Another a long, hot summer is over and it’s the time of year that most of us get stuck back in to work and school.

But for too many in Barking and Dagenham it will not have been the breather that most of us look forward to because they continue to struggle to make ends meet.

Our borough is changing and more money is being invested here, money for new, affordable homes, new schools and new opportunities that can lift people out of poverty. Thames ward, among the poorest 10 per cent of wards in the country, according to Trust for London’s latest report, has seen £500 million of investment as part of the Barking Riverside regeneration.

Investment is welcome if it lifts communities out of poverty and residents should have their say in shaping their future. As we learnt at the localism conference convened by Thames Ward Community Project in July, the best way to make regeneration work is to involve the community throughout.

Other community projects are also making big improvements. Local resident Lisa Adams launched a crowd funder for “Love Valence Park” during the summer, aiming to improve the park’s sports facilities. She and the other partners involved have raised more than £250,000 to date and look set to get even more to make even bigger changes.

These projects have the potential to deliver meaningful change for the worst off in our community.

Barking and Dagenham has its problems but there are reasons to be positive about its future.