Bibiana Obahor is a black woman designer who is breaking barriers in the creative industry. In a profession largely dominated by white men, she is now leading a female-led studio, Desiree Design, and is collaborating with female founders all around the world. 

This Black History Month, the Barking Enterprise Centre is giving the spotlight to Bibiana through a Q&A format as we get access to her work and challenges as both a black woman entrepreneur and a creative designer. 

Tell us more about your business

I’m the founder and creative director of Desiree Design Studio—a full-service creative studio based in London specialising in visual identities, art direction, digital design, print design, editorial design and web design.

We are fully run by females and work with female founders and companies of all sizes to build covetable brands. Our approach is a synchronous exploration of data and aesthetic–creating meaningful designs that are proven and intentional.

We believe that originality begins where replication ends which is why we create with intention. Our mission is to embrace difference, look beyond trends and design for tomorrow.

What inspired you to start your own business?

I started my first business which was a makeup line when I was 16 years old. I had a small amount of knowledge of graphic design and media from school but no experience in branding or running a business. I didn’t even know you could hire brand designers and even if I did there was no way I would’ve been able to afford it so I did everything on my own (logo on my phone, website on big cartel, and business cards on photoshop). 

There was a huge gap between what I wanted for my brand and what my brand actually looked like. So I started teaching myself. I asked Google about a thousand questions and watching "How-to's" on Youtube literally became my new Netflix. I’ve always been a creative person, and my creativity paired with my passion to learn about branding led me to create Desiree Design Studio. 

How has your business changed or evolved since you first started it?

I started as a freelancer because ​​I thought that what I wanted was success. But what I really wanted was to build a community of business-minded women who strive for success and being able to help them with my knowledge of branding made me realise I needed to think big and along came my design studio.

3 years later we are a growing (80% WOC) female-led studio collaborating with female founders all around the World. 

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Black entrepreneurs today?

I do believe as a young black female (especially in the design industry which is largely dominated by white men), I have to work twice as hard just to achieve half of what other people are able to achieve. At the back of my mind, and other black creatives' minds, is the fear of being judged by our skin colour or not having access to certain opportunities, even if we are good at what we do. Or simply looking around at school, work or networking events and not seeing anyone that looks like us. 

Many 'creative industries' are traditionally male spheres. It’s worrying that even companies targeted at women or WOC are run by senior design and strategy positions filled by white men. I think it’s so important for young black women like myself to infiltrate these traditionally male spheres and provide a voice for our community to be heard in the creative industries. 

How do you balance running a business with other priorities in your life?

I’m in my final year of university, so juggling work, education and a social life can be challenging. However, I’ve found systems that work for me and created habits that have helped me find a balance. 

For example, if I can, I like to schedule all work-related meetings on a Monday that way I get meetings out of my hair for the rest of the week. 

I also schedule absolutely everything I do into my calendar (even things like running errands) this allows me to time block efficiently at the start of every week. By time blocking I get things done based on priority. 

Lastly, I make sure I separate work and personal life. During covid time this became one big blur and I found I’d get either get easily distracted while working or work too harder without breaks. Separating work and personal life lets me create that perfect balance. 

What advice would you give to people in the Black community who are thinking about starting their own business?

My biggest advice would be to put yourself out there. No matter what industry you want to start out in, research and find out as much as you can about the industry. Then make yourself seen. 

Network. Go to events. Message people on social media. Email brands, investors, press, whoever. Get your family and friends to share your business. Don't underestimate the power of networking and word-of-mouth. Don’t ever stop promoting yourself and putting yourself out there. 

People that acknowledge who you are and resonate with what your business stands for, will always be there to support you like a tribe. But they can’t do that unless they know who you are. So take the time to build your brand's awareness.

With her dedication to her craft and working with more women in the male-dominated creative industry, Bibiana is an inspiration to many young women of colour who are seeking to enter the creative industry. Her story proves that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. 

If you wish to work or get in touch with Desiree Design Studio, you may contact Bibiana through her website www.desireedesign.co.uk or email her at bibiana@desireedesign.co.uk

Anna Opute's journey to becoming a natural health store owner began with her childhood in Africa. Her grandparents always seemed to stay well and healthy, despite not having access to modern medicine. Anna realised that the key to their good health was the power of nature. 

When she moved to the UK, she was dismayed to see that many people here were unaware of the benefits of organic and natural health remedies. undeterred, she decided to open her own store, Naabi Organic Health.

