Hackney Council

A brilliant teacher, an amazing school cook or an inspirational teaching assistant? Hackney School Stars is back for a second year and is a chance for members of the community to nominate any member of schools or early years staff for a special award.

Residents all know school staff make a huge difference to the lives of Hackney’s children. The Council is asking parents, guardians, school governors or young person who would just like to say thank you, to nominate their school star.

For the last few years Hackney council has recognised its hard working staff through the Hackney Stars scheme, and for the second year schools stars winners will join them to receive an award at Hackney Town Hall, presented by the Mayor, Philip Glanville, Deputy Mayor Cllr Anntoinette Bramble and Chief Executive of Hackney Council, Tim Shields.

The categories are:

• Teacher of the Year (for all teaching staff)

• Hackney Schools Star (for all non-teaching schools support workers, those who work in schools who aren’t teaching but are delivering a service in a school)

• Lifetime Achievement Award (for teaching and non-teaching staff who have worked their career in Hackney for over 15 years)

More about the categories:

Teacher of the Year

Teachers have some of the most challenging but extremely rewarding jobs. We want to make sure that they get the recognition they deserve. We are looking for outstanding teachers who continually strive for their pupils, support them to achieve, who have improved results, who are innovative and forward thinking, and make a real mark on our children and young people. What they do shapes and changes lives: please nominate your amazing teachers.

Hackney Schools Star

It's not just teachers who make a good impression on children, parents and guardians; whether they are staff who are cooking meals, cleaning, managing facilities and keeping things running, caring for our early years children, providing brilliant clubs or special educational services - without these dedicated staff - schools would struggle to reach the high standards we expect. Often in the background - our support staff are essential to meet all of our children's needs on a daily basis.

Lifetime Achievement

This award is to recognise a teacher or schools staff who has proved their dedication and commitment to Hackney. They will have served over fifteen years in their organisation or in service to children in Hackney. The judges will be looking for someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the borough, and deserves recognition for being an amazing ambassador over their years of service.

Nominating is easy! Please go to www.hackney.gov.uk/hackney-schools-stars where you can find an online form, or print off a paper version. Nominations open on Wednesday 10 October.

Deadline midnight 7 December.

Over a hundred residents joined the Speaker of Hackney for lunch to celebrate Silver Sunday at Hackney Town Hall, on 7 October 2018. The spritely group danced the afternoon away to a selection of 50s and 60s tunes and were entertained by the Hackney Empire community choir.

Silver Sunday is the annual national celebration established by the Sir Simon Milton Foundation and Westminster City Councillor Christabel Flight, after a report discovered more than a third of people over 75 said they were lonely.

Some of the comments left from attendees included: “This was the best event I have ever been to in 67 years. It was fantastic.”

Another said: “Thank you for a wonderful day, I will now go home and feel like I’m 16 again!"

Through a variety of free activities Silver Sunday is offering people a chance to keep active in body and spirit, try new things, meet their neighbours and, ultimately, overcome loneliness.

The Speaker’s office partnered with Connect Hackney to host this event and plan to mark the day again next year.

To find out more about Silver Sunday visit: www.silversunday.org.uk

Campaigners, politicians and members of the public gathered to commemorate the site where the international symbol for peace was first presented by Gerald Holtom 60 years ago.

Organised by Hackney Council as part of its brown plaque scheme, which commemorates historical figures and events in Hackney, the unveiling took place above the Fish and Cook Stationers at 3 Blackstock Road, where Holtom first presented the iconic design to his colleagues at the Direct Action Committee against nuclear war (DAC). 

On October 6, the plaque was unveiled by the Speaker of Hackney, Cllr Clare Potter in front of supporters and Holtom’s family, including Rosie Holtom, the artist’s great-niece.

In 1958 Gerald Holtom publicly showcased the logo at the first London to Aldermaston march, when thousands of people protested against Britain's production of the atom bomb.

The symbol was adopted soon after by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and went on to become one of the most widely recognised designs in history.

To find out more about the Council’s plaque scheme visit: https://www.hackney.gov.uk/plaques

A spectacle of colour and music is set to wow the borough in November with the return of the Hackney Fireworks display. Following last year’s sell-out success, the family-friendly celebrations will be held in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington, on Saturday 3 November.

This year’s event takes place between 5pm to 9pm. Mood lighting will give the Park a magical atmosphere, while street-based performances will animate the pathways around the Park. There’s fun for everyone with street food stalls, bars and live music plus a children's village and sparkler zone for families. As always the display is synchronised to music.

Tickets cost £7.75 for adults and £2.75 for children who live in the borough; and £8.75 and £3.75 respectively for non-residents.Tickets for the display are now available and can be purchased through Eventbrite

The Council is once again giving away 400 free tickets for the event. This year the tickets will go to Hackney based charities, voluntary organisations and community groups/projects who are actively working to support local people in the borough.

Organisations who would like to support their members with free tickets are invited to apply for free tickets by emailing park.events@hackney.gov.uk stating the name of the organisation, charity registration number or similar and title the email subject ‘Concessionary Tickets’.

Gates open at 5.00pm and the display starts at 7.30pm. The display is 20 minutes and is suitable for all ages and the full event will close at 9pm. Some entertainment will be weather-dependant.

The fireworks have been designed to generate low noise levels to ensure the welfare of the animals at Clissold Park are not affected as a result of the event.

