Sports for Development support via BS4C Covid Response Fund

TWCP have recently been awarded £5,000 from the Covid Response Fund from the Barking Sports for Change Coalition (part of the Model City London initiative supported by the GLA, Laureus Sport and the Nike Foundation) to help support local groups we are working with to achieve their Sports for Development goals. As part of its initial BS4C grant TWCP enabled a number of local groups to engage in introductory workshops with Jason McKoy, a Sports Consultant and founder of Mercurial Sports, who helped introduce the concept of sports for development and offer some constructive ideas on how to incorporate this approach into the work they are doing in the community.

Receiving this Covid response fund allows TWCP to fund a more sustained piece of engagement between Jason and two of the most active groups he engaged with earlier on in the process, Mum’s on a Mission and Creative Wellness (led by local residents Vanessa Raimundo and Khushnood Ahmed respectively). Each organisation has shown real dedication both to the community in which they live and serve as well as to the principles of Sports for Development and their desire to continue to improve their practice and strengthen their organisations to help better support the people of Thames Ward and the wider Barking and Dagenham area and over the coming months Jason will spend more time supporting and guiding each organisation on how to embed Sports for Development principles into their everyday practice.

Sports for Development is an overused and sometimes misunderstood concept. It is the difference between sport for sporting outcomes such as fitness, competition or enjoyment, for example. Or using the sporting activity not only for these points, but to actively and in a clear and structured way, help develop other aspects of the participants taking part. This can be from raising awareness on a topic to improving training and employment opportunities. One of the biggest challenges for new and developing projects is knowing how to capture and demonstrate the impact of the work being done with the participants taking part. Supporting TWCP and the projects that are developing in the area, will ensure that these projects make the most of the great work they are doing, and can demonstrate this to wider stakeholders. This can help open other avenues to them including funding which can of course help with sustainability. Helping projects understand just how impactful their work is, is something often overlooked and taken for granted. There are so many ‘Sport for Development’ projects that on closer scrutiny are actually just doing ‘sport’, with little actual ‘Development’ work at all.

Jason Mckoy, Mercurial Sports

Photo credit: Mums on a Mission

Hikmah Social – Building Brotherhood Through Football

It’s hard to meet with the founders of Hikmah Social and not leave feeling energised by their drive to serve the community and genuinely transform the lives of the people they’ve come into contact with. Their tenacity is infectious and rouses up local people to bond over their love for football and to build deep-lasting friendships that nurture growth and success.

Football has always been a way to bring people together, no matter your background or current circumstances, everyone can enjoy it.

Abu Jahaid, Co-founder of Hikmah Social Tweet

Humility has been a common thread in their story. Hikmah Social was born out of the four friends; Abu Jahaid, Asef Rahman, Muminul Haque, and Tahmid Shakib seeking to raise money for Darul Mustafa Foundation – a school based in the most deprived area of Bangladesh. Collectively, they managed to raise above the target of £20,000 in six months, which allowed the school to acquire essentials for the students and school facilities as well as fund future projects.

The project itself provided the friends with key insight into organising successful football tournaments; including over 60 teams in the tournaments taking place in Barking Riverside, a charity dinner and inspiring many others to start a personal pledge. This experience; uniting the local community, became the foundation for the group today. “Hikmah Social” – meaning “wisdom for the community.”

Triumphs

The group has since become established in 2019, delivering various activities underpinned by their core values: envision, encourage and empower.

In conversation with them it’s clear what their greatest triumphs are: having a committed community and being able to create a sense of brotherhood amongst a diverse group of individuals. They note that it’s the sense of competition and pride that drives individuals to stay committed to the activities.

HS Community Football has also been an ongoing community session for over ten years! It has grown into a space where young men are able to talk more than just sports. The sessions have also become increasingly diverse bringing together different groups because of a common passion.

How TWCP has made a difference?

TWCP has acted as a convener connecting Hikmah Social with different organisations and helping to promote the project. Hikmah Social is now involved with the Active Through Football campaign being supported by the Essex County Football Association and other local groups. They have also been working in collaboration with the Thames View Community Garden to develop the surrounding space.

TWCP has also been able to provide equipment to the project, where previously it was funded by the founders personal finances, these include: football training equipment, nets, boards for coaching adults and children, a rebound net, and bibs.

HS have also been provided with a mentorship, which is helping them understand what makes them different from other groups.

Activities

HS Football League: Friday 8pm and Sunday 7pm

The community can get involved in competitive sessions! As each team fights for the title spot, a sense of excitement and willingness to succeed is felt. HS is committed to providing a well rounded service. The league boasts FA qualified referees and each game is filmed and can be accessed for enjoyment and development!

HS Community Session: Monday

Ongoing for over 10 years now. A list of players are organised and the bookings arranged every week.