Although organic products are often seen as affluent items, Anna is committed to making her store accessible to everyone.  Her store, Naabi Organic, carries a wide range of products, from herbal teas to essential oils, all of which can help improve your health and well-being.  She believes that everyone deserves to enjoy the benefits of natural health, regardless of their income level. 

This Black History Month, the Barking Enterprise Centre will give the spotlight to Anna through a Q&A format as we get access to her work and challenges as both a black woman entrepreneur and organic and wellness advocate. 

Tell us more about Naabi Organic Health

Naabi Organic Health provides natural health and well-being products in many aspects of health and offers advice on how to keep well and how to prevent some preventable conditions.

What inspired you to start your own business?

Natural health has always been a fascinating subject to me, growing up in Africa where I observed my grandparents treat most conditions naturally and observed how they stayed well and strong for a very very long time. I often think I should do something to help people to maintain health and well-being naturally. However, I took a career in pharmacy, which did not really meet what I was looking for.

It took some time to summon up the courage to embark on this part of opening up an organic health store. The industry is seen as one belonging to the rich powerful and giant organisations. So here we are now, 5 years into the business, with all its challenges. I feel happy to be doing this business at this point in my life, as a small black businesswoman in an industry that is considered as one belonging only to the rich and powerful.

How has your business changed or evolved since you first started it?

Yes, for one thing, the pandemic of the past few years has not made any business easy, however, many people are beginning to change the way they view life and take more note of their health and well-being. In fact, their general outlook on health and well-being is becoming much better

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Black entrepreneurs today?

I can say for me, which I think some Black entrepreneurs would agree with, as I have spoken to a few, are ourselves and our own Black community. Having my business in a community with a lot of Blacks, I find that we rather support the trade of nationalities than our fellow Blacks in a similar business. Not sure if they think that as a Black person you can not do things as good as others, but I believe that we can do not just as good, but even better in our chosen business. Another challenge is the lack of support in terms of gaining access to publicising our businesses. Access to business funds is another challenge.

How do you balance running a business with other priorities in your life? 

Family life is vitally important to me, hence I prioritise my family life and my worship. This means keeping my business hours as specified.

What advice would you give to people in the Black community who are thinking about starting their own business?

I would say that despite the challenges, it is worth doing something that you believe in. I would also say, to do a lot of research into whatever you want to do, before embarking on it. Be patient, and be ready to meet a lot of obstacles, but be assured that if you keep going and with the right support, you will get to where you want to be. After all, the most successful black entrepreneurs such as Oprah Winfrey, Johnson & Sheila and many others went through many challenges to get to where they are at present.

How can people reach your business? 

You can reach us at 32A Dagenham Heathway Shopping Mall RM10 8RE or at our website, www.naabihealth.com

For over 25 years, Delia Muhammad has been helping women embrace pregnancy
minus the fear. 

As a speaker, psychotherapist, life coach, and birth educator, Delia has advised, counselled, and supported women and mothers through their fears in pregnancy and relationships. She is the founder of Pregnancy Without Fear, a podcast that offers resources and support for pregnant women. 

As part of our Black Spotlight series in celebration of Black History Month, we at the Barking Enterprise Centre give the spotlight to Delia through a Q&A format as we get access to her work and challenges as both a black woman entrepreneur and as a birth educator. 

Tell us more about Pregnancy Without Fear.

Pregnancy Without Fear is an online podcasting website for pregnant ones- interviewing health professionals in the maternity field who share their knowledge and skills to enhance the confidence of pregnant women. 

What inspired you to start your own business?

My work started in 1995 and it has not stopped. With the internet, I am now able to connect with millions around the world.

How has your business changed or evolved since you first started it?

I started as a doula (birth partner), qualified as a midwife, international VBAC coach (Vaginal birth after caesarean) and podcast host. In some instances, I have been an online doula for labourers in other countries.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Black entrepreneurs today?

Connecting and communicating, as well as economics.

How do you balance running a business with other priorities in your life?

Set schedules and meetings for certain days and times

What advice would you give to people in the Black community who are thinking about starting their own business?

Find a MENTOR. Someone who is an expert (if possible). Someone who can see your vision and help it to grow.

