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This news article was published in 2020 so refers to an old event.

For her work with hard to reach communities and support for grassroot organisations, Barking and Dagenham Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Community Leadership and Engagement, Cllr Saima Ashraf, was last night (Thursday 26 November), awarded the coveted Community Champion Award at the LGIU and CCLA annual Cllr Awards 2020.

 

Cllr Ashraf was chosen because of ‘her ability to work with different and hard to reach sectors which is needed now more than ever. Judges were impressed by the sustainability, breadth and longevity of her community work’.

Residents and visitors to Barking and Dagenham are being reminded to take part in a short consultation on how the council can improve air quality in the east London borough.

Earlier this year, (Monday 5 October), Barking and Dagenham Council launched its draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), which outlines the actions it will take to improve air quality for its residents and people visiting the borough over the next five years.

Residents of Barking and Dagenham are being encouraged to consider a career in local government by taking advantage of the opportunity to apply for a place on the National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP).

The NGDP is a fast-track two-year programme for local graduates to work across different council services to influence, shape and improve council services for residents.

Newly qualified graduates who are borough residents and looking for new opportunities in local government are welcome to apply.

A tip off from local residents has resulted in council enforcement officers and the police closing down a Dagenham brothel.

The property, on Reede Road, Dagenham was confirmed as an unlicensed House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) which had been sublet by the owners, was visited by housing enforcement officers and the police on Thursday 12 November.

Barking and Dagenham Council joined up with organisations from around the world to draw attention to the continued violence endured by members of the transgender community, and to remember those that have sadly passed away.

Every year on 20 November, the lives of trans and gender-diverse people murdered are remembered. In total, 350 transgender people were killed this year (2020), a figure that has risen compared to last year’s total of 331.

The council’s cemeteries have been awarded a Gold Award for the second year running, indicating that our cemetery services are ranked among the highest in the country.

This year’s Gold Award confirms our strong commitment to the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), which develops and improves bereavement services and sets the standards of service for the industry, as well as the Charter for the Bereaved.

Barking and Dagenham Council last night revealed that it will be extending its offer of free parking for NHS staff and key workers until the end of January 2021.

The extension of the offer was made at the council’s Cabinet meeting, will see NHS workers and key workers, such as some frontline council staff, carers, volunteers, teachers and police will be able to park in the borough’s car parks and in Residents and Paid Parking Bays in the controlled parking zones for free.

Blue Badge fraudsters and persistent parking ticket evaders have seen their vehicles being taken away by a very happy tow truck.

In the last month, Barking and Dagenham Council’s Parking Service has ramped up its on enforcement on people falsely using Blue Badges, and drivers who think it is okay not to pay parking tickets, especially where the offending vehicles are either unregistered or foreign vehicles.

Barking and Dagenham Council wishes a very happy Diwali to its residents who are celebrating this weekend.

The council knows this is a special time of year, usually a time for coming together with family and loved ones. 

But as new lockdown restrictions came into place last week, the council wants to remind residents that it’s vital that they celebrate at home and only with those from within their household or support bubble.