YOUR LOCAL NEWSLETTER | 29 September 2021 Three people connected to Barking and Dagenham granted Honorary Freedom of The Borough In a ceremony held at Barking Town Hall on Thursday 23 September, Her Worshipful the Mayor, Cllr Edna Fergus awarded three very special people with the Freedom of the Borough - the highest award that can be given in Barking and Dagenham to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the borough.   The recipients were: Former professional footballer, Paul Ince, who grew up on the Becontree Estate and went on to have a wonderful football career, playing a leading role in campaigning to help kick racism out of football. Social activist Dora Challingsworth, who led the Ford women in the strike of 1984 and fought for women at the plant to be classified and paid as skilled workers. Trevor Lock, in recognition of his bravery as a former police officer during the Iranian Embassy siege in 1980, and for helping people with disabilities through his work with the Independent Living Agency. Black History Month arrives this Friday A month-long celebration of the culture, history and achievements that Black, African, and Caribbean people have brought to the country kicks off in the borough this Friday. October marks Black History Month and proceedings will start with a flag-raising ceremony outside Barking Town Hall this Friday, 1 October at 10.45am. There are lots of free events taking place throughout the month, both online and in-person, with discussion panels, talks, workshops, exhibitions, and films for everyone to enjoy.   On Thursday, 14 October, in partnership with Love Music Hate Racism, Barking and Dagenham College and the Adult College of Barking and Dagenham, the Broadway Theatre in Barking will host authors, artists, musicians and influential speakers for an afternoon and evening of panel discussions, artwork, poetry and performances to celebrate black history and culture and the influence it's had on society. You can see the full schedule of free events happening throughout Black History Month by visiting lbbd.gov.uk/black-history-month. Please note some events require you to book. Launch of new hub to support survivors of domestic abuse Last Wednesday, on 22 September, a new Domestic Abuse Hub was officially opened, at the Barking Learning Centre, opposite Barking Town Hall. This unique hub has been set up by the council for survivors of domestic abuse to provide them with a safe space in the borough, where they can get help and support, run activities and events for other survivors, and raise awareness of the issue of domestic abuse. The launch follows the Barking and Dagenham Domestic Abuse Commission, a two-year initiative that brought together experts, community, and local partners to understand the issue of domestic abuse in Barking and Dagenham and improve council and partner services to support victims. The Domestic Abuse Commission report was released in March 2021. One of the recommendations of the report was to help survivors to set up their own support group and create safe spaces. From that arose the survivors’ group “We Rise”, who as part of their work, have led on the opening of the Domestic Abuse hub and were joined by Cllr Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration, who is also the sponsor of the Barking and Dagenham Domestic Abuse Commission, and Cllr Saima Ashraf, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement.  The hub runs coffee mornings two days per week and if you live in the borough and have experienced domestic abuse, you are welcome to come along and have a coffee and a chat about your needs. Support can be provided with either ongoing referrals or by speaking with someone who has also experienced domestic abuse. Find out more here. Green improvement scheme crowned capital's champion Our Cosy Homes initiative, which offers free home improvements to stay warm, save energy and lower bills, has been crowned the capital’s “best large-scale project of the year” by energy industry experts. We beat competition from last year’s winner Islington Council, as well as Newham Council, to win the title at the London region of the Energy Efficiency Awards. The eco-friendly scheme launched in 2020, in partnership with E.ON and J & J Crump, as part of the Government’s Energy Company Obligation programme to help local people who are on a low income, have a long-term health condition, or are receiving benefits, to access free home improvements such as cavity wall, party wall and loft insulation, and in some cases, replacement boilers or new heating systems. The scheme has seen almost 1,000 energy saving measures installed in over 730 local homes so far, helping contribute to a carbon footprint reduction of around 10,500 tonnes and saving local people a combined total of £3.5million on their bills during their lifetimes. For more about the Cosy Homes scheme, visit lbbd.gov.uk/cosy-homes-scheme. We're marking National Older People's Day This Sunday, 3 October, we celebrate the National Day for Older People, which is a day for all generations to come together and enjoy fun and free activities for older people. It’s a day where older people can meet new people, visit new places, try new activities and connect with their local communities and the generations around them. In the lead up to the day, throughout this week, Studio 3 Arts will be hosting their Guild of Experience programme which is a celebration of older people’s creativity. The free programme includes visual arts masterclasses, an exhibition in Vicarage Fields Shopping Centre in Barking, visual arts works produced by older people during lockdown, a Creative Coffee Morning hosted by Macmillian and a special World Cinema Festival at the Boathouse Creative Studios in Barking. For more information and to sign up for the free activities and sessions visit www.studio3arts.org.uk/guild-of-experience. Antisocial behaviour ban extended at Dagenham Heathway We’re pleased to announce that earlier this month, a three-year extension banning anti-social behaviour around Dagenham Heathway was granted after receiving your support. Our Public Space Protection Order (PSPO), which was originally introduced in the area in 2018, allows fixed penalty notices of £100 to be issued on the spot for unsociable activities such as spitting, harassment, drinking alcohol in the street or begging. Offenders can also be taken to court and given fines of up to £1,000. The PSPO covers the area around the station and the shopping centre, down to the junction of Ripple Road and New Road, and extends to Old Dagenham Park. The extension was granted after we consulted with residents and found 90 per cent of people who