We thank Delia for sharing her advocacy on birth education with the BEC this Black History Month. Truly, her methods have helped countless women to overcome their fears and embrace pregnancy with confidence. If you're looking for support during your pregnancy, or if you're struggling with fear or anxiety relating to it, reach out to Delia Muhammad through her website www.pregnancywithoutfear.com. You deserve to enjoy this special time in your life without fear holding you back.

Meet Marcia Dixon, one of the most well-known PR specialists within Britain's black church community.

A former journalist, and now a PR practitioner, she has worked with a number of churches, charities, gospel artists and organisations over the years such as Pentecostal Credit Union, Street Pastors, Wise Women Awards, Redeemed Christian Church of God, and New Testament Church of God, among others.

Marcia is passionate about using her skills and experience to help churches and Christian organisations to effectively communicate their message to the wider community. 

In addition to her work in faith-based PR, Marcia is also a regular commentator on religious affairs for a number of national and regional media outlets. What sets Marcia apart from other PR professionals is her passion for her work and her deep understanding of the nuances of faith-based communications.

As a result, she has built an impressive roster of clients who return to her time and time again for advice and guidance.

This Black History Month, the Barking Enterprise Centre will give the spotlight to Marcia through a Q&A format as we get access into her work and challenges as both a black woman entrepreneur and public relations practitioner.

Tell us more about your business

My business specialises in providing PR and promotional services for businesses, charities, gospel artists and churches that want to reach the Black Christian community - a large and vibrant sector of the black community at large. My clients has included The Metropolitan Police, The Wise Women Awards, the BBC, Big Life Films, Syco Music, Sony Music, Angie Le Mar, Pentecostal Credit Union and many more.

What inspired you to start your own PR firm?

I was formerly a journalist and recognised that faith groups did not understand how to fully utilise the media. I decided it would be a good thing to set up a business providing PR and media services.

How has your PR business changed or evolved since you first started it?

Joining social media has made a major change to my business. It's the place I get most of my clients and the arena I use to promote my clients activities. I have also expanded the range of services I offer including Masterclasses and aside from running campaigns for clients I have started writing out personalised PR strategies that people can undertake themselves.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Black entrepreneurs today?

The biggest challenges facing black entrepreneurs are the following:

1. Mindset. Black Entrepreneurs must believe they can build successful businesses despite the challenges.

2. The Information gap - Black Entrepreneurs, like all entrepreneurs, must take advantage of the information/free courses/workshops that are available to help expand their knowledge about what it takes to build a successful business and things that they can do to build a success.

3. The go it alone syndrome - Black entrepreneurs (some) are not always willing to buy in services that can play a major part in taking their business to the next level and instead try to do everything themselves even when they lack the knowledge, know-how or contacts.

How do you balance running a business with other priorities in your life?

I can sometimes spend too much time on my business. I've learnt to take time out to chill and relax and do things that I enjoy.

What advice would you give to people in the Black community who are thinking about starting their own business?

My advice would be to go for it. Take advantage of the free information and courses that are available to business start ups.

Marcia has been a pillar in the Black community and beyond for her work as an entrepreneur and public relations practitioner. In fact,  she has been hailed as Wise Women Inspirational Woman of the Year Award winner and Legacy Lifetime Achievement Award for Mobilising Faith Communities. In October 2020 Marcia was listed in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List and awarded an MBE for services to Inter Faith Relations.

This Black History Month, the Barking Enterprise Centre especially wishes Marcia all the best as she continues serving black faith groups through her God-given talents in public relations and media.

If you are looking for PR help for your faith group or organisation, reach out to Marcia on her website www.marciadixonpr.co.uk.

We got to do something quite marvellous on Easter weekend. We spent the day with our grown-up sons outdoors and well wrapped up when the sun went in, but it was lush just what the doctor ordered.

We caught up on all the things we have missed, and of course, the conversation shifted to memories of great nights out. We soon realised that every memory involves eating out in places we have loved; and as they both have their own hospitality businesses, we of course talked about them getting back to what they love most.

The apple does not fall from the tree in this case; I loved working in hospitality and was in senior position for a large hotel chain for many years, and then moved over to Operations Manager at Earls Court Exhibition Centre before it became a housing estate of course.

In the day job, I have been in many meetings over all the lockdowns about how we support businesses. Of course, it’s what the BEC does, and it’s great to work in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, Be First and other partners, to ensure that we are all on the same page and delivering as much support as possible.

