space where resident voice is seen, heard, and valued.

Josiah Oyekunle

Co-chair and resident trustee of TWCP

Inside TWCP: A Part of Positive Change – Anna Pollard

I don’t know about you, but I have never lived anywhere quite like this. As someone with young kids, living on a building site surrounded by big construction vehicles could be living the dream, though I think the novelty even for them has worn off already. As a resident in Thames Ward and more recently in Riverside itself, walking past the different building works most days, the pace of change can be overwhelming. Like so many of us, I want to be part of seeing this community thriving.

Trying to picture the future so that I can feel a part of it, feels hard a lot of the time. So when I heard about TWCP, I was really excited about its vision to bring people together to be part of the change and shape a positive future for us all and not just wait for it to be ‘done to’ us. There are too many examples of where large-scale development has led to gentrification and segregation of communities. The diversity we have is one of the main things that attracted me to live here and raise my kids in a community full of different cultures and experiences. I want to celebrate that and not lose it, TWCP does too.

Time has done some funny things the past 18 months, so when I was asked to write this post, including how I got involved in TWCP, I had to squint my eyes to look back and remember pre-covid times. I’d been living in Thames View just under a year before we entered the first lockdown and I’d got involved in TWCP almost immediately. With my family we had been trying to move here for most of a year before we finally arrived. We moved because my husband and I were appointed by the Church of England to form a new church community as the Riverside area expands.

I was introduced to Matt and Jamie and enjoyed a coffee with them at Riverside Coffee Lounge in autumn 2018. Hearing about what they were hoping to achieve in the development of TWCP was really exciting. So much of what they were talking about, was exactly what I was passionate about and how I wanted to start our new church community. From that conversation, I knew that I would be getting more involved, though I didn’t know everything that was to come.

Once living here, I got stuck in with the Steering Group, getting to know others on the board and loved hearing everyone’s stories and reasons for being a part of it. The thing I enjoyed most, was how the steering group was a real mix of people from right across the Ward and all walks of life, but with a shared passion for our community and being a part of positive change here.

A few months ago I was asked if I would consider becoming Co-Chair alongside Josiah, as we’d be losing the wonderful Kelly when she moved out of the area. It has been humbling to take this on because we are at a really key moment in the development of TWCP, where the resident leadership is becoming more fully realised and our impact is growing rapidly. Acting as co-chair is a first for me and I’m grateful to be sharing this with Josiah because we complement each other well, and Matt, Jamie and the staff are a fabulous support to help us work towards a really exciting future.

For many of us (myself included) the last few months have been trying to emerge from this strange and strained online life, often juggling kids at home a lot more (homeschooling = stressful!!). The TWCP team have done a phenomenal job and are emerging out of our lockdowns, with more funding to allow us to grow, an expanded staff team to explore and develop new directions and see resident led change become a reality.

I’m excited to see how the future unfolds, because through the development of TWCP we have the possibility to be a strong and resilient community, that is able to harness and release the amazing talent we have in this ward for the good of those who are here now and the generations to come. With the centenary of the Becontree Estate, it’s got me thinking what will Thames be like in 100 years. My hope is that it is full of life, where people of all backgrounds share food and friendship, where housing is secure and safe, where employment is fulfilling and rewarding and our young people grow to be brave and kind leaders not only here but in communities far and wide.

Anna Pollard