With most people having a few days off over the coming weeks, we’ve taken a look at some of the best activities Barking and Dagenham have to offer this Christmas.
Christmas comes but once a year and after what has been a pretty difficult 12 months for many, people are ready to make the most of it with some days out between now and the New Year.
But with so many seasonal events taking place in Barking and Dagenham in December, where should you go? Here are a few of our suggestions:
Barking Mad About Christmas!
Santa will be making a special visit to Barking on Saturday 2 December to celebrate Barking Mad About Christmas, a festive event taking place in Barking Town Square and Barking Learning Centre from 11am to 5pm.
With Christmas carols, crafts and workshops, wreath making, live music and lots more entertainment besides, this is an event the whole family will enjoy!
It’s free to see Santa but arrive early to avoid disappointment!
Mayor’s Caribbean Christmas Fundraiser.
Christmas is a time for giving so why not embrace the spirit of the season and join the Mayor of Barking and Dagenham, Councillor Donna Lumsden, at her Christmas fundraising event, A Caribbean Christmas!
Taking place on Friday 8 December from 7.30pm to 11pm at Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club in Dagenham, tickets are £45 and include a welcome drink, main course, dessert and entertainment.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to Carers of Barking and Dagenham to enable them to continue providing their essential services to those who need them most.
To book tickets, please contact mayor@lbbd.gov.uk for a booking form.
Valence House Christmas Market.
If you usually leave present shopping until the last possible minute, the Valance House Christmas Market is here to help you change your ways!
Taking place at the Valence House museum in Dagenham on Saturday 9 December from 11am to 5pm, the market is free to attend and will be filled to the brim with local community stallholders selling presents for all the family.
There’ll also be plenty of festive food and drink, a Christmas Farm where visitors can meet a wide range of animals, a reindeer hunt and lots more to keep both young and old entertained.
Staying in control of your finances this Christmas.
However you decide to spend the festive period, we can help make it more affordable with one of our Christmas Loans. For more information and to see how much you could borrow, click here.
One of the world’s busiest shopping days is nearly upon us again but how can you make the most of it?
Taking place on the first Friday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday is an historically American event that used to mark the beginning of the Christmas shopping season and give high street retailers the opportunity to get their finances ‘out of the red and into the black’.
These days, however, Black Friday takes place in countries all over the world, both in stores and online, and is one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year among bargain hunters and shopaholics alike, with everything from clothes to homeware to brand new tech all available for less.
And, in fact, it no longer takes place for just 24 hours, with many retailers offering deals over the entire week leading up to Black Friday itself (which, this year, takes place on Friday, November 24th) and often for another week afterwards, in celebration of Cyber Monday, Black Friday’s formerly online-only equivalent.
What this all means is that the 2-weeks surrounding Black Friday represent a fantastic opportunity to save money on items you’ll be buying for your nearest and dearest for Christmas or for yourself as a treat.
Despite reports suggesting that UK consumers are expected to spend approximately 25% less on Black Friday than they did in 2022, 51% of Brits are still planning to hit the sales this year. So what are the best ways to beat the crowds and make sure you pick up some bargains? Here are our top-tips.
1. Do your research
Whatever you’re in the market for, do some investigating to find out the good from the bad before the sales begin. You’re better off paying slightly more for a good quality product than slightly less for something that will need replacing in six months.
The same goes for brands too – familiarise yourself with the best and worst reviewed brands early and you’ll be able to tell the bargains from the ‘best avoided’ once the sales begin.
2. Make a list
Both online and in shops, Black Friday is almost always busy, so make a shopping list of the things you want, as well as what everyone wants for Christmas, and keep it with you at all times. With multiple discounts and offers vying for your attention, having a list handy will keep you focussed.
3. Know your price history
Similar to point #1 and especially important if you’re in the market for a specific item, knowing its pre-sale RRP will help you work out whether any sale prices represent good value for money or not. Checking to see if the product you’re after has been on sale recently and, if so, how much for is also worth considering.
4. Make a list of retailers that sell the item you want
With the days around Black Friday being so busy, it’s not unusual for websites to crash due to heavy traffic or shops to sell out of certain products. If this happens while you’re trying to buy something, knowing which other stockists sell the item you want will give you a headstart on other shoppers and increase your chances of still landing that bargain.
5. Set up online accounts now!
By entering your billing and delivery details in advance, you’ll be able to complete any transactions and check out quickly and easily before the best sale items start disappearing online, giving you the upper hand if multiple shoppers are after the same items as you.
6. Look at the price, not the saving
Some items spend more time on sale than they do at full price, so treat discounts with suspicion and never pay more than you’re willing to for something just because it offers a supposed ‘saving’.
For example, if you have £50 set aside for an electrical item, don’t be tempted to spend £75 on it just because it’s reduced from £150 – there’s a fair chance it won’t actually have been on sale at full price since it first launched.