The grant system has not been easy for businesses to negotiate, and after the first grant, the decision from Government to this being discretionary, has meant that every local authority has been able to tailor support to the businesses most affected. However, behind the system inside the council, this has been a logistical nightmare in terms of making the payments, as it is linked to the business rates system. So, all sorts of technical wizardry were needed to make this happen. Hats off to our friends in the Business Rates team who have absolutely worked their socks off to ensure payments went out timely and to genuine businesses in need.

So, what are we doing next? Well, Barking and Dagenham does not have a huge night-time economy, and retail has been dwindling for some years. And of course, this last year with multiple lockdowns, existing customers have moved to online delivery.  However, we have a working group called reimagining high streets; now in Barking and Dagenham, we do not have a traditional high street. We have two town centres and a lot of smaller parades of shops, ‘neighbourhood retail’ as I like to call it.

There are big plans for Barking and Dagenham, film studios, the three markets of London, a food market, a new shopping centre in Barking Town Centre with spaces for bars and restaurants all exciting stuff in the pipeline. But for now, we need to focus on our resident businesses who are still around, and now that they can re-open, they are going to need help, lots of help.

So, we have come together as partners to provide a retail, hospitality and leisure support programme which will give any business in Barking and Dagenham one-to-one business support and bespoke programme to revitalise their business. For some, this will be restarting what they did before. Some of them will need to rethink their business model completely in line with the change in customer expectations.

We are proud and delighted to be working on this scheme, and if you want to find out more then follow this link: https://beccic.co.uk/recoveryprogramme/

Finally, please don’t feel obliged, but if you want to listen to my son talk about his journey to owning his own restaurant business, then click here: https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/et0g76/

I cannot believe that I am writing this, but it's one year since the first lockdown and I cannot quite believe it. I am sure we will all be writing our one year on lockdown blogs, but I am in shock that we have had a whole year of this madness.

When I wandered round the BEC on that final day, checking doors and windows and then setting the alarm, I honestly thought that it would be for a couple of weeks. How naïve of me and the rest of the UK, I am sure. 

We have been in and out of the BEC three times in this year. We reopened on 22nd February, and hopefully that will be the last time we close. I know we did the right thing in January despite not being forced to; because we all felt we had a duty to our staff and wanted to support our borough to recover as it had the worst numbers of COVID-19 in London. The great news is, this has drastically improved and I would like to think that the closure of our large public buildings helped a little bit.

 One memory from the early COVID-19 days still makes me smile. We all started to get worried about this virus at the end of January and implemented a regime of hand sanitizer and constant hand washing. This led to the team all having very dry hands, so someone popped to Boots and bought some hand cream. Three days later, the team came to see me to ask if orange skin was a symptom of the virus. I looked at their palms and despite different ethnicities they all had orange palms like Oompah Loompahs from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I looked up the symptoms but could not see this on the list, as I wandered into the reception to update them all, spotting the offending hand cream on the desk, which yes you have guessed turned out to be self-tan…mystery solved!

Oh, it still makes me smile!!

So back to my reflections. In the last year, I have had far too many conversations about cancelled weddings, holidays, and the lack of contact with our nearest and dearest and several friends became grandparents in lockdown and still have not had much contact with their grandchildren other than via a video call. Where would we be without technology? It really has been a lifeline in these strange times, despite being on it all day the irony of then speaking to your family in the evening. It is starting to get a little wearing now and I am counting down the sleeps to Easter Sunday, so I can see my family outside of course!

It has been over a year since we held a face-to-face event at the BEC, and we are missing having visitors to our buildings, it was our 5th birthday a few weeks ago, but sadly all celebrations are postponed until further notice. However, we have continued to deliver all our programmes online which have been incredibly successful, and we are having the conversation that we may never go back to face to face delivery of some elements. Potentially the future is a blended offer with face-to-face delivery and online support. Online delivery has enabled us to widen our reach and our audience has grown significantly.

 One thing I know we will continue to do as a business community, is think very carefully about whether there is a need for a face-to-face meeting or whether it can be done online. It makes me shudder when I think of the number of wasted hours travelling back and forth across London for meetings. Like many, I am certainly enjoying flexible working, a mixture of the office and home working, which has improved my productivity and ability to concentrate. 

