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Residents of Barking and Dagenham are being put on the alert and are being encouraged to be wary of scammers and fraudsters during the coronavirus outbreak.   

Unfortunately, in difficult times such as this, there are some people who try and exploit others and in the last week, the council has been made aware of a number of scams targeting the most vulnerable in the community.  

The voluntary sector community in Barking and Dagenham is set to benefit from an injection of £100,000 from the Lankelly Chase Foundation in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

The funding, known as the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund will be held by Barking and Dagenham Renew, a charity launched by the council, and will then be distributed by Barking and Dagenham Giving, the borough’s new platform for giving in the community.

 

Operators of fast food takeaways in Barking and Dagenham have been issued with updated guidance for customers and staff during the pandemic.

The advice on social distancing measures applies to everyone. Takeaway owners need to make sure they minimise opportunities for the virus to spread by maintaining a distance of two metres between individuals. This advice applies to both inside the food business and in external public areas where customers may need to queue.

Young people from the across the borough have been working hard& to keep the spirits of our incredible NHS staff high by thanking them in a number of creative ways.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham who are struggling to pay their bills or just want to make their money stretch that little more then they can join the council’s Community Food Clubs and be able to get shopping worth £20 a week for free during the coronavirus pandemic.

Membership of our community food club also gives residents access to a wide range of services, providing advice and support with finances, employment, housing and health.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham who are in need of short-term emergency assistance will be able to get help and support with food and utility bills. They can now apply to the council for assistance.

The council has started giving discretionary hardship support payments, known as Individual Assistance Payments (IAP) to residents to help with emergency living expenses including food, fuel (gas and electric for customers who pay via a key meter), travel expenses (only on Oyster cards), and household appliances and/or clothing in exceptional circumstances.

The recently elected Young Mayor, Jessica Soares Paim,  is supporting domestic violence charity Refuge during her term representing the young people of Barking and Dagenham.     

The members of the Youth Forum voted unanimously on who they would support and raise money for throughout the year, with several options available. The Young Mayor and her sub-group thought it right to support Refuge due to concerns that cases of domestic abuse could be on the rise because of the current lockdown situation.     

Barking and Dagenham Council has joined 18 other London councils to lend its voice to the Local Government Association’s (LGA) call to the government to pause its plans for academy conversions so that councils can concentrate on work to support vulnerable children and those of key workers.

In the letter signed by 19 senior London councillors to the Rt Hon Gavin Williamson, CBE, MP, Secretary of State for Education, they are asking that academy conversions be suspended to allow councils to focus on supporting schools and nurseries to stay open. 

Barking and Dagenham Council has paid tribute to a much-loved local GP who unfortunately died from Covid-19.

Dr Zishan Haider who was 80 years old and lived in Dagenham had worked as a GP in the borough for over 30 years and was a friend and mentor to other GPs across the borough.

Councillor Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health Integration said: “The late Dr Haider was committed to serving our community here in Barking and Dagenham and our thoughts and prayers go to his family at this difficult time.

Last week in the run up to Easter, the council’s Homes and Money Hub service received 152 phone calls from residents for help and advice with managing their finances during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the lockdown began in March, the service has supported 198 households with a number of issues. A total of 98 residents are being supported with Council Tax arrears, 78 with rent areas and have also issued 123 food bank vouchers to help people through the crisis.