A Night of Hope and Aspiration in Barking & Dagenham

An exciting partnership event, a £1.8million investment, and a new £50k commissioning opportunity to shape Barking & Dagenham’s future creative hub with young people!

On 21st October, more than 50 youth organisations, community groups, partners and young changemakers came together for an evening full of energy, ideas and ambition. The occasion? The reveal of early plans for an ambitious, new creative hub dedicated to young people aged 16 – 30 in Barking and Dagenham.

The creative hub doesn’t exist yet… and that’s the point. Young people will help us imagine it, shape it and lead it.

The event was also a chance to learn more about the new partnership between BD Giving, The Blagrave Trust and the Good Ancestor Movement – a collaboration that will bring fresh investment, new opportunities and more youth leadership in the borough.

BD Giving is committing £800,000 from its endowment, which was established in 2020 using Neighbourhood Infrastructure Levy funds transferred by London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council. The Blagrave Trust has committed £1 million towards the hub and Good Ancestor Movement has pledged to raise up to £1 million through its community of wealth holders. The partners will also fund staffing, community engagement and building operating costs.

Highlights of the evening

• A moving spoken-word performance on hope and aspiration in our borough, by Spoken With Vision
• An energetic live music set from One Room Live
• Interactive icebreakers and games hosted by Kunle’s Games Night
• Refreshments from Company Drinks CIC, a much-loved local social enterprise
• Collaborative discussions imagining the future of youth-led spaces in our community

Thank you to everyone who came, shared ideas and contributed to a truly memorable night. The excitement in the room told us one thing clearly: Barking & Dagenham’s young people are ready to dream big.

Commissioning opportunity

We’re commissioning 4-6 local groups to run creative engagement activities with young people aged 16-30, helping to shape what a new community-owned creative hub in the borough might look like.

We want young people, and the organisations they know and trust, to explore the idea, challenge our assumptions and dream big. What could a creative hub be? Where should it be? What should it offer? And how should young people lead it?

The commissioning opportunity: Dream Big!

Apply for £8,350–£12,500 per partner · Deadline: 7 January 2027

Who we’re looking for

Local groups and organisations rooted in Barking & Dagenham that:

• have trusted relationships with young people;
• understand youth leadership – not just consultation; and
• can create safe, inclusive spaces where young people can participate and lead

What you’d deliver

• Creative activity with young people aged 16-30;
• a record of what you learnt along the way;
• something created directly by young people; and
• a shared learning session with all partners in July 2027

How to apply

Send us a short proposal — written, video or audio — by 7 January 2027, telling us:

• who you are;
• your idea;
• what you’d share at the end;
• how you’d keep participation safe and meaningful; and
• a simple budget.

Questions?

Contact Bhav at bhav@bdgiving.org.uk – we’d love to hear from you.