took part – out of a total of 196 – backed the continuation of the additional powers. The consultation also highlighted that begging, drinking alcohol, and spitting were the top three issues that people encountered in the area. The PSPO extension was backed by the Met Police and is one of three PSPOs in the borough – the other two being Barking Town Centre and Dagenham Broad Street. All three PSPOs prohibit the following activities: •    Drinking alcohol in a public space  •    Weeing in public  •    Spitting •    Begging  •    Groups engaging in behaviour, which causes residents and other users of the area nuisance, annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress. The order came into effect from Friday 3 September. For more information visit the our website. Barking Town Hall to host inquest into deaths of Stephen Port victims An eight-week inquest into the deaths of four men murdered by serial killer Stephen Port is set to begin next Monday, 4 October, at Barking Town Hall. The long-awaited inquest will examine the Metropolitan Police’s initial response to the deaths of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor, who were drugged, raped and killed by Port between 2014 and 2015. Port was sentenced to life in prison at the Old Bailey in November 2016 for the murders of the four men. The inquest was originally scheduled to take place at the Old Bailey. Due to the number of people involved and the need for social distancing, we have offered the Town Hall as an alternative venue to ensure the families of the four victims do not face any further delays and can get the answers they so desperately need from the inquest. The inquest will be open to journalists and members of the public. For more information visit www.eastlondoninquests.org.uk. The inquest will understandably cause distress and upset in the local community as details of the four victims’ deaths are disclosed and you are likely to see reports of the inquest in the news. If you are affected in any way, we have pulled together an information booklet with details of local agencies who can offer support and advice. Once the inquest finishes, the East London Coroner’s office will continue to use Barking Town Hall and part of the Adult College for non-jury hearings until March 2022, while Walthamstow Magistrates’ Court is being redeveloped. Get your little one on the right track with free early education Early education helps children to get along with others, discover new interests and learn the skills they need to make a great start at school. We know that early education and childcare can be expensive, but there’s loads of help available, including free early learning and support to cover costs. Did you know that all four-year-olds can get a free early education place? Three-year-olds can, too, from the term after their third birthday. The settings that offer free early education places include childminders, nurseries and pre-schools. You can search for your nearest provider here. You may also be able to get help with early learning and childcare costs for your two-year-old. Head to our website to find out all you need to know about giving your little one the best start in life. For more support with paying for childcare, from toddlers to teens, head to childcarechoices.gov.uk. It could save you hundreds of pounds. Worried about your finances and bills? Help is at hand! If you are struggling with your finances or to make ends meet, please get in touch as we have lots of services that can help. Or if you’re worried you’re heading towards financial problems, speak to us so we can try and stop issues escalating. There are a number of help and support services available through the council, including: Our Community Food Clubs which are free of charge and can provide £20 worth of food per week for a period of either three or six months at www.lbbd.gov.uk/community-food-clubs Our money and debt webpages provide an income and expenditure calculator and budgeting tools to help you see how much money you have coming in and how much is going out, helping you look at areas where you can make savings: www.lbbd.gov.uk/money-and-debt If you’re struggling with increasing energy costs, you should contact your energy supplier about possible funds you may be entitled to, to help you through difficult periods. You can also access the Warm Homes Grant at www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme. If you have a disability and you’re not claiming specific disability benefits, you may be able to take advantage of a number of benefits available, including Personal Independence Payments or Disability Living Allowance (for children). If you’re caring for someone with disabilities you may be able to claim Carer’s Allowance although this is means tested, at www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/disability-and-sickness-benefits If you have a water meter and are experiencing financial difficulties, you may want to look into the Watersure scheme at www.ofwat.gov.uk/households/customer-assistance/watersure/. Most water companies also have a fund to help those who are struggling, and it might be worth contacting your water provider if you have concerns. If you’re out of work and looking to get into employment you can get help and support from our Job Shops at www.lbbd.gov.uk/help-finding-work If you’re worried about a lack of skills, our Adult College has a full offer on their website. If you need help with emergency living expenses for food, fuel (gas and electric for customers who pay via a key meter), travel expenses and household appliances and/or clothing in exceptional circumstances, you can apply for help from the council’s Hardship Fund (Individual Assistance Payment) at www.lbbd.gov.uk/hardship-and-covid-support-schemes You can also contact our Homes and Money Hubs which are open for a drop in at Barking Learning Centre and Dagenham Library from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday or email homesandmoneyhub@lbbd.gov.uk or call 020 8227 2115 or 2927. New normal, new opportunities - a chance to upskill, reskill and explore new opportunities If you're thinking about getting some new skills or changing career after Covid-19, we have an event for you. The event, ‘new normal, new opportunities’ is run in conjunction with the Adult College, CU University, the Barking Enterprise Centre (BEC), the Community and Voluntary Sector (CVS), Barking and Dagenham College, BD Collective and the University of East London. It will take place on Wednesday 6 October from 10am to 2pm at the Conference Room, Barking Learning Centre, 2 Town Hall, Barking IG11 7NB. Come along to find out which opportunities are out there!