 If you are thinking about returning to a base, then check out our office time share offer which might the solution you can find it here at https://beccic.co.uk/our-spaces/

 We have the road map which so far appears to be working. Let us hope it continues and we can all finally close the door on this year and start getting our lives in to a pattern that becomes our new normal…. Things have changed but life goes on! And if we can help, we will.

When I was 18, I went on my first ever girls’ holiday with friends to Torremolinos. Now to set the scene, this is in the early 1980’s, and Torremolinos like many Spanish holiday resorts, was awash with Timeshare representatives doing their best sales pitch. Now for younger readers, this whole concept might be new, but you bought one or two weeks in an apartment block that you could then trade your weeks, or resort by paying a supplement for peak times and seasons.

 For those of my age group, then I am sure the word "timeshare" conjures up images of brick like mobile phones, slick suits, bleached blonde hair and Kajagoogoo blaring from every bar. However, you tried to avoid them. They blocked your space trying to sell you their timeshare.

 Now on our second day, we got accosted by a good-looking lad who offered us free sangria to sit through his time share presentation. Well, we were going for drinks anyway, so why not! To cut a very long story short, for the rest of the week, this became our afternoon pastime. A different rep and a different block, same outcome, free drinks! And when they asked if we wanted to buy, we would say we were 17!

So, at the BEC, you can imagine the teams surprise when I went in and said I think we should sell timeshare at the BEC! Luckily, they heard me out! We all know that the role of the office has changed in the pandemic. Businesses are increasingly seeing the benefits of remote working and this will influence the workspace market. A recent survey of staff working for a large corporate which asked do they wish to return to Canary Wharf, had 80% of staff saying no they would prefer to work remotely. However, that does not work for all businesses, and as an innovative workspace provider, we need to be able to meet the changing needs of clients. So, welcome to office timeshare!

 Office timeshare at the BEC will allow businesses to have the benefit of a private office, but on a flexible contract basis. In essence, you can buy from 1 – 3 days per week every month over a six-month period.

Let me explain. Company A uses the office Monday and Tuesday every week, and company B uses the office Wednesday to Friday every week. Now you may be thinking what about COVID-19 and infection? Well, the BEC has been dealing with that for a year, and our cleaning regimes are tried and tested, so no adverse risk.

You may be thinking what the benefits of office time sharing, why not continue to work from home…Timesharing allows businesses to have both a physical office environment and a flexible working policy without wasting money on office space that sits empty for periods of time. Timesharing can be a solution for businesses better suited to ‘real life’ client meetings or those who need to collaborate. Having designated ‘office days’ can re-introduce that much needed routine, but still supporting the new way we all work flexibly making it easier for people to transition to a return from having everyone at home all of the time. 

Maintaining an office presence demonstrates to employees that you still value team culture and a return to that much needed human bonding we have all missed so much. Office time can help kindle that feeling of belonging that may have missing from a fully remote team whilst still giving employees access to that flexibility remote working offers.

Ironically, I am writing this blog from home, but I do time share 3 days in the office, 2 days at home. I wanted some post-COVID-19 reality, and this is working for me and the rest of the leadership team. Now Alexa play ‘Too Shy’ by Kajagoogoo 😊

If you're interested in office time share, then you can find out more at https://beccic.co.uk/our-spaces/

So, it was the BEC’s 5th birthday on Sunday 27th February, like the rest of the world it was not the birthday we had planned, no grand celebrations or get togethers, but as my dear Pops (father-in-law) would have said in his broad Jamaican accent ‘soon come’.

The BEC being 5 has left me feeling quite nostalgic. I went into the BEC for a few weeks in April 2015 to help when the manager left alongside my day job! I started the modelling for a social enterprise soon after and nine months later we had it achieved. I am proud of how far we have come, how it has built and grown momentum. The BEC is part of the fabric of Barking and Dagenham and wider across London in supporting start ups and SMEs, and it is seen as a key resource for local people (and Londoners in general) who are looking for business support.

If at this point you are unsure of what the BEC does, well we pride ourselves on being more than a workspace provider. We deliver truly affordable workspace, as well as business mentoring, training, and general wraparound support. In the old days pre COVID-19, we offered lots of face-to-face, business-to-business networking events, and I am sure given the news lately, it will not be long before we can do that again.

So back to my nostalgia, I was thinking about our relationships we have with our partners, the local council, Be First, BD collective and Care City, to name but a few. When I say partners, I am not being polite, I truly mean partners. I think this has been one of the most significant shifts with working with public sector organisations. That our partners treat us as equal players and our contribution and expertise is valued and appreciated.