To get involved email: Hikmah.social@gmail.com

HS U16s Coaching Sessions: Sunday 10am

Inside TWCP: Meet our new Health Outreach Worker, Rahela Begum!

Growing up in South London I’d heard about Barking and Dagenham, and just like where I’m from, it didn’t have the best reputation. So, fast forward to 2017, when I was looking for somewhere to live and I found an affordable place in London, I couldn’t believe it. It was here in Barking that I found a lovely community on the river. The place I moved into was a houseboat! From that first day walking through the town, and when I spoke to my future neighbours, I felt at home. It had that same community feel I was missing from my childhood. The area was full of families and people who had lived here for years, as well as so many new people. It was buzzing with people who had ideas of how they wanted to change the area, and the feeling was catching. I soon got a job in the area, joining Participatory City and the Every One Every Day project. I got to work in the area I lived in and I felt so lucky because I got to meet even more people.

I started to explore the area that was now my home and my favourite way to do that was by visiting all the parks. I started falling in love with the familiar sights of the weeping willows of Greatfields. I followed the path along the lake in Barking Park to the cafe and listened to the children play in the park. I eventually got a bike and ventured to the expansive Mayesbrook and Parsloes. I wanted to get to know the borough like the people I worked with and learn about the history. So many important things have happened here! I eventually moved to Chadwell Heath onto the famous Becontree estate. With Participatory I got to work across the borough on lots of projects, but I wanted to focus my efforts and create an impact.

Why TWCP?

The Thames Ward Community Project is based in one part of the borough, separated by the A13, it’s a place with the fastest developments going up. So how do you create and keep a sense of identity and community when everything around you is changing? I have joined the team as the Health Outreach Worker, so it is my job to bridge the gap between developers, the NHS, other organisations and the residents of the area. I want to help residents create programmes and develop projects that will get people feeling healthier and happier and more involved in their community. The borough is changing and the people living here are changing, I see this as a chance for us to have a positive impact on what’s going on around us. TWCP works with residents directly and supports people to be at the forefront of the projects they want to see in the area. That’s the role I want to play in the community. I want to be behind people’s great ideas, supporting with connecting people, sharing knowledge, opportunities and helping organise ideas to make sure they are successful and long lasting.

Rahela Begum

Health Outreach Worker

London Sport fund £10K for YCAG – Getting active after lockdown

YCAG received funding from London Sport to have some youth activities delivered to young people, which would be decided by the young people themselves. The purpose of funding the activities is to get young people active after lockdown ends.

What have been the key successes of the project so far?

The young people from YCAG (Young Citizen Action Group) designed an online survey to understand their peers experiences of lockdown, their physical activity before/during/after lockdown and what kinds of activities they would like delivered. The feedback from the online survey was tremendous with 700+ students of Riverside School. This will provide a baseline of activity before lockdown and before commencing the project to be able to measure the level of benefit after its delivery.

Following this, YCAG used the results from the online survey to decide which kinds of activities they would like to offer based on what their peers would most like to get involved in. A short video appeal was then produced by them to local community groups asking them in turn to create their own videos to share their offer and raise awareness of the opportunities to get involved in. Great video submissions were received from local community groups summarising their organisations and the activities they offer and these were shown in form time at Riverside School and voted on by students.

Thereafter, YCAG took the results of the vote and invited the top 4 to a “Dragon’s Den” style interview with them where the young people asked questions to confirm the offer available. These were led by the young people and were received very positively by the community groups involved who offered high praise for the approach in general and for the young people involved.

“It was great to be part of YCAG Dragon’s Den, and brilliant to see young people being put at the head of the table. Those involved were strong minded and came out with amazing and important questions.”

Kayden, Dance Instructor at BDYD, former Riverside School student

"I was very impressed with the young people's resourcefulness. Not only did they survey the needs and preferences of the other students, but also asked pertinent questions to establish whether an activity would be beneficial to them. Very professional throughout the process!"

Nikhil, Surya Wellbeing

"It was very good to see young people on a board, working together to provide enrichment opportunities for their peers, schools and community. Everyone was very welcoming and polite and asked good questions. A great example that when young people come together they can design purposeful and impactful projects."

Lamar, Right Development Foundation

What activities are being funded?

YCAG decided on the following community activities, which will take place at Riverside School:

BDYD (Barking & Dagenham Youth Dance) – Dance classes (to take place at Riverside School, 3-4pm once per week Thursdays for Years 7-9).
Creative Wellness – Cooking & Healthy Eating Workshops (to take place at Riverside School, 3-5pm once per week day TBC, for Year 7s ONLY, Max 20 students.
RDF – Basketball (Thursdays) & Boxing Clubs (Wednesdays) (to take place at Riverside School, 3-4pm once per week, for Years 7-9).
Surya Wellbeing – Yoga and Mindfulness (Online, 5-6pm once per week Thursdays for all Years but focused on older year groups with exams and stress from school).

