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The 1,000th bike hangar in Hackney has been installed by Hackney Council and contractor Grease Monkey, as part of the biggest rollout of any London borough.The installation of the latest bike hangar means that there are now over 6,000 secure cycle hangar spaces for local people, supporting those who don’t have space for a bike in their home to safely store them on the street.Hackney is London’s capital of cycling, with a higher proportion of people cycling than anywhere else. It’s hoped that the new cycle hangars will significantly reduce the number of people waiting for a cycle parking space, which currently stands at over 6,000 people, and help people cycle more.The hangars are in addition to over 750 on-street bike parking spaces the Council has installed in the last three years. Residents who wish to apply for a cycle hangar space can visit: https://hackney.gov.uk/cycle-hangar

Hackney smokers, who could be spending as much as £163,000 every day on cigarettes, urged to sign up for free stop smoking services this Stoptober.Smokers in Hackney could be spending as much as £163,000 every day between them on cigarettes, says local stop smoking service Smoke Free City & Hackney, as it encourages smokers to mark Stoptober this year by taking advantage of a range of free Stop Smoking services on offer to local residents and workers. Quitting cigarettes and other tobacco based products such as shisha  is proven to improve physical fitness, lead to enhanced family time, and increase disposable income. It can also improve your appearance, lead to mental health benefits and a reduced environmental impact. Everyone’s journey to quitting is different, including our very own Cabinet Member for Health, Cllr Chris Kennedy who successfully gave up smoking for good.    As his wedding day neared, Cllr Kennedy realised he wanted to give up smoking. He valued the immediate benefits to quitting, such as better breathing, increased energy, and improved taste and smell, as well as the longer term improvements to his health and lifestyle - including a closer relationship with his family and significant savings. His message to anyone looking to stop smoking is “don’t stop trying to give up. You can and you will do it in the end. Believe in yourself.”You’re three times more likely to quit for good if you combine professional support with a quit smoking aid like Nicotine Replacement Therapy so it’s important to get the right support.Local help is available for current smokers aged 12+, living, working, studying, or registered with a GP in the City and Hackney. One-to-one appointments in person or by phone with a specialist stop smoking advisor are included, together with access to 12 weeks of free medication, like Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), e-cigarettes, lozenges and gum to help you remain smoke-free.For more information and to self refer, please visit  smokefreecityandhackney.org/

Hackney Council is consulting on changes that would impact up to six primary schools in the borough, as a result of the significant fall in pupil numbers. This has caused the financial position of some of the schools to worsen to the point that it is no longer possible for the Council to maintain them. The consultation is open between 8 October and 19 November. The fall in pupil numbers has been observed in recent years in the majority of London boroughs, as a result of a series of factors including lower birth rates, the cap on housing benefits, and families leaving London, as a result of the housing crisis, the cost of living, Brexit, and the pandemic. In May 2024 there were 577 unfilled reception places in Hackney (21%), and 4,808 unfilled places across all year groups (23%). A healthy percentage of empty school places is usually around 5%. As schools are funded based on the number of pupils on roll, those with a high number of unfilled places have less money for staff, resources, equipment, extracurricular activities, to pay bills and to carry out maintenance work. Hackney’s primary schools currently receive over £28.5m less funding compared to what they would be entitled to if their classrooms were full. The permanent closure of four primary schools in Hackney on 31 August 2024, together with reductions to the planned admission numbers to other schools across the borough, are expected to reduce the percentage of empty school places to 18% by 2025/2026. However, the most recent data shows that many Hackney schools are still far from seeing sustainable pupil numbers. While our schools are recognised for their high performance and excellent results, they face significant challenges due to this reduced funding. Many schools have already told us that this is affecting their ability to fully support their pupils, especially those with the greatest needs.Like many other local authorities, Hackney Council is facing enormous financial challenges, and needs to make substantial savings to be able to continue to protect the borough’s most vulnerable residents. The Council cannot afford to financially support schools that are not sustainable, and must continue to make difficult decisions to make sure our schools are fit for the future, and to protect the high quality education that Hackney is known for.  If agreed, the proposed changes will take effect on 31 August 2025.More information about the proposals can be found in the Cabinet report and on the project’s page. Those interested can share their views by taking part in the consultation until 19 November.

“The violence of 7 October 2023 visited by Hamas upon Israel shocked people across the world. Since that devastating event we have seen a year of horrific conflict and suffering escalating across the Middle East. “More than a thousand people were killed on that day and the future of more than a hundred hostages remains uncertain. Tens of thousands of people in Gaza were killed in the attacks that have followed, and we fear for all those who are now threatened, grieving, traumatised and displaced by the ongoing conflict across the region. “There are many residents in Hackney who are directly or indirectly affected by these events and by the ongoing violence. In the strongest possible terms, I condemn the brutality and repeat the call the Council made in January: stop the violence now. “Hackney Council will continue to focus on supporting our local residents. We have seen antisemitism, Islamophobia and wider hate crime deeply impacting our communities. We recognise that feelings towards the conflict cut across many different cultures and faiths and that diversity is our strength. We are working with communities, schools and faith partners so together we can better understand and address the impact of the events of the past year. “I want to assure all those impacted that I am grieving with you, that I share your despair and anger at these terrible events, and that I will continue to engage with our communities and ensure your voices are being heard.”Caroline Woodley, Mayor of Hackney