#ResidentLed

Write for Riverside Newspaper!

Riverside News is a new community newspaper edited by local residents and distributed in the local area. We are inviting local residents and community organisations to contribute to our pilot issue, which will be published in November.

Please email us by October 17th with ideas for articles you would like to write: zainab@twcp.org.uk

We will discuss your article idea with you before confirming if it is something we’d like to include.

Here are some ideas for the kinds of articles you might like to write:

Features: Between 250 and 500 words focusing on a particular community organisation or project in the local area. Can be written in a more relaxed style, in the first person; discussing how the featured subject was started, who’s involved, and what impact it’s having on the area.
Interviews: Up to 500 words focusing on a particular person who has an active role in the community or who has an interesting perspective on a chosen subject relevant to the borough.
Comment: Up to 250 words commenting on a subject relevant to the area, and on which you have a unique perspective.
Events: Up to 250 words either reviewing or previewing an event taking place in the area. Event organisers are also welcome to write an article about what they are planning.
Letters: We welcome letters of up to 200 words on topics relevant to the borough. Please include your name and either your street address, or name of the organisation you are writing on behalf of.

Not all submissions we receive can be included in the paper. Please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your idea.

A Month of Barking Food Forest

Here at TWCP, we pride ourselves on being genuinely resident-led, and there’s nothing that expresses this in its truest form more than the Barking Food Forest. From the beginning, the site itself was secured through the hard campaigning work and drive of the Young Citizen Action Group at Riverside School, who after 2 years managed to take possession of the keys for the community garden site from BRL. Community effort continued with successful grant applications supported by TWCP. Fast forward to our co-design sessions, which were a hit with young people and residents, the long awaited GPR scan of the grounds, and we were finally ready to start in-person sessions at the end of August.

Where are we now?

It’s been a journey filled with collaborating, learning, and of course hard work. We’ve been steadily building momentum through various meetings with key stakeholders, co-design sessions with local people, collaborating with local organisations, such as Every One Every Day and taking others on that journey with us through our online channels. To note some key moments:

Support from the Thames View Community Garden in preparing the site for the GDPR scan and storing equipment.

JM2 Group have supported in maintaining the site.

Going Picking have provided much needed learning in terms developing this project through meetings and a tour of their own site.

Make:Good architecture and design studio has been working with Riverside students and the BFF team to design a Pavilion that will be built on the site.

McLaren Construction Group have donated four pine trees, which added an immediate impact to the site.

Morgan Sindall VolkerFitzpatrick have supported with planting the trees onto the site and also donated a number of other materials including pallets.

We are all grateful for the support we’ve received but our greatest and most important connection has been with the residents. Over the month, we have been able to engage with residents of all ages, from all walks of life, seeking a space where they can learn and be free in. Over the past 5 weeks we have enjoyed sessions building planters, building the compost area, planting bulbs, watering, digging and socialising!

It's been a real whirlwind start to Barking Food Forest. It's encouraging to see lots of enthusiasm & hard work from the community so early in the project. Organisations have given invaluable support which really helps at this challenging start up phase. We've had a lot of fun & got a lot done, I'm really looking forward to seeing where we will be this time next year!

Nikhil Rathore, Permaculture Designer and TWCP steering group member

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

Installation of tap for Thames View Community Garden with TWCP support

Since the acquiring of the Community Garden site, and obtaining £2000 funding from the London City Airport Community Fund, Thames View Community Garden (TVCG) members had been facing difficulties acquiring an essential water connection.

Our existence is dependent on the water.

Sabbir, TVCG Member

The site was to offer local people the opportunity to get involved in community gardening and to provide learning opportunities for those keen to learn how to grow their own fruits and vegetables, but the vision was dependent on acquiring a running water connection.

Initially, the Community Garden was being provided running water by Thames View Infant School but this was not able to continue long term. TVCG also looked at alternative solutions such as water harvesting but this was not adequate to water the whole garden.

TWCP began supporting TVCG members by supporting in the discussions with the Sue Bramley Centre and Essex Water. An agreement was reached with a water connection provided through the Sue Bramley Centre to the Community Garden, to be funded by the monies received, and so a tap was finally installed in the garden in 2020.

Impact

Having a tap installed has been critical to the survival of the Community Garden. The plants need to be regularly watered to grow and being able to rely on its on water connection TVCG can be sustained long term.

Love Gardening? Get Involved!

Thames View Community Garden is currently cared for by 13 committed members who meet every two months. If you would like to get involved or make a donation please email communitygardensecretary@gmail.com.

TVCG hope to meet this summer to grow more produce and connect with residents.

Tag: #ResidentLed