I was reflecting on our staff and how they have grown and developed and are committed to working in the BEC family, and over the last few years we have built up a network of consultants and mentors who still run their own business, but are passionate about the BEC and very much part of the BEC family.

Our local economy, like everywhere else, is really struggling with the impact of COVID-19, and our small businesses have suffered deeply. I am glad that the BEC has always had a ‘look local first’ policy and I am delighted that we spend 85% of our income in our local area. I am proud that we achieved our London Living Wage employer status late last year. It is an area that as responsible businesses, should be seeking to support. This means that our two young people from Kickstart will also be on London living wage which is just the best news.

It's not all glory, there are some things we are not great at and still learning but the most pressing thing is we are not good about shouting about our success. I watch other organisations who are so good at telling the world how great they are, but we really struggle with this. I think it is a case of imposter syndrome, a girl from Dagenham who feels uncomfortable about ‘bragging’ and does not want to be pretentious or self-centred.

However, here goes…. we have helped 693 people start a business in five years, the recorded national data in our area says that businesses have a survival rate of 36% but we know that the businesses we helped to start 74% of them still are running. We like to buck the trend!

We have delivered 2978 hours of business mentoring to individual businesses, which means we have invested £213k in supporting businesses on a one-to-one basis. We have supported nearly 8000 people to have training for their business, which is an investment of £394k over five years. We have seen the rate of female business owners go from 42% in 2016 to 68% in 2021 and consistently our buildings are at 96% capacity. Despite the uncertainty of the workspace market, we need more workspace opportunities (hint hint).

Moving forward into year 5 to 10, we do not want to forget our roots, but we are keen to expand into other areas. I tell others to dream big, so my aspirations are for a BEC in every borough, well every borough that sees affordable workspace and wraparound support as a priority!

If you know me well, or indeed a little bit, you will know that one of my passions, hobbies and interests in life is food and drink, more commonly known as hospitality these days. I like eating food, cooking food, and talking about food. I am a foodie.

I am also born and bred Barking and Dagenham some 50 odd years ago; and on infrequent visits home from my hospitality career, I would charm and elaborate to my parents with the latest food/wine experiences I had enjoyed in as my Dad described ‘fancy places around the world’. Now, my parents were of the generation that food was about nutrition and staying healthy, and mealtimes at home as a child were about eating quickly to ensure my big brothers didn’t offer to finish my meal. I look back fondly on all the arguments over traditionally British/east end fare; and the arguments about the skin of the rice pudding, and the best one why four brussel sprouts was not a good swap for a roast potato.

What I came to realise in later years is that at that time I was bought up in a food culture oasis, for several reasons, money was tight, and my parents were on a budget. Travel was not as widespread, and goods took longer to get to the UK, and there was not a whole industry in hospitality. Indeed, the only cooking show I remember as a child is the Galloping Gourmet! Now I am really showing my age! There, were a few takeaways, an Indian restaurant, a Chinese takeaway, and of course, Fish and Chips on a Friday was a ritual in our house.

I returned to live in the borough nearly 28 years ago and noticed immediately that food and drink had become more diverse. In every shopping parade there were new varieties of fruit and veg that I had only seen in my hotel and catering days.

One funny moment, hence the title of this blog, was about 23 years ago, I had some friends from my Hotel days coming for dinner and I needed an avocado. I went to Barking Market. In the market between two shop fronts was a fruit and veg stall called the ‘hole in the wall’. I asked the proprietor for an avocado he laughed loudly told his mate and then told me to get back to Kensington.

I am glad to say it is very different now, the range of produce is large and extensive and is available to all that live in the area. We can get holiday crisps (Lays not Walkers) in every shop these are especially needed in lockdown as we re-imagine those holidays again.

Now my interest in food and drink has intensified, my son both delighted and shocked me following into the hospitality industry. The boy did good! He made a meteoric rise in the companies he worked for in a short space of time, and at 26 announced that with his two business partners, they were going to go it alone in Peckham.

I have come to know Peckham and South London well. Food and hospitality have become an integral part of our family life, and part of the culture that binds us together. We are lucky we have eaten out a lot over the last few years…as well as frequenting our son’s place; in comparison to where I live. It really is the Peckham Riviera in terms of the hospitality offer and the wide range of independent shops and restaurants.

