barking

Beginners DJ Workshops welcomed by young people!

Young people welcomed the return of beginner DJ workshops in the community by local resident Josiah Oyekunle (@thekingsdecree)! One student (Yamani) enjoyed his first session so much that he booked another slot the following day. In that session, he was able to curate and create his first mix and DJ for the creative Wellness kids summer programme during their break.

It felt great being back in the community running DJ workshops again due to the delay caused by the pandemic. Teaching kids how to DJ is a joy for me and seeing their expression and confidence grow once they get their first mix is always priceless.

Josiah Oyekunle

Josiah was grateful to Sue Bramley for hosting the workshops, which he looks to continue. He commented on the importance of a collaboration of community initiatives, which he said allows for a more closer bond within community!

The New Model of Care: Wellbeing Navigators Programme

Thames Ward Community Project, and the Public Health and Community Solutions departments within the Council have partnered up to launch the Wellbeing Navigators Programme. The pilot programme hopes to reduce the pressure on the statutory health system (GP surgery, hospitals etc) through early intervention – by getting people active with a healthy social life. We also hope to strengthen the voluntary sector by providing additional sign ups to sports and wellness groups. Thirdly, we aim for the programme to build community. In post-industrial Barking and Dagenham, for a broad range of socio-economic reasons, community, compared to the 1950s and 1960 isn’t what it was. Social prescribing and the New Model of Care is meant to revert to that social cohesion by giving people a reason to meet and improve their health and wellbeing collectively.

The idea was first tested in Torbay before lockdown, and the link to Simon Sherbersky’s talk illustrates the concept well.

For me the importance is that it gives power back to the community and voluntary sector to improve their own community. It's a healthier and more natural way of improving physical health and mental health, that is more congruent with our innate gregarious human nature as well.

Alex Anthony, Wellbeing Navigator Coordinator

How to get involved?

If you are looking at investing some of your time to support others in their wellbeing journey and to get into a health care career, then this role could be for you!

We are looking for friendly and caring individuals to invest some time in supporting residents of our Thames Ward. You should be confident, enthusiastic, non-judgemental, and capable of interacting with people. The role will help engage with those who are facing challenges in the community and connect them to others and services who are qualified to offer support or advice.

The role is only open to Thames Ward residents due to the community-based nature of the role. We will provide necessary training and a single point of contact for support throughout this role.

If you think you are perfect for this role or want to find out more, please contact: lydia.freeman@lbbd.gov.uk or alex@twcp.org.uk

Sue Bramley Summer Camp a HIT with young people!

60+ young people attended the ‘Food, Fitness, and FUN’ Summer Camp at the Sue Bramley Centre, making it a great success! Children travelled in from across the borough and also from Newham, and Havering boroughs to attend the sessions.

Delivered by Thames Ward Community Project, alongside Mums On A Mission, Creative Wellness and Riverside Muslim Group, the programme provided enjoyable activities and nutritious meals for primary and secondary school aged children who were eligible for benefits-related free school meals.

The opportunity was provided as part of the government’s expanded Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme being delivered across Barking and Dagenham. The camp at the Sue Bramley Centre offered a range of activities including fitness, arts & crafts, cooking, and workshops about leading a healthy lifestyle. Tennis and cricket sessions also took place as part of the programme in Castle Green leisure centre.

The feedback from the sessions were overwhelmingly positive with young people choosing a ‘smiley face’ to describe how they felt about the programme and some saying they ‘loved it’, ‘it was amazing’, and ‘it was fun!’

I've never eaten all these fruits before and now I like them.

8 year old, participant of cooking class

I love the arts class!

6 year old, participant of arts class

HAF was a great success and a good opportunity for kids to learn, play and enjoy! They cooked, tried new healthy recipes, and explored their creativity by doing different arts and crafts.

