News

What’s happened since October? Since the Feast for Our Future event in October 2025 at Jo Richardson school, the Disruptive Explorers (DE) project has moved into a more focused and collaborative phase, bringing together residents who expressed interest in continuing their involvement with this work. From January to April 2026,

A local entrepreneur’s story Company Drinks is a CIC based in Barking. With support from BD Giving’s GROW Fund they’ve strengthened their trading model and are laying the foundations for long-term sustainability through social investment. Alongside producing drinks from locally foraged produce, the CIC also supports around ten local groups

Christina Lartey, Founder of Think Pieces Think Pieces, founded by Christina Lartey, helps primary school children develop financial confidence through interactive workshops, games and digital learning tools. With BD Giving’s GROW Fund, Christina has been able to accelerate the development of her business, expand her network and bring a new

Entrepreneurs: GROW Confidence, Community, Possibility The third round of our one-of-a-kind fund for entrepreneurs is now open for applications. GROW launched with a party that brought together around 150 people from across the borough and beyond!  Guests heard inspiring stories from entrepreneurs from previous rounds of GROW, and learned what’s

Where Entrepreneurs GROW Confidence, Community, Possibilities   GROW 2026 will launch on Wednesday 4 March 2026. If you’re a purpose-led entrepreneur, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to develop your venture. GROW offers a £10,000 grant and access to expert support that will equip you with the skills and

A Year of Spaces & Places   Over the past year, Spaces + Places has been working with residents (Neighbourhood Stewards)  across Barking and Dagenham to shape how £1 million could be invested in local spaces and places. Alongside the development of project ideas and business cases, the programme has

This event is perfect for you if you care about how decisions are made – and who gets a say, you’re frustrated by how money is spent in your area, you’re ready to explore new ideas and help change things for the better.