Mayor Woodley column: There is no place for hate in Hackney.
Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley's column in the 15 August 2024 edition of the Hackney Gazette
Summer is here and people have been taking to the streets to stand in solidarity with our diverse communities: with migrants who have been invaluable to building and sustaining vital institutions such as the NHS, and with our faith communities, where we’ve soundly rejected attempts to spread hateful anti-Muslim rhetoric.
When I was first elected as a councillor, I almost took for granted how peacefully our mosques, synagogues, churches and so many other settings of faith and community operate side by side, often working in close partnership. As Mayor I want to reaffirm my commitment to ensuring that this continues to be the case. There is no place for hate in Hackney.
As I write, our summer programme of free and supported activities for children, young people and families is in full swing. I remember the challenges of juggling work and school holidays when my son was younger, so I know how much these activities help. Many of the events on offer are funded directly by, or in part supported by the Council, so please do take advantage of anything on offer. For details please visit www.younghackney.org
Many people have also been out enjoying our green spaces, which offer respite in this fast-moving borough in one of the world’s largest cities. Once again, our parks teams and volunteer groups have outdone themselves, with 31 of our parks and open spaces now awarded the coveted ‘Green Flag’ status – up from an already impressive 29 last year.
We are lucky to have a wealth of parks and green spaces in Hackney, but the cost of maintaining them has increased while our funding has not. We will continue to make community investment in our open spaces, and thank everyone who lends a hand with planting, watering, litter-picking, putting on community events or simply celebrating and enjoying these spaces together.
Finally, I won’t have a chance to write to you again before the return of the Hackney Carnival. We’ve got a parade, sound systems, street art, food stalls, family entertainment and a whole lot more. It promises to be a great day out for all. While so much of the work of the Carnival is done by our community groups and volunteers, it is all funded by the Council, we receive no sponsorship or external funding to help pay for all the infrastructure needed. So please come along, enjoy yourselves, stay safe, and have a great time. All the information you need is on our website www.lovehackney.uk/hackney-carnival