DABD would like to extend a massive thank-you to the Paulo Da Silva and his partner Maria, as well as the motorcycle club Motards Lusitanos. Who this week gave our Ley's Kid's Patch Club a massive donation of food, toys and activities for the children to use!

Donations like this go a long way to helping our Kid's Patch clubs run. For more information on Kid's Patch Club, click here.

Barking and Dagenham Lottery recently came in to talk with us about how they help us to provide specialist equipment for our Kid's Patch Clubs.

The Ofsted registered clubs provide children with additional needs with a place to have fun and grow in confidence.

If you would like to support DABD and be in for a chance to win £25,000 for just £1 a week per ticket, check out this site: https://www.lotterybd.co.uk/support/dabd

Click here to see other ways that you can support our Kid's Patch Clubs!

We’ve teamed up with the Barking & Dagenham Lottery to help raise money to support our work.

For just £1 a ticket you are in with a chance of winning up to £25,000 in the weekly Lottery draw. The more tickets you buy, the better chance you have of winning!  

50% of the money raised from every DABD supporter ticket sold goes towards supporting our charity with another 10% going towards other good causes in the local area.

Draws take place every Saturday.

It’s easy to play, just click here https://www.lotterybd.co.uk/support/dabd

Our Golden Years members braved the cold weather last week to enjoy their Christmas party celebrations.

Five Christmas parties were held in venues in Barking & Dagenham for residents aged 60 + who attend the Golden Years clubs.

Members enjoyed entertainment, music and refreshments and raffles were held with prizes donated from local businesses and organisations including Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club, Golden Fish Restaurant, Ma Baker’s, Heathway Butchers and Bella Bronze.

Pat Gillman, Golden Years Manager, said of the parties ‘Our members all had a fantastic time at the parties and we were so grateful to local businesses for supporting the clubs with their kind donations towards the raffle prizes.’

The Golden Years programme was put together by DABD, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund, to tackle loneliness and isolation in the older age group in the local area.

It's party time and everyone's here,

Full of fun and Christmas cheer, 

The food is served, a great array,

Everyone's up to take it away,

All are eating so a chance for quiet,

No-one seems worried about their diet!

Our thanks to all and small gifts are presented,

No-one forgotten, all are represented,

 Time for the raffle with prizes galore,

This group has done well , we expect no more,

 And so we bid our fond farewells and make it clear,

We'll return again in the brand New Year.

- A Christmas Poem By Mavis, a member of our Golden years groups.

Last week we were extremely delighted to receive a donation of £1,000 from Enterprise Vehicle Rentals.

The donation was courtesy of Enterprise’s Foundation Trust which was set up to provide donations and grants to non-profit groups and causes which are supported by Enterprise. We have worked alongside Enterprise Vehicle Rentals for a number of years now leasing accessible minibuses from them. 

Ashley Breeze, Business Rental Sales Executive for the Accessible Vehicle Division of Enterprise presented the cheque to Brian Hunter, Mobility Services Lead. 

DABD are teaming up with the National Theatre and Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch to provide drama workshops for local young people aged 16 – 24 as part of a new project called Public Acts.

The National Theatre will be delivering 11 workshops in Dagenham to help young people express themselves and build their confidence. The workshops will take place on Mondays 3.30pm – 5.30pm from 15^th January 2018.

In Summer 2018 following on from the workshops there will also be a production of Shakespeare’s Pericles on the Olivier stage at the National Theatre which will feature professional actors and non-professional performers taken from all of the organisations involved in Public Acts. All young people involved in our project will have the chance to audition for this exciting opportunity!

The young people will also have the chance to become a Young Ambassador for DABD, representing their communities and helping influence and inspire the way we work by attending events and consultation groups. They will be able to talk about experiences, challenges, opportunities and share stories.

Public Acts is based on an extremely successful project which has been running in New York for a number of years.

You can watch more about the New York production of Twelfth Night here:

For more background on the work the National Theatre are doing with young people, please visit the following link:

3^rd December marks the annual International Day of Disabled People, supported by the United Nations. This is an important day when people come together to celebrate people with disabilities and the organisations which champion them.

 This year we’ll be celebrating in Barking & Dagenham with a family-friendly event taking place at Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club on Thursday 30^th November.

 The event will run from 1pm -8pm and will include info stalls, speakers and sports with an evening of entertainment and a disco.

There are also events taking place in neighbouring Boroughs to celebrate IDDP. If you know of any other events that are taking place, please let us know and we can post them here.

Saturday 2 December 1pm: Paracarnival parade through Stratford Centre to celebrate International Day of Disabled People. Paracarnival bring their unique blend of dance, music and signed song to central Stratford, where you can also pick up bargains from the shops and stalls.

