residents

Join us to celebrate GROW

Throughout August, we partnered with Creative Barking and Dagenham to provide creative workshops and activities for residents in Thames View and Barking Riverside. GROW transformed local spaces and allowed residents to connect, learn a new skill and just relax with family and friends!

Taking place Saturdays – Tuesdays across the Sue Bramley Centre, Rivergate Centre and our very own Barking Food Forest; the activities have ranged from weaving, sewing, textiles and craft, gardening, poetry and drawing. Residents have also enjoyed live music and catering from local producers!

Following our final workshops will be a GROW celebration event on Saturday 3 September at Barking Food Forest.

JOIN US: 12pm to 4pm

Barking Food Forest, Fielders Crescent, Barking, IG11 0FU

The Healthy Thames Project: Shaping Health Services

Thames Ward is going through immense change right now as you may have noticed around you. The way health services run is also changing in a way you can’t see yet, but you can be a part of shaping it.

The Healthy Thames Project is one way you can be involved, through a collaboration between:

Thames Ward Community Project
Barking Riverside Limited
The council – LBBD
CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group – part of the NHS)

There are plans for a new Wellbeing Hub to be built in Riverside. It will form part of the New Integrated Health Service. But what does that mean? Instead of calling a GP receptionist, and waiting ages to get an appointment, you can speak to a link worker who can make direct referrals to various departments which may be able to help you with all sorts of treatment and support. At the Hub there will be so much more choice in the care you receive. You could even be the person running health and wellbeing activities!

We want local people to:

Be part of decision making on health services
Be able to run health and wellbeing activities

So, how can you get involved and what can you do now before the Hub is built?

Join the Healthy Thames Working Group

The Healthy Thames Working Group is a forum. A chance to speak on the topics that affect health services in your area. We want local people to be in a position to attend health board meetings and be part of decision making. This might mean that we need to create training, shadowing and mentoring opportunities and new local networks. This will help people feel more comfortable and knowledgeable to have a say at meetings where decisions are made around health services in the area.

You can be a part of the Healthy Thames Working Group!

We meet 4 times a year in person at the Sue Bramley Centre. We take part in workshops, hear from local people and health workers and get to know each other over food from local caterers. If you want to join the next Healthy Thames Event, or join the Working Group, send an email to Rahela@twcp.org.uk.

TWCP 3 Year Continuation Funding Granted!

Thames Ward Community Project has been successful in applying for 3-year continuation funding from the Lottery Reaching Communities fund! This critical investment will support us to continue, consolidate and secure our project in the long term.

Our long-term vision is a Charitable Development Trust (CDT) that is financially secure; dependent upon a diverse variety of revenue streams, and sustainable. We envisage establishing a community hub that will provide a place for residents in Thames Ward to socialise, engage with local projects and access services. We also hope to have a lead role in place shaping and developing social businesses with Barking Riverside Limited, an opportunity that will develop local skills and connections.

How we hope to make a difference?

Our approach is transformational because it puts power into the hands of the people. Its about creating a CDT that is functional but most importantly resident-led. This resident-led activity functions through thematic action groups, which has led to new initiatives, emerging social businesses, and increased levels of collaboration. We want to continue to nurture these ‘wins’ to establish sustainability.

Why is it necessary?

Thames Ward is especially vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 that has given way to a national health and economic crisis. There is a great need to build resilience and wellbeing. Also, the area is the site for one of the biggest developments in London and the country. With changes happening at a rapid pace, this is a critical time for residents, bringing significant opportunities to shape and engage in the future development of their area.

One of the main challenges in Thames Ward and Barking Riverside is that there is little social infrastructure and a lack of space for community activity. TWCP plays a critical role in providing a connectedness, access to resources, and influence to help the community engage with key stakeholders on their own terms.

TWCP has already shown, opportunities can be taken, new initiatives can take hold and communities can have a real voice, influence and participate in key decisions.

How Thames Ward residents feel?

The residents we work with are very positive about the project, highlighting our unique way of giving ownership back to the people.

Residents are now actively discussing how they can lead the future growth of the area, including via our 4 Growth Summits, work on a Resident Charter and internally via training accessed from Locality, ELBA, London Sport, Model City and many others.

We are excited to continue to reach more of the residents in Thames Ward, who in turn will empower sustainable change in the community!

Social Enterprise Workshop – Thursday 18th February 2021, 5pm – 7pm via Zoom

Join an exciting online workshop on Thursday 18th February from 5pm – 7pm, bringing residents together to discuss the opportunities for local people to develop their ideas for social business, understand some of the ideas and approaches behind social business or social enterprise development, and how to access further support.

Click the link below to register and get involved: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/social-enterprise-workshop-tickets-140134563251

Tag: residents