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Council news

£2k grants available to celebrate Black History Season

25th July 2024
Hackney Council is offering grants of up to £2k to organisations or artists wishing to contribute to this year’s Black History Season. Grants will be available to Black-led organisations, curators or collectives to deliver events taking place between October and November 2024. Grants can be used to deliver activities such as community events, educational talks, film screenings, theatre shows, walks, exhibitions, nightlife, lectures, podcasts or reminisce sessions. Projects that embed intersectional collaboration across Hackney’s communities and explore Black histories, futures or archiving in Hackney are particularly welcome. The season will also see the launch of Hackney Black History 365. While Hackney Council traditionally extends the national Black History Month to a two month programme, Hackney Black History 365 will provide year-round opportunities to acknowledge the past, present and future contributions of its African and Caribbean heritage via a new Hackney Black History 365 calendar. The calendar will be featured on the Love Hackney digital and print channels. Community groups and cultural organisations can submit their event for publication via the online submission form. For more information on how to apply for a Black History Season grant, visit the application form here. Applications should be completed before midnight, Monday 29 August. For more information please contact culture@hackney.gov.ukNotes for editors: For more information or to apply for the Black History Season grant visit the Google form. Grants will be available to deliver activity between October - November 2024.Hackney Black History 365 may also be abbreviated to HBH365. The Hackney Black History 365 calendar will be live on the Love Hackney website from Tuesday 1 October. 

39 Hackney not-for-profits supported to install clean energy

24th July 2024
Thirty-nine local not-for-profit community organisations are being supported by Hackney Council to install clean power or energy saving measures, following the latest round of funding from Hackney Light and Power, its energy services arm. This third round of funding, awarded from HLP’s community energy fund (CEF), will support Comet Nursery, Laburnum Boat Club and North London Mosque Trust to install solar panels, helping to cut bills and reduce emissions. Four more organisations will get help to install energy efficiency measures, like LED lighting and double glazing, with 10 others supported to carry out feasibility studies to plan the installation of clean energy. This brings the total number of organisations supported by the CEF to 39 over three rounds of funding. The CEF works by funding and pairing up local organisations with community energy groups, like Home Energy Action Lab and Stokey Energy, which are based in Hackney and have expertise in energy efficiency and installing green power. Nearly £1m has now been earmarked for local organisations by the CEF, helping to save 160 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.The CEF has recently supported two schools - St John and St James Primary School and Springfield Primary School - to work alongside Stokey Energy to carry out building surveys and subsequently install new solar panels. It’s expected that these will help save 16 tonnes of carbon emissions - the equivalent of planting 738 trees. Alex De Lange, Assistant Headteacher at Springfield Community Primary School, said: ““The kids love it. We’ve had assemblies where we’ve talked about it. Our school council is really involved in making sure that our school is actively being sustainable. Having a big project like this onsite really brings that idea of sustainability to life.“And it has meant that it has inspired other ideas to do with recycling and reusing, and other whole school approaches. Having a big project like this, that the kids can understand the impact of, has been brilliant.”To find out more about the community energy fund, visit: https://hackney.gov.uk/community-energy-fund

Dalston Library to host monthly drop-in sessions for children and families with questions or concerns around education, mental health or the police

Hackney’s new ‘Community 1 Stop’ is launched by Hackney’s Improving Outcomes for Black Children and Young People Accountability Board, community charity PERM Inc. and Hackney Libraries. The monthly drop-in is an opportunity for children, young people and families to speak with experienced youth workers and education professionals about the help and advice available from Hackney Council and other voluntary organisations within the borough around education, mental health, the police and any other areas they have need for support or signposting. The monthly drop-in takes place on the first Saturday of each month and includes a 3pm ‘Hot Topic presentation and Q&A session’ to provide useful information on a range of issues relevant to parents, carers and their children; including transition to secondary school, school exclusions, how to select the right school for your child along with areas around attainment and progress. The first Hackney Community 1 Stop will be held in Dalston Library on Saturday 3rd August from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. There is no need to book, just turn up. Discover more here.
24th July 2024

“We will need to take more difficult decisions” – Councillor Chapman on council finances