There is no denying that Barking and Dagenham does not have a huge night-time economy, nor the range of food offers other London boroughs have and is playing catch up. So, I am delighted to hear that the three markets of London are moving to Barking and Dagenham. In case you were wondering this is Spitalfields (fruit and Veg), Smithfield (meat) and Billingsgate (fish). With this will come a food market, new restaurant opportunities and a culinary college.

Now some cynics will say this is gentrification. I have a more optimistic view; that it is about placemaking and building communities. There is no denying that hospitality brings cultures and communities together.

On a sadder note, there is no denying that the hospitality industry has been decimated by COVID-19. There will be much to do to rebuild the industry. The BEC has been working with the council on the local plan to support retail and hospitality businesses reinvent and re-imagine the future.

However, personally I am excited by the future and looking forward to seeing these plans take shape and if you need a stimulus our colleagues at Be First made a short video about the plans for Barking. I personally cannot wait!

There is no denying that I think everyone has found this latest lockdown the hardest as we approach the first anniversary of COVID-19 restrictions. Days merge into nights and weekends merge into the week, and I am sure I am not alone in asking ‘What day is it today?’.

I am a big fan of side projects. I write a lot for work but have a passion to write a book, and I have a long list of ‘minor’ skills I would like to develop. I want to learn to crochet and knit; my mum was amazing at these, but I just wasn’t interested as a teenager. I have however taken up my teenage love of sewing and embroidery I bought a new sewing machine at the start of the first lockdown.

 I also love to cook, not just dinner. I mean proper cook! My Husband got celeriac tarte Tatin and a beef wellington for Valentines. Cooking is my therapy and a lifelong memory of my former career in hospitality.

People often ask "How do you find the time for other things, other than work?" Truth is, I have no more time than anyone else. I just try to make time for things that are important to me. It's good for my wellbeing and mental health.

Side projects make me happy. To be honest, they give me the same sense of achievement as completing a project for the BEC.

Theorists say that as a human, we are the average of the people we spend the most time with. If the people we surround ourselves with inform who we become, so too does how we spend our solo time. I guess that makes sense from my perspective. I spend lots of time (online of course) with creative people, and of course my son is in the hospitality sector, which explains the continued fascination with cooking.

Hobbies, side projects or hustles--our day-to-day activities. These are reflections of ourselves that add up to form your life experience over time. If how we spend our time says a lot about who we are, would you be happy with what that says about you? 

Consider for a minute. Where do you spend your time and doing what? Of course lockdown factors must be considered. Home working, home schooling and finding things to entertain the family may have impacted on your ‘me' time. I get that of course, but consider for a minute. Are you on social media because you are fascinated by technology, building a business, or simply scrolling through as a habit?

Do you watch TV, Netflix, or Disney+ because you want to be an actor or director, or are you avoiding a more interesting but difficult activity? Does the time you spend build up your skill set and expertise or is it just a way of avoiding it?

 Now is a great time to evaluate especially during lockdown. Are you truly happy with how you spend your time? Making time is about deciding what matters. There is only room for distractions if you let there be.

 In this role, I get to speak to a lot of people about their side projects, especially when they start out turning that side hustle into a business. When we have side projects, I get excited, full of questions, and the person is full of excuses.

 You can crank away at an idea without making it a full-time commitment if you commit to it. More time is not the answer! Dedicated time is! Reality is if its important to you, you will find a way, and if it is not, you will find an excuse.

 When you commit to something, it is easier to find time for it. Over the last year, I have become a dab hand at managing my times and aware how my time is spent, with who and on what, and I calibrate amounts.

Make the best of dedicated time. No passion project blooms overnight on its own, but structuring your dedicated time can go a long way.

● Look for pre-existing pockets of time you can convert into dedicated project time

● Decide when you are consuming and when you are creating and do not mix the two.

●  Jot down in an ideas journal and no multi-tasking

● Set simple, achievable deadlines and goals, do not try to do everything at once, aim for reasonable. For me this is one blog a week

● Do not push it know when you work best and on which sort of project, respect your natural productivity cycle. My blog time is Sunday afternoons and my best ideas come late at night.

● Pick projects that energise you and inspire you.

Whatever it is, if it is not making you happy or content, then switch gears and change it up; when you do find it, grab it, and hold on tight, make time not excuses it counts and start now!