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nhs health check
Turning to tech to improve residents’ health

Residents can now find it easier to book a free NHS health check after a pilot scheme in Barking and Dagenham has been expanded across the borough.

Health-tech company, Appt Health, has teamed up with Barking and Dagenham Council to develop software that matches available GP appointments at 16 surgeries with patients, sending automated text messages that to people to choose a suitable time and date.

28 January 2020
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Cosmetics
Dagenham cosmetics company fined for incorrectly labelling ingredients on products

The owners of Crystal Cosmetics (Dagenham) Ltd are feeling money pressures this week after being ordered to pay more than £25,300 for having on sale thousands of products with incorrect labels. 
 
The Dagenham company, based on the Heathway, has been caught selling cosmetic products without labels showing the name and address of the person responsible for safety or listing correct ingredients terms. There are also two further offences concerning restricted and prohibited substances within cosmetic products they had on sale.
 

27 January 2020
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William Bellamy students with their National Lottery cheque
Goal! William Bellamy Primary School scores huge funding from the National Lottery

William Bellamy Primary School has been awarded £10,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund. 

The Dagenham school  will use the money to redevelop its playground, which will include permanent court markings, skills areas and a large dart board.

Parents will also be able to watch their kids take part in sporting events from the newly installed seats around the new playground.  

In making the decision, directors of the Community Fund were impressed by the school’s provision of low cost football training on Sundays for kids who don’t play for a team.

24 January 2020
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Crossing patrol officer return to Dagenham school
Dagenham schools bring back school crossing patrols to the borough

Two schools in Barking and Dagenham have taken it upon themselves to fund the return of school crossing patrols to protect pupils.

Furze Infants School and Warren Junior School, have paid for two lollipop ladies after parents asked for the service to be reinstated.

Working with Barking and Dagenham Council ‘s legal team, the schools managed to self-fund the return of the service this month at two locations – one outside Warren Junior School and one at the junction of High Road Chadwell Heath and Whalebone Lane North. 

24 January 2020
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Extension
Barking man fined for erecting an illegal extension

A Barking resident has been fined £15,000 for building an illegal extension to his property without getting the required planning permission.

Laurence Albert Hill of 20 King Edward Road, Barking, initially put in a planning application to erect a first floor rear extension to his property in 2005. Following a rejection from the council, Hill appealed the decision to the Planning Inspectorate, who dismissed it. 

16 January 2020
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Ripple Primary creative work
Mini Monets! Ripple Primary students scoop Gold Artsmark Award

Ripple Primary School recently became the eighth school in the borough to be awarded the coveted Gold Artsmark Award.

The Award, which is given out by Arts Council England, recognises excellence in creative learning and rewards schools, like Ripple Primary, who use art to make students more confident.

With this, its fourteenth award, Barking and Dagenham continues to lead with the highest number of schools on their Artsmark journey in the capital.

14 January 2020
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Green Garden Waste 2020
Council urges residents to go green in 2020

Residents in the borough are being urged to go green and help the environment in 2020 by signing-up to Barking and Dagenham Council’s Green Garden Waste scheme.

The fortnightly service, which costs £40 per year, offers subscribers an environmentally friendly way to dispose of garden waste such as flowers and grass cuttings, weeds, leaves, and hedge trimmings.

The scheme launched in 2017 and last year around 7,500 residents signed-up.

14 January 2020
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classroom
Don’t miss out on the deadline for 2020 primary school admissions

Is your child due to start primary school in September 2020? Then please remember the deadline for applications is next Wednesday, 15 January.

Although parents won’t find out the results until mid-April, it is vitally important that they apply by the deadline.

Late applications could mean parents are less likely to secure a place for their child at their preferred school.

13 January 2020
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Grafton Primary School donations
School raises money to bring Christmas cheer to the homeless

Grafton Primary School got into the festive spirit before Christmas and raised over £600 for Romford Soup Kitchen.

 Teachers from the Dagenham school asked parents to donate to the Romford charity instead of sending in gifts with the children for staff members. 

The initiative set out to teach the pupils about the true meaning of Christmas and with the money raised, the school was able to purchase a range of items for homeless people living locally including sleeping bags, mats, pillows, toiletries, first aid items, clothing and more. 

8 January 2020
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Fine
Wallet’s burning for heating company

A local business has been fined for failing to the let the council know how much waste they have received or disposed of over the last two years.

Becontree Heating & Plumbing Merchants Ltd, 427 Becontree Avenue was served with a Section 34 Environmental Protection Act 1990 notice by Barking and Dagenham Council enforcement officers requiring them to provide them with waste transfer notes for the period of 14 September 2016 to 14 September 2018.

7 January 2020