All local authorities are facing enormous financial challenges as a result of rapidly growing demand, huge increases in costs, and the long-term absence of proper funding from the government.When we set this year’s budget in the spring, we did so highlighting these huge financial challenges and the impact they will have in the years ahead. The latest financial report, which I presented to the Council’s Cabinet this week, shows the stark reality of this crisis. We are already expecting to spend over £21m more than planned this financial year, driven by spending on some of the most critical services such as providing social care and tackling homelessness. That’s on top of the £52m in savings that we already need to find over the next three years.In light of this, we are taking sensible steps to mitigate this year’s budget gap, including reviewing agency recruitment and non-essential spending. But we will need to take more difficult decisions and make more substantial savings to keep our finances stable – it’s the only way we can continue to protect services for Hackney’s most vulnerable residents.Continuing as we are and taking no action would undoubtedly put us in greater financial difficulty, and force us to take more drastic action.After 14 years of underfunding, we were pleased to see the new Government set out its plan to meet the challenges of the next decade last week. We now need  sustainable, long-term funding to reverse the financial crisis impacting local government and the vital services that all councils provide.Cllr Robert Chapman, Cabinet Member for Finance, Insourcing and Customer Services
23rd July 2024

Celebrate the contribution to life in Hackney of refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum, with Hackney’s Refugee Week 2024 programme

A series of events this week will raise awareness about and celebrate the contributions of refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum in Hackney. Hackney’s Refugee Week 2024 programme: Immerse yourself in traditional music, storytelling and delicious cuisine in a free celebration of Ukrainian culture at Dalston Eastern Curve Garden on Monday 22 July from 6-9:30pm. Reserve your spot.  SOLD OUTEnjoy an evening of films that explore the theme of Our Home at Dalston CLR James Library on Wednesday 24 July from 6-7:45pm. Find out more. After the regular Rhymes and Stories session at Dalston CLR James Library on Saturday 27 July from 11am-12pm, there will be children's activities on the theme of this year's Refugee Week and free children's books in a number of languages that you can take home. Find out more.Hackney Libraries has  shared a list of recommended reading, watching and listening that share the experience of refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum here. Refugee Week, hosted by the Welcome Hackney team in collaboration with Hackney Libraries, also sees the launch of a new small grants programme to deliver activities for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants living in Hackney. Organisations can apply for grants of up to £1000 from Monday 22 July until Monday 19 August at 5pm.To apply for a grant, organisations should complete the application form here. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application before Monday 2 September. For any questions about the application process or to discuss a proposal informally, please contact the Welcome Hackney team at RMAS.Service@hackney.gov.uk  Hackney's 2024 Refugee Week programme, originally scheduled to take place during UK Refugee Week in June, replicates Refugee Week’s theme of ‘Our Home’. Notes National Refugee Week Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Established in 1998 in the UK, the annual festival aligns with World Refugee Day, celebrated globally on 20 June. https://refugeeweek.org.uk/   
22nd July 2024

Cllr Mete Coban to stand down as a Hackney councillor and cabinet member after being appointed Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy.

Hackney Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, Cllr Mete Coban, has announced he will be stepping down as a councillor following his appointment as the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy.Cllr Coban, who has represented Stoke Newington since May 2014 intends to step down to take up his new role from Thursday 25 July.He has led on investment in transformative projects that are key to delivery of the Council’s Strategic Plan, including:a committed investment of £61 million to tackle the climate crisis;launching Hackney’s pioneering Community Energy Fund, which is powering Hackney landmarks such as the Hackney Empire, Mildmay Club, and numerous primary schools across the borough;delivering an additional 675 cycle hangers for residents in Hackney to access secure bike parking spaces, and the biggest area-based rollout of 3,000 EV chargers that includes every council estate.launching the UK’s first Residential Solar programme which will cut electricity bills for council tenants. This project will generate 1MW of energy across our council estates through the installation of 4,000 solar panels on estate rooftops and an innovative microgrid solution;leading key policies such as the Climate Action Plan, Energy Strategy, Parking Enforcement Plan, Air Quality Action Plan, and the Low Traffic Local Implementation Plan.expanding the Council’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods programme, including exemptions for blue badge holders and establishing the Stoke Newington LTN, which has cut traffic, improved air quality and increased footfall on Church Street.
22nd July 2024