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Inside TWCP: A Year in Post – Zainab Jalloh

Last week, it was my 1-year anniversary as Communications & Outreach Officer here at Thames Ward Community Project, and I couldn’t quite believe it. We choose jobs for a variety of reasons, but I remember vividly late 2020 hoping to take a risk to find a job that gave me time for family, and a job that was closer to what moved me, serving community. I believe in circumstances being timely and purposeful so when I was offered this role, even though changing careers was frightening, a smaller team more exposing, and the initial short-term contract precarious, I took it because it was what I wanted.

It has since been both challenging and incredibly exciting. I sit in my role as a worker but most importantly a local resident of Barking Riverside who emphatically wants to see our area thrive and people really be at the centre of decisions that affect their lives and TWCP exists for that. The heart of Thames Ward Community Project is residents coming together to create action groups and make change: Arts & Culture, Environment, Health & Wellbeing, Housing, Skills & Enterprise, and Young People, and comms plays a huge part.

I’ve been able to heavily support our Barking Food Forest project and seen how important sharing the journey of a project is in building momentum and engaging residents. Even whilst in lockdown, we created social media pages to share our ethos, co-design session plans, and more recently people getting stuck in at events! And I’m learning that that’s what people care about seeing. Real people, real stories, real community building. So my focus this new year is doing more of that.

As a team we’re creating spaces that promote honest dialogue with major stakeholders; the Resident Planning Forum, Community Resilience Project, the Healthy Thames Project, to get our resident voices a seat at the table. And a key vehicle for me to champion real stories is through our now resident-led, community newspaper, “Riverside News.” If you haven’t read it yet take a moment! This is us. The community managing green spaces, supporting local entrepreneurs, building resilience, enjoying street parties and getting behind our young people! We’re a little closer today it seems to having the community we are happy to have our children grow up in, but I don’t just want to sell you positive press.

I want us to have some hard conversations too and to make sure those get heard. At TWCP, I like that we’re not afraid to do that. I’m excited to spend more time this year getting out of my house and meeting you. Collaborating and creating impactful content that turns heads, and gets resources.

Zainab Jalloh

Communications and Outreach Officer at TWCP

Meet our NEW Community Development Administrative Officer!

I came across Thames Ward Community Project through a summer programme for children. I took my younger brothers to a cooking session at the Sue Bramley Centre where I met Rahela – the Health Outreach Officer who shared her vision with me and filled me in on all the amazing future projects. I was immediately interested and exchanged contact details with Rahela to find out more information and next steps on how to get involved in resident led projects. Soon after, I was invited to the first Healthy Thames Working Group meeting, which was an event dedicated to residents and partners interested in improving and developing opportunities around health in the local area. We discussed ideas and looked at ways to support future projects.

I was considering volunteering as a wellbeing navigator after attending the meeting, but I then heard of the community administrative vacancy and decided to apply for this role as I’ve had previous experience working as a personal assistant and had completed an apprenticeship with Westminster City Council when I was younger. I knew this was going to be a great way to understand how community projects operate, support the team, and become more familiar in this area of work.

I become interested in this role for various reasons, the main one being wanting to be part of an organisation with a strong focus on improving the health and wellbeing of local communities. My desire to work for a charity originates from my background in Nutrition and Health where I’ve had the opportunity to connect with various individuals and understand their needs, goals, and occasional barriers when trying to create positive health changes. I am particularly keen in supporting individuals through any type of health-related activities and feel most content when I can make a positive impact on others.

As a local resident in Barking & Dagenham, I feel proud to be working for the Thames Ward Community Project where I can add value to my community and be part of a very rewarding cause. I’m excited to see the future changes and growth in the borough and within the organization.

Nia Lopez

Community Development Administrative Officer

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

Adult College of Barking & Dagenham grant funding for new ESOL for Parents Programme

After successful completion of his 12-week programme funded by the L&Q Foundation ‘s Place Makers Fund, in which 25 students attended weekly, Pierre Epoh Moudio has been granted £2.5K funding for another ESOL for Parents Programme starting 5th June 2021 from the Adult College of Barking & Dagenham!

Thank you teacher! Thank you for all that you are doing for us with your words and because you show that I am reaching my goals of learning English. Thank you so much for getting me out of my dark hole.

Janet, Student

The new programme

The programme will start on Saturday 5 June 2021 and will end on Saturday 7 August 2021. The lessons will be 2.5 hours once a week over 10 weeks.

It will be delivered online via Zoom and support will be provided for those who have never used the Zoom meeting platform. All the students will have access to all the resources that will come in different forms i.e audio and pdf files. The programme boasts a variety of methods for learning including discussions, presentations, use of interactive materials, video, and student led projects.

Students also have a major role to play in the choice of topics covered in the lessons and it will be based on their immediate needs.

The programme is aimed at parents and carers who are frequently excluded from mainstream ESOL courses due to entrenched inequality and complex needs. The level of the students that the programme is aimed at is elementary.

How To Get Involved

Register via Eventbrite: ESOL for Parents Programme Tickets, Sat 5 Jun 2021 at 09:30 | Eventbrite

Or please complete the form below.

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.