General election 12 December 2019

Residents, Council staff and Councillors will have the opportunity to make the borough more accessible, as part of the next phase of the Council’s Hackney Access for Everyone scheme. Poor lighting, a lack of signage, level access or unsuitable facilities can sometimes make a trip to the shops challenging for people with limited mobility, vision, hearing, a learning difficulty or other type of mental or physical impairment. The Council is looking for people who would like to help lead or participate in walkabouts around areas set for large-scale development. You will have the opportunity to share your ideas with Councillors and Council staff which will then be incorporated into the schemes’ planning and implementation. This will ensure that areas are developed in a way that is accessible for the widest possible range of people. Sites that will be visited include the Woodberry Down, Colville, King's Crescent and De Beauvoir estates, the Stoke Newington Gyratory, Green Lanes, Cycle Future Routes, the Leabridge Roundabout and the Council's leisure centres. If you would like to get involved, please register your interest by signing up to the Council’s online residents’ panel, Hackney Matters. As a member of Hackney Matters you can also have your say on a range of topics that affect you.To sign-up, please visit hackneymatters.org.uk/join_now, complete the short registration form, and once logged in scroll down on the homepage to “Activity List” and select “Hackney Access for Everyone”. Please note that the closing date for applications is 8 January, 2020.For more information about the scheme, please contact Rachel Salmon on rachel.salmon@hackney.gov.uk or 020 8356 7732.

Shoppers in Hackney will benefit from big discounts and special offers from over 60 small businesses on 7 December thanks to the launch of Hackney Council’s new Small Business Saturday business directory. Offers range from discounted homeware, children’s toys, flowers, vinyl, website design and even life coaching. Hackney is home to over 20,000 small businesses and the directory has been set up to promote small independent businesses in the borough and encourage both residents and visitors to discover the vast array of retailers and service providers available. The directory is a brand new initiative by Hackney Council and forms part of its ongoing business support programme for both new and existing enterprises in the borough all of which have a key role to play in creating a more inclusive economy in the borough. The directory will continue to be updated throughout the week leading up to 7 December and it can viewed here: www.investinhackney.org/smallbizsatBusinesses wanting to feature in the directory can do so by filling out this online form https://forms.gle/d2w65nqeF2ib2MHz6 by 5 December.Notes to editorsAbout Small Business Saturday:Small Business Saturday is a not-for profit campaign that was originally founded by American Express in the U.S in 2010. The day takes place annually on the first Saturday of December but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses all year round.A grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, Small Business Saturday was originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010.American Express remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK, as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small.The day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses.On Small Business Saturday, customers across the UK go out and support all types of small businesses, online, in offices and in stores.Many small businesses take part in the day by hosting events and offering discounts.More information on Small Business Saturday can also be found at: Facebook.com/smallbusinesssaturdayuk Twitter - @SmallBizSatUk Website - https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/

Hackney Council has taken delivery of twelve new state-of-the-art street sweepers, the first of 57 new vehicles ordered to meet ambitious emissions rules set to come into force in October 2021.  The new Johnston CX202 street sweepers are capable of running on hydro-treated vegetable oil, a renewable fuel that reduces emissions, helping them to meet requirements for Transport for London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone as it expands to the north and south circular.  Dust screens from the sweepers also capture particulate matter, further reducing their impact on local air quality, and the vehicles have multi-directional cameras and cycle safety systems to help the driver share road space with other road users.  The sweepers join the Council’s existing fleet of environmentally friendly and ULEZ-compliant vehicles, including over 50 electric vehicles and over 150 that can operate on hydro-treated vegetable oil.  John Wheatley, Hackney Council’s Head of Environmental Services, said: “While our extensive use of biofuels and electric vehicles means we already have one of the greenest fleets in the country, these state-of-the-art sweepers help us go further in tackling harmful emissions and meet Transport for London’s targets for the Ultra Low Emission Zone. The team are really looking forward to getting started with the new equipment, which, along with being much more environmentally friendly, offers unparalleled levels of comfort and safety for staff.”  Find out more about the work the Council is doing to tackle pollution. TfL’s Ultra Low Emission Zone is expanding to the north and south circular in October 2021. Find out how it could affect you: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone 

Hackney Council is set to commission a new, permanent public artwork to celebrate and honour the borough’s Windrush generation.  The artwork will be installed in Hackney Town Hall Square, at the heart of civic and community life. It will symbolise the ongoing commitment of the borough to welcome people from all parts of the world, providing a safe refuge, celebrating diversity and respecting identity.  The project is commissioned in partnership with Genesis Foundation and will be produced by arts organisation Create London. It follows as a cultural legacy to the success of the Council's Windrush Engagement Programme, which started in 2018. Working directly with over 3,000 Windrush elders and their descendants on intergenerational activities in areas of arts, heritage, sport, health and education, the programme has given African Caribbean elders a voice and reconnected younger generations with their heritage. A group of external curators has nominated artists with Afro-Caribbean heritage to submit proposals for the artwork, and the three final proposals will now go on show across the borough to ensure local residents have a say on which piece is commissioned. The Council's Cultural Development Team has set up a panel which includes local councillors, Hackney residents, Windrush campaigners, artists and architects and it is chaired by Mark Sealy MBE, the Director of Hackney-based gallery Autograph. The final recommendation will be made by the panel in January 2020. The three finalists are artists Veronica Ryan, Thomas J Price and a joint proposal by Hew Locke and Indra Khanna. The proposals include figurative sculptures, large-scale Caribbean fruit sculptures made from bronze and marble and paving plaques depicting SS Empire Windrush. The proposals went on display on Monday 25 November at a Town Hall event where Windrush community members and schools were invited to view and share their thoughts.  Residents are now invited to view and comment on the proposals at sites across Hackney, including Hackney Central Library and the CLR James Library from Monday 28 November to Monday 20 January. A further event at Hackney Town Hall is being planned for January 2020. The proposals can also be seen at windrush artwork.  Feedback on the three proposals can be sent to windrushartwork@hackney.gov.uk.   Notes to EditorsFor further information, please contact: Corrina.Antrobus@hackney.gov.uk.Hackney CouncilIn August 2018, Hackney Council became the first UK local authority to pass a motion regarding the Windrush Generation. It now cements its position as a borough committed to providing refuge and welcome to immigrants from all countries, who are so central in the story and identity of Hackney.Create LondonCreate London is a charity that explores the ways artists can contribute to the lives of people in cities. Its work is primarily focused in east London, home to more artists and art organisations than anywhere in Europe, and one of the most economically deprived parts of the UK. Create helps artists to connect more closely with communities through an ambitious programme of projects. Unlike a gallery or theatre, Create has no fixed public space, preferring to work in the places people encounter every day.Genesis FoundationEstablished by John Studzinski in 2001, the Genesis Foundation works in partnership with leaders of prestigious UK arts organisations such as LAMDA, the National Theatre, The Sixteen and the Young Vic. Its largest funding commitment is to programmes that support directors, playwrights, actors and musicians in the early stages of their professional lives.The Genesis Foundation awards the bi-annual Genesis Prize to outstanding mentors of young artistic talent; it is the only arts award to focus on mentors and the vital role they play in an artist’s development. Past recipients comprise Hamish Dunbar (Café Oto), Polly Staple (Chisenhale Gallery), Hadrian Garrard (Create) and Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson (Good Chance Theatre).