Riverside Secondary school is a founding member of Barking & Dagenham Citizens part of The East London Citizens Organisation (TELCO). Just before half-term, at the TELCO Annual Meeting and Awards, students from the Young Citizen Action Group (YCAG), won the School of the Year Award in recognition of three major campaigns win as part of their work with Thames Ward Community Project (TWCP) and TELCO. In the last 12 months, they’ve secured litter bins at bus stops outside Riverside School and, more recently, finally got their hands-on keys for a community garden! But that’s not all – they campaigned successfully for extra buses on routes serving their school – a win worth a whopping £1m!

Head of Riverside School, Andy Roberts said:

“These young people are the future of local and national politics. It’s great to see Riverside students getting deeply involved in local social issues; having a voice; and being listened to action change that benefits the whole community. This is a superb achievement – congratulations! – I’m delighted they have been recognised for their outstanding citizenship.”

Year 10 YCAG member, Basmala El-Kadry said:

“YCAG gave us a voice to speak out about issues that affect us and act upon them to make our community better. It forces adults to see as as a part of the community and take us seriously, since we are not just complaining, but actually taking action”.