Funding agreed for diverse projects to support Hackney’s communities

Projects focused on youth development, environmental action, mental health support and reducing social isolation are just some of those being financed through the latest round of the Hackney Community Fund.

Raised from a charge placed on new developments/buildings when they secure planning permission, £650,000 will support local charities, voluntary groups, community interest companies and social enterprises delivering projects that use arts, culture and the environment to bring people together and create lasting benefits for the community.

Projects receiving funding include:

• Ministry of Stories: Expanding its free weekly Community Writing Lab in Hoxton to mentor up to 200 young people annually, extending the age range to 6-18.
• EcoACTIVE: Launching "Connecting Nature, Connecting People," a nature recovery programme to train residents and improve biodiversity across six sites.
• Hackney School of Food: Delivering "Together at the Table" - a multi-generational food and wellbeing programme using cooking, gardening, and shared meals to support around 2,250 residents.
• Laburnum Boat Club: Providing access to the canal for adults experiencing mental health challenges and those on low incomes, including a weekly mental health club and free canoe places.
• Hackney Shed: Weekly inclusive theatre workshops for young people (7–16) with and without Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), culminating in an annual production.
• Millfields Park Users’ Group: Creating an inclusive, community-led skate space in South Millfields Park for all ages and abilities.
• The Peter Bedford Housing Association: Establishing the Kingsland “Lifeline” Hub, a choice-based pantry tackling food insecurity and social isolation, linking over 150 households to essential support services.
• Made in Hackney: Implementing "Stronger Communities for Climate Action," a year-long project bringing residents together through food, sustainability, and collective climate action.
• Core Arts: Supporting 150 NHS-referred adults aged 50+ with severe mental health needs through the "Creative Inclusion" project, offering creative education in arts, music, gardening, and sports.
• Intergenerational Music Making: Setting up four intergenerational hubs across Hackney to address loneliness and promote social cohesion through music and creative health.

This follows the first round of the Hackney Community Fund in 2022, which included a community garden in Homerton promoting mental well-being; a permanent home for a youth theatre company that has served young people in Hackney for decades and a celebration of African and African-Caribbean heritage at Dalston CLR James Library.

Funding was awarded based on how well projects meet key criteria, including deliverability, community support, value for money, and long-term impact.

Councillor Guy Nicholson, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, said: "The Hackney Community Fund channels money raised from developers building in the borough and is for investing back into the community. This second round of the fund is investing £650,000 into 10 arts and culture-led activities that bring residents together, create profound opportunities and build relationships. 

“This second round builds on the success of the first round of the Hackney Community Fund, which supported a range of inspirational projects that have made a profound, positive and lasting difference to the lives of many residents from across the borough.

"Thanks to all who submitted an application proposing a project but to all those who on this occasion did not succeed the Council is determined to release a round three of the Fund and when it does it will be promoted.

“The Hackney Community Fund has been formed by using cash payments paid by developers through the planning system. The Fund provides the opportunity for residents and local organisations to work together to build strong communities and make sure that the benefit of new development in the borough is felt by everyone and that a growing Hackney always puts local residents first."