7. Charge your phone before hitting the shops
In the era of smartphones, you can shop in two places at once so make sure your phone has as close to 100% battery before you head to the high street so you can really shop around. Then, when you’re browsing the aisles in Currys, you can compare prices against online retailers to ensure you get the best possible price.
8. Sign up to newsletters
Most retailers have newsletters you can subscribe to for free and doing so in advance of Black Friday can be a shrewd idea as they might well offer you early access to deals or additional discounts on certain items.
9. Monitor social media
As well as signing up for their newsletters, it’s a good idea to also follow your favourite retailers and brands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as these are often the first places their offers are advertised.
Happy shopping!
It can be easy to overspend when big sales roll around and there are none bigger than Black Friday but so long as you stick to a budget you can afford, the coming weeks should offer plenty of opportunities to save money on items you’ll be buying in time for Christmas.
If you need help paying for items in the run-up to Christmas, we offer small loans of £250 to our members and joining our credit union couldn’t be simpler – for more information, click here.
Every year in the UK, there’s a special week called Talk Money Week. It’s all about making it easy for people to talk about money. Talking about money can be hard, but during this week, everyone is encouraged to have open conversations about their finances.
Talk Money Week happens in November, and lots of different groups and schools join in. They organize events and workshops to help people learn about things like saving, budgeting, and understanding credit (which is like how you borrow money).
The goal of Talk Money Week is to make talking about money normal and not something to be shy about. Many people feel awkward discussing money, but it’s important because it helps us make good choices. By talking openly, we can learn how to save money, plan for the future, and deal with debts.
When we talk about money, we can make better decisions, and that’s what Talk Money Week is all about. It helps everyone, from families to individuals, be smarter about their finances and be ready for whatever comes their way.
To find out what’s happening in Leeds during Talk Money Week and other local organisations that can help you with your finances, visit…
Better Leeds Communities: a charity that aims to improve employability, support families and reduce child poverty in Leeds. https://betterleeds.org.uk/
Citizens Advice Leeds: https://citizensadviceleeds.org.uk/
Money Buddies: provides face to face, online and telephone help and advice on financial wellbeing, debt, budgeting and benefits. https://moneybuddies.org.uk/
St Vincents Leeds: provide help to people who are struggling financially, without employment, education and community support in Leeds. https://svp.org.uk/stvincentsleeds
Every year in the UK, there’s a special week called Talk Money Week. It’s all about making it easy for people to talk about money. Talking about money can be hard, but during this week, everyone is encouraged to have open conversations about their finances.
Talk Money Week happens in November, and lots of different groups and schools join in. They organize events and workshops to help people learn about things like saving, budgeting, and understanding credit (which is like how you borrow money).
The goal of Talk Money Week is to make talking about money normal and not something to be shy about. Many people feel awkward discussing money, but it’s important because it helps us make good choices. By talking openly, we can learn how to save money, plan for the future, and deal with debts.
When we talk about money, we can make better decisions, and that’s what Talk Money Week is all about. It helps everyone, from families to individuals, be smarter about their finances and be ready for whatever comes their way.
To find out what’s happening in Wakefield during Talk Money Week and other local organisations that can help you with your finances, visit…
Wakefield Citizens Advice – Citizens Advice Wakefield District offers free, confidential, impartial advice to anyone who lives in the Wakefield Metropolitan District. https://wakefielddistrictcab.co.uk/
Money Smart – Money Smart is a free Council service to help you become smarter at managing your money and making the most of your income. https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/housing/saving-energy/money-smart/
Cashwise – Cash Wise support is available to all WDH tenants and also any family with children aged under 12 living in the Wakefield district.
Every year in the UK, there’s a special week called Talk Money Week. It’s all about making it easy for people to talk about money. Talking about money can be hard, but during this week, everyone is encouraged to have open conversations about their finances.
Talk Money Week happens in November, and lots of different groups and schools join in. They organize events and workshops to help people learn about things like saving, budgeting, and understanding credit (which is like how you borrow money).
The goal of Talk Money Week is to make talking about money normal and not something to be shy about. Many people feel awkward discussing money, but it’s important because it helps us make good choices. By talking openly, we can learn how to save money, plan for the future, and deal with debts.
When we talk about money, we can make better decisions, and that’s what Talk Money Week is all about. It helps everyone, from families to individuals, be smarter about their finances and be ready for whatever comes their way.
To find out what’s happening in Barking & Dagenham during Talk Money Week and other local organisations that can help you with your finances, visit…
BD Money: is the council’s website dedicated to making it easier for you to manage your money. https://bdmoney.co.uk/
BD Money will be holding a pop-up at Barking Station on Thursday 9 November from 0930 – 1500, together with Citizens Advice, Debt Free Advice and the Homes & Money hub, so come and have a chat with us about anything money related.
Energy Advice London: support Londoners through the cost of living crisis by providing free advice for households on how to save energy, access financial support and manage their energy and heating bills. https://energyadvice.london/