EVERY ONE EVERY DAY
INTRODUCTION
The residents of Barking & Dagenham have proven to be incredibly resilient to change. In 1921, what was once a quiet farming area suddenly became home to the largest housing estate in the United Kingdom; Beacontree Estate, built to provide social stability for soldiers and the working class, designed with big wide roads, gardens and large open spaces to offer a new and improved quality of life to those who were relocated after World War I. Ford and other ancillary companies quickly dominated the labour spaces. Ford alone, employed 40,000 workers from Barking & Dagenham in the 1950’s, nearly 30% of the borough’s population. Over the last two decades the borough has transformed demographically. Combined with a growing population, the borough also faces a large number of socioeconomic challenges including low-incomes and levels of employment, poor education outcomes, high levels 12
of homelessness, teenage pregnancy and domestic violence. In 2001 89% of the population were White British, by 2011 that percentage had more than halved which has continued to drop to present day. The rapid changes make social cohesion a challenge. The overall population has seen a growth of 13% between 2001 – 2011 and has a predicted growth of 24% for the decade 2016 – 2026. Currently 10,000 new homes are being built in the southern ward of the borough. A new Ecology Centre is almost completed, some estates have been completely demolished and the local council are preparing for the arrival of three of London’s most historic food markets - Smithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields Market. All of which will bring about a new set of challenges, and a new set of opportunities.