Khushnood Ahmed, Creative Wellness

Creative Wellness Girls' Football

Also over the summer, Creative Wellness in partnership with Muslimah Sports Association, delivered football sessions led by a qualified coach, for young girls in Thames Ward. Girls of all abilities between the ages of 8 to 16 years old took part, and commented about how important it was to have the ‘girls only’ football sessions. 14 young girls attended regularly and were gifted t-shirts from Mercurial Sports who played a key role in organising the sessions.

Inside TWCP: Artist Through Community – Emmanuel

My name is Emmanuel Oreyeni AKA Oreyeni Arts, and I would like to tell you about my story of how I became the artist I am today, through the community.

At the end of year 11, I was introduced to Jamie through the drawings I gave to my teachers, before the last day of secondary school. We then met each other and he told me about TWCP, asking if I would be able to do something for the Growth Summit and we agreed on a small drawing series called the ‘Local Heroes’. This was inspired by how it reminded me of the Avengers; as individuals they have their flaws but in a group they are the earth’s mightiest heroes!

Since then, TWCP has given me the edge to do more with my art and turned it into a career! They have taught me not to wait for things to come to me but to make them happen by seeking out opportunities. So I did! From working with them I expanded my network by working with the Council on numerous projects; including the virtual Christmas festival, and ‘One Borough, One Love’ festival. I also became the youngest steering group member to receive funding at the age of 17, and designed a programme of drawing sessions in early lockdown. Now, I’m painting murals for large companies like Be First and the McLaren Construction Group and most recently for BRL – a mural for their Wilds Ecology Centre in Barking Riverside. I am so proud of what I have achieved from the very beginning of my career until now and I’m excited for university; to study art and see where art will take me next!

In the future, I hope to become well known not just because of my work but because of how young I started and what I was able to do. I now have confidence in my work through the Community Comics and numerous other art based projects and connecting with TWCP opened the door to these opportunities. Even with social media, I remember having only a few followers but now I see it growing. It’s not a rapid increase but one that progresses as my artwork progresses and that is what I love, the progression! After university I plan to do more work professionally and to gain experience in other related fields such as film, costume design, fashion, it could be anything!

Emmanuel Oreyeni

Local artist and TWCP steering group member

Volunteering Opportunity:

TWCP x Barking Food Forest at The Wilds Launch

Over 400 local residents attended the Wilds at Barking Riverside Launch on Saturday 24th July! It was encouraging to have staff members and trustees from Thames Ward Community Project attend throughout the day, to support our talks on the Barking Food Forest Project, and also an overview about the work of TWCP. We were also thrilled to get residents involved in our mapping exercise, which saw them write down issues and ideas for solutions surrounding health and wellbeing.

Barking Food Forest Talk

Nikhil Rathore, Barking Food Forest Team Lead, kicked off the launch festival with a talk about the anticipated project and updated local residents on the upcoming workshop.

The Barking Food Forest is a local community gardening project, based in Barking Riverside. It will be a space for residents of all ages to grow, learn and socialise together, whilst supporting the biodiversity of the local area.

He highlighted the key milestones of the story so far, including: the YCAG campaign for the site, co-design sessions with students and local residents, the strimming and ground penetrating radar scan of the grounds, and the Pavilion Project – with students from Riverside School working in partnership with Make:Good design firm to design a pavilion that will go on the site.

Lastly, the team were excited to share the news of our upcoming Planter Build Workshop:

Date: Saturday 7th August 2021

Time: 12pm to 2pm

Location: at the Wilds Ecology Centre

Talking Thames - Thames Ward Community Project Talk

Jamie Kesten, Rahela Begum, and Zainab Jalloh were supported by Emmanuel Oreyeni who shared on his experience with TWCP and how he has developed his art career. It was encouraging to see so many local residents attend the talk and share on their own passions surrounding the arts, health and skills.

What is The Wilds Ecology Centre?

The Wilds is an amazing ecology centre and community space for the public in Barking Riverside! It is a space for growing, playing, eating and sharing. A place for co-working and developing new skills. The Wilds is designed and managed by Barking Riverside Limited (BRL), and includes a coffee shop called GROUNDED, brought to you by Coffee:Works, a new co-operative business created by Every One Every Day and a group of local people. The space also hosts workshops, exhibitions, and special events.