When will the activities start?

Activities will start on the week commencing 10th May, and end on the week commencing 21st June.

Community Wellbeing Event: Creating Connections, Building Resilience

The Event

The Community Wellbeing event brought together TWCP staff and steering group members, staff and volunteers from the Red Cross, local residents, and health and wellbeing professionals to listen and comment on related topics. The event also provided an opportunity for a general update on TWCP and the Red Cross’s work for interested residents and partners. It was particularly beneficial that the event consisted of a good mixture of different groups and organizations, which reflected the diversity of the Thames Ward and wider Barking area.

Lai Ogunsola introduced the theme of ‘the new normal, working from home and the importance of social connections’ within the context of lockdown and social isolation. The discussion extended to the wider group and practical examples were shared with regard to how people cared for their mental health.

The evening continued with a recital from local spoken word performer Romeo Murisa and a music set by TWCP Co-Chair and DJ Josiah. The spoken word piece was biographic and touched upon many self-reflective themes evoked by the pandemic, social isolation and offered some thoughts on wellbeing. The music set was a light-hearted compilation of the participants favourite songs that had been shared during the introductions earlier.

Participants were then able to choose from a selection of four breakout room sessions: the first led by award winning artist Laura from At Gallery CIC who presented the work of Joshua Lance focusing on the importance of art in health; the second breakout room was led by Natalia from Early Years Cocoon and was centered on simple exercises to deal with uncertainty in our lives; the third room was led by Amtul from Community Health Champions to promote Health Champions, Covid-19 vaccinations and mental health; the last breakout room was led by Katherine from the British Red Cross, which was about building resilience and wellbeing, where themes of engagement, awareness and cooperation were considered, in order to build community to prevent disaster.

The Impact

Opportunity was given to share clubs and social groups with each other to widen options for safe social interactions during and after lockdown. Links were shared to activities such as: LBBD volunteering opportunities, local artists’ work, community hubs such as the Bromley By Bow Centre, early years support, TWCP events and health groups, links to events on black leadership, relevant articles, music, digital classes for adults, wellbeing and loneliness support, and sports clubs.

Participants who spoke up during the event stated that they enjoyed the workshop as a fun, interactive forum to engage with relevant local issues.

I thought it was a well rounded event where we were able to promote collaboration and I’m looking forward to where this leads. I thought it was particularly successful because the event was not just about promoting collaboration within the exercises in the event, but building trust and relationships that can endure through lockdown and afterwards. I think a lot of trust has been built, showing that we value the ideas and contributions of residents, and of our partners.

Josiah Oyekunle, Co-Chair and Resident Steering Group Member

I really enjoyed the event and thought it went very well. I think having breakout rooms was a good idea since it gave people the opportunity to go in depth on topics.

Romeo Murisa, Spoken word performer

Really excellent event!

Dan Hopewell

Creative Wellness Ladies Cycling and Walking Club Resume Sessions

Khushnood Ahmed, Resident Steering Group Member and Member of the TWCP Health and Wellbeing Citizen Action Group, runs a number of fitness and wellness clubs through her initiative Creative Wellness.

Creative Wellness is passionate about community wellness. It’s a space for women to feel excited and empowered, to expand their knowledge, and to be equipped with the action steps and resources needed to live a healthier life.

Cycling Club

Start date: April 2021

Complete the membership form via this link: Cycling Club – Creative Wellness

Bikeability training is being provided on two dates:

Saturday 17th April – Level 1 (Riverside Cycle Hub)

Saturday 24th April – Level 2 (Riverside Cycle Hub)

General club rides are every weekend, Saturday 10-12pm, departing from Rivergate centre, Barking IG11 0FJ, to suit all abilities.

A bicycle, lock, helmet, and cycling jacket can be provided to members dependent on availability.

Walking Club

Start date: 5th April 2021

Complete the membership form via this link: Walking Club – Creative Wellness

The club walks different routes every week Monday 10-11am, departing from Rivergate centre, Barking. IG110FJ.

Members are provided with a fit fitness tracker watch to monitor their step count. The weekly challenge is to do 10,000 steps or more to win the weekly prize draw for the vouchers of your choice.

You can complete the challenge in a week with the other members or with your family at your own pace.

Why get active?

During the first lockdown I felt there was a need in the community for women, whilst adhering to government guidelines, to make new friends, get involved in a sport or activity that would provide positive health outcomes, especially mental health. The project was well received by the girls and women of Thames Ward. We now have a WhatsApp group where our cycling and walking club ladies interact with each other. The clubs are a success as through them residents have formed friendships, as well as better mental and physical health!