Sunday 3 December, 4pm & 7pm: The Jingle Book pantomime by Blue Sky Actors at Stratford Circus. Sit down and enjoy this non-traditional traditional annual pantomime, taking place on International Day of Disabled People. This event is organised by Stratford Circus and a small charge is made for tickets. For more information see: https://stratford-circus.com/event/the-jingle-book

We’re pleased to announce that DABD have been accepted as one of the charities that can be supported through the new Barking and Dagenham Lottery. The Lottery is a weekly online lottery created to support local causes.

Tickets are only £1 per week with 60% going to local good causes and prizes up to £25,000!

The first draw takes places on Saturday 21st October at 8pm and anyone can buy a ticket online to enter. Please visit the website https://www.lotterybd.co.uk/support/dabd

Born 1950 in Dagenham of Northern descent.  Her maternal grandfather came to London with the Jarrow marchers in 1933.  Gained employment in Fords Foundry and brought his family out of the workhouse in Newcastle, to a newly built house in Five Elms, Dagenham.  Her paternal grandfather was a coalman with his own pony and trap.  Her parents were in the RAF, returning to Dagenham after WW2.

Lesley was educated in Dagenham primary schools and Barking senior school after passing the 11+.  From 13years, (1963) she volunteered during school holidays at an Old Peoples’ Welfare Association club in Chadwell Heath and delivered meals on wheels.  Volunteering in Barking & Dagenham increased to include work at Burnside Adult Training Centre as she started her first job in LB Redbridge Health & Welfare department in 1966.  During this time, Lesley undertook a Diploma of Municipal Administration (DMA) at East Ham Technical College.  In 1969 she started work in London as an Employment Advisor.  

In 1970 Lesley married David (from Chadwell Heath) and raised 2 daughters, Jo and Georgie (and now has 4 grandsons). She continued volunteering in school classrooms, became Secretary/Chair of Parent Association, Parent Representative on the Board of Governors. In 1985 she took a job in book-keeping/ accounts.

In 1987 Lesley returned to work in LB Havering as an Arts Officer. 

In 1990 Lesley was appointed Coordinator for Barking & Dagenham Disablement Association developing services that empowered disabled people to have choice, independence, easy access and influence.  DABD nurtured its small core membership and created an organisation that enabled the local community to influence local and national services and opinion. DABD service provision was identified, created and developed in this way.

As the Community Care Act was introduced, partnerships were formed, services identified and developed based on views of local individuals.  This brought forward local people wanting to volunteer and a number of charitable organisations were created.  

Of prime importance was that the local community were able to influence and guide the continued development of local services.  

Apart from working for DABD, Lesley was involved in the creation of charitable groups, development of Home from Hospital programmes, Community Nail Cutting Services, Community Care Forum, Youth Services for disabled people, clubs for visually impaired & hearing impaired people, Wheelchair Loans brokerage, Benefits Advice, Transport, Travel Training schemes, Employment Training, Employment Brokerage and much more.  Lesley was involved in the development of DDA and appeared for the Community at the Public Accounts Committee in the House of Commons.  

Lesley was Chair of the Welfare Rights Forum, the Employment Training Brokerage, was a non executive director of the Health Authority, Mental Health Tribunals Board (Lay Member), was on various local Charity Boards and a Magistrate for 5+ years whilst undertaking post graduate qualification at University of East London and a Member of the Chartered Management Institute. 

Lesley has been involved in or instigated many of the “firsts” in LBBD ie European Social Funding, Business Enterprise LEGI fund, Lottery Board funding, Travel Training programmes, Big Society.  

Lesley continues to volunteer with London University Institute of Advanced Studies and English Heritage on a social demographic history of Barking & Dagenham and of the Disability movement in the area.

Lesley’s hobbies include art, art history, rock choir, musical theatre and opera. 

Lesley was raised with a strong work ethic and given every opportunity to aspire to and achieve her goals.  She has an enduring belief that everybody should have this same opportunity to personally develop and achieve their goal.  This is integral in her contributions to the community as she wants everybody to have the same chances she had. 

The clouds cleared on Sunday 17th September to ensure a good turnout for the 2017 Youth Parade in Dagenham. 

With 100's of children walking the Parade, there was an air of celebration as they arrived at Abbey Green Park to receive medals from the Mayor and town officials. 

We promoted our Kids Patch Club as the Mayors Charity of Choice for 2017/18.

At our stand, children were drawn to the brightly coloured Tees on display reflecting artwork carried out by 9 of KPC's youngsters - all of whom have disabilities and enjoy the freedom of expression art gives them. 

The Mayor showed his support for the efforts and thanked us for participating in the event.

Our Education, Skills & Employment Team have amazed us this week with the opening of the new Havering branch. Located at 197 South St, Romford. 

We're all excited to see the team flourish here, already they are off to a great start, with upcoming visits from many organisations to help people into work or education, offering a range of training courses , apprenticeships and job opportunities. As well as a drop in CV writing service. 

We wish them the best of luck!