You can also co-work from The Wilds, hire the space for making, growing, and learning, and take advantage of other membership offers.

Find out more: https://thewildsbarkingriverside.london/whats-happening/

Inside TWCP: Meet Our New Wellbeing Navigator Coordinator, Alex Anthony!

Despite the area not always having the best of reputations, to me its wide leafy avenues have held strong feelings of warmth and neighborliness. I’ve always been aware of the pride residents have felt for their borough, having been captivated by my Aunt and Uncle’s stories of the sewing machinists at Fords, or the big street parties held in my grandparent’s ‘banjo’ not long after the building of the Becontree estate. Ever since I’ve always been interested in stories of community solidarity and our borough’s colourful history.

Why TWCP?

Prior to this role I’ve been lucky enough to give back to the community I worked in as a librarian and then working in special educational needs. When later I worked in regeneration I understood the importance of involving residents to steer change and the enormous difference investment could make in instilling a sense of pride in people’s towns. I hold a history degree from Royal Holloway University with a keen interest in humanitarian work. I’m an experienced researcher and campaigner, and skilled at community engagement having worked with vulnerable people in challenging situations.

Having been able to return to work in the borough from another corner of London I feel excited to be present during a period of growth and potential for Thames Ward. I wanted this job because I’m passionate about being able to work on resident-led initiatives that promote a more equal and connected community. My new role has put me in touch with so many amazing local residents and groups who have been working hard in keeping their neighbours healthy, connected and happy both before and during the trials of lockdown. I feel very lucky to be part of our team and to know that each day our little patch of London will grow to be a little greener, healthier, and more confident community.

Alex Anthony

Wellbeing Navigator Volunteer Coordinator

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

Inside TWCP: From Zero Engagement to Community Work

I’ll be honest, I lived my first year as a resident of Barking Riverside with little to no engagement at all with the community. The “little” compromised solely of taking the EL1 bus route to Barking station, heading to work, and commuting back home again. On weekends, we would head to the town centre, to the local supermarket, which was merely out of necessity, and I was okay with living like this. I had become accustomed to this sort of urban nomad life, in which I made little effort to grow roots where I lived.

A few reasons drove this behaviour, one just being the tunnel vision of the working life, but another has to do with the regeneration that took place in what I would call my hometown. I grew up to watch the area change from infamous to a bohemian hotspot. Young working professionals and students arrived finally seeing the potential for communal projects and shared spaces, to enhance community, without the community. The divide is stark. It made me lose a bit of my sense of belonging, and knowing you belong, and you have a voice to shape where you live is everything.

Fast forward to moving to Barking, and it took giving birth to my first born and the Pandemic to make me slow down and finally embrace what was my new locality. I received a newspaper from a well known charity, which sparked my interest. Exploring all the Warehouse on River Road had to offer gave me a new found excitement for my local area and I actually started to talk to my neighbours. My year was spent taking part in a collaborative business project, where I learned how to create handcrafted candles and textile products; taking care of chickens, a fun and beneficial past time in terms of collecting eggs; and finally joining a Women’s cycling group, which ultimately changed the trajectory of my life! It led me to this job.

It was the year 2020, and those experiences that ignited in me a desire to not only be a part of the Thames Ward community, but to empower the voices of all of us to be part of the change happening right now. You can become an active part of holding those with duty accountable, creating your own solutions to local issues, collaborating with others so the wheel isn’t reinvented, and just learning from the diverse group of people that live here.

I want to challenge you if you are a local resident to be heard! Yes we’re all a little rusty after spending time in lockdowns but thats the crux of what we’re doing here at Thames Ward Community Project. We’re conveners. We’ll help you cultivate your skills, get you a seat at the table and support the community so that conversations turn into action.

Zainab Jalloh

Communications and Outreach Officer

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