Khushnood Ahmed

TWCP support Barking and Dagenham “Active Through Football” bid

What is it?

Active Through Football is an ambitious new programme from Sports England, funded by the National Lottery and delivered by the Football Foundation. Its objective is to increase activity levels in people aged 16+, by running recreational activities shaped by local residents.

The programme could not be more critical for the Thames Ward area. Thames Ward has geographical barriers to exercise, one of the highest rates of unemployment in Barking and Dagenham, and is in great need of social prescribing services.

Football as a sport is a fun way to keep fit, and help individuals become more socially connected. Active Through Football hopes to be a sustainable programme that reinvests into the community, by empowering local people to gain qualifications and employment opportunities as coaches, to run the future delivery of the programme.

Thames Ward Community Project have offered vital support to the programme, which must collaborate with local groups and residents as part of its bid. TWCP would be among other local groups involved in the management and vision of the project within the Thames Ward area.

Who's involved?

LBBD

Essex County Football Association

Barking Sports For Change (Part of Model City London(External link) – Barking Coalition)

West Ham United Foundation

London Sport

Coventry University Dagenham

Timeline

The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham has been shortlisted to apply to the Football Foundation for “Active Through Football” funding; the bid covers operations in three wards, Thames Ward being one of them.

The application is now in the community engagement phase between now and May 2021 when the bid will be submitted.

Have your say!

There are many ways this programme can be delivered. These include: recreational football, sessions for women, “walking football” and “football for fitness” classes. The structure of the programme is wholly dependant on community feedback and so we need your support to secure the scheme.

You can fill out the online form as an individual or an organisation with thoughts on how the programme could help others in the borough.

Deadline: Mid-April 2021

Thames View Activation Group

A NEW APPROACH TO HEALTH SERVICES

Who are they?

An innovative approach to health services is being led by the Thames View Activation Group (TVAG) in the Thames Ward area. Initially convened by local partners LBBD, and the NHS – this new group started with a lot of health officers in the virtual room but has increasingly involved agenda items led by local residents and is chaired by Lai Ogunsola, local Thames View resident and TWCP trustee.

What do they hope to achieve?

The TVAG aims to establish an approach to health services led and shaped by local people and groups – this ‘new model of care’ evolved from the Healthy New Towns Agenda, which BRL led on in its final year and one of the aims is to ensure Thames View has as much profile as possible, given much recent focus has been on the Riverside development.

What's on now?

Recently, a discussion about the vision for the area and the principles that need to drive work has been started and a series of ever larger plans and activities are in the works. If you are interested please fill in the form below.

How To Get Involved

If you would like more information about the Thames View Activation Group, please complete the form below.

Community Wellbeing Event supported by The Red Cross – Monday 1st March 2021, 5.30pm – 7:30pm via Zoom

Join in the conversation on Monday 1st March from 5:30pm – 7:30pm, as we connect local residents and help facilitate conversations on the importance of social connection and the promotion of good mental health and well-being and promote the value of vaccinations to enable recovery from the pandemic (COVID-19).

Click the link below to register and get involved: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-wellbeing-event-supported-by-the-red-cross-mon-1st-march-2021-tickets-140131415837

Seven areas of support to boost resident leadership of health services across Thames Ward

Thames Ward has some of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the country and many other measurements of health and wellbeing that need urgent action. Local agencies have sprung into renewed action, firstly via the NHS Healthy New Towns (2016-2019) initiative which aimed to encourage healthier behaviours, develop new approaches and models of health care and build on innovation and learning.

Having been at the forefront of this new approach, Thames Ward became the first Health and Social Care Locality Board in the borough, set up with the purpose of developing a new model of care that is commissioned and delivered in a high quality and holistic way and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the local community.

The TWCP Health & Wellbeing Citizen Action Group (CAG) have held several large events and had regular resident-led discussions focusing on how local people can contribute and lead on what is being called a ‘new model of care’ which aims to transform how health services work.

We have identified seven areas of support and action:

Supporting local community groups to get more funding (including health commissioned funding) by raising project management, bid writing and delivery skills;
Supporting community groups to work with health agencies to develop a shared plan of action for the local area and helping the wider system become more transparent;
Ensuring greater levels of inclusion and widening access across the community;
Development of a resident-led social prescribing network where GPs can refer visitors to community groups;
Support resident groups and individuals on the Locality Board and Riverside Health Centre / Hub;
Securing a community health outreach worker – who will be managed by local people;
Assisting with a proposal to develop the Sue Bramley Centre as a local health and wellbeing hub and as a community-run asset.

Health & Wellbeing

Category: Health & Wellbeing