To buy tickets visit: https://hackneyfireworks2018.eventbrite.co.uk 

For general information regarding the display please contact Park Events Team via: park.events@hackney.gov.uk or call 020 8356 4309.

Leaseholders and freeholders can learn about the services the Council provides for them at a an open day tomorrow (Saturday, 13 October).

Residents can talk to a range of Council teams, including those covering communal cleaning and repairs, antisocial behaviour, and recycling, at the event, between 11am and 4pm, at The Urswick School, Paragon Road, Hackney.

Discussions groups will be hosted, allowing residents to have their say on services. There will also be free activities including massages and children's entertainment, and free food and drink.

Other organisations available to speak to at the event include The Leasehold Advisory Service and the London Fire Brigade, and others.

Ajman Ali, Director, Housing Services, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for freeholders and leaseholders to speak to Council staff and other organisations about the many services available to them and find out what support we can provide. Residents can drop in any time throughout the day.”

If you have any specific concerns or questions, you can also book an appointment with staff by calling: 020 8356 2299 or emailing: service.charges@hackney.gov.uk 

Hackney Council is urging tenants to think ahead and check their heating before the cold weather begins to bite.

The Council receives a high number of calls about faulty heating systems from October as the nights draw in and temperatures drop. This can lead to a backlog of emergency call-outs that mean some residents may face waiting for heating repairs.

To prevent being left in the cold, Council tenants that have their own heating systems – not a communal heating system – are being advised to check their heating now and report any problems immediately.

It is quick and simple to test your heating and will leave you reassured that you are prepared for winter. All you need to do is:

• Make sure you have both gas and electric credit on your meters.

• Turn on your programmer to heating.

• Turn on all radiator valves.

• Turn the room thermostat to maximum.

• The heating valves should open and the pump should run.

• Radiators should now get hot.

• Run for 5 minutes and then turn off.

Steve Platt, Head of Building Maintenance and Estate Environment, said: “It is very important that you check your heating now. Your boiler will likely be working but it may only be in hot water mode. But you should check your heating is ready for winter. We don’t want any of our tenants to be left waiting for repairs and urge you to work with us on helping to prevent any problems.”

If the heating does not come on after carrying out these checks, tenants can report the repair online at: hackney.gov.uk/repairs or alternatively call: 0208 356 3691.

Local women working in traditionally male-dominated industries, including IT and engineering, are being celebrated by the Council to mark Ada Lovelace Day.

Lovelace is remembered as the world's first computer programmer in 1840. Her day, held on the second Tuesday in October, seeks to increase the profile and celebrate the achievements of women working in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers.

The Council actively campaigns to bring more diversity to STEM industries, nearly 200 years after Lovelace’s breakthrough, because these sectors remain underrepresented by women.

This summer the Council recruited a number of women apprentices in STEM roles as part of the largest IT apprenticeship intake the Council has ever done.

Young women can get involved by attending the Monster Confidence and Stemettes free event at Here East, for interview practice, career workshops and inspirational talks on October 16, visit: http://monsterconfidence.co.uk/

If you know any local women working in STEM please nominate them as a 100 Hackney Women here: hackney.gov.uk/hackney-women

Who was Ada Lovelace?

• Ada Lovelace was born Ada Gordon in 1815, only child of the brief marriage of poet Lord Byron, and his mathematics-loving wife Annabella Milbanke.

• Lovelace, from childhood had a fascination with machine.

• In 1833, Lovelace met Charles Babbage, a Professor of Mathematics who was already famous for his visionary and unfinished plans for clockwork calculating machines.

• Babbage nicknamed Ada the ‘Enchantress of Numbers’.

• In 1842 Lovelace translated a short article describing the Analytical Engine by the Italian mathematician Luigi Menabrea, for publication in England.

• Babbage asked her to expand the article, “as she understood the machine so well”.

• The final article is over three times the length of the original and contains several early computer programmes.

• Although Babbage and his assistants had sketched out programmes for his engine before, Lovelace’s are the most elaborate and complete, and the first to be published; so she is often referred to as “the first computer programmer”.

A sing-along to swing low, chats with old friends and rum punch all round - the Hackney Caribbean Tea Party was a chance to celebrate the achievements of the Windrush generation.

The tea party was organised by the Council, as part of its Black History Season of events, to thank the Windrush generation for their contributions to the borough.

Over 300 older people attended the event at Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday 3 October, and were welcomed by a steel pan rendition of ‘London is the Place for Me’, by Nostalgia - the only traditional ‘pan-around-neck’ band in the UK.

Guests were directed to the Assembly Rooms decorated with flags from Caribbean islands part of the Windrush generation. Art exhibits, including a replica of the Empire Windrush ship and original suitcases used when travelling to the UK filled with passports and photos, were also on display.

Older peoples organisation, Connect Hackney, launched a special ‘Windrush at 70’ edition of its magazine, featuring information on the contributions made by Windrush migrants and their descendants. This helped many older people reminisce about the time they first arrived in the UK.

Keith Mcintosh, 59, who arrived aged 11 from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines said: “I arrived in February and it was very cold, and I was trying to figure what the smoke was coming out of my mouth!”

Peggy McKenzie, 68, who arrived at age 8 in 1962 from Jamaica said: “At first I didn’t like it here as a young girl, the first thing that got my attention was all the smoke coming from the chimneys, I told my mum, what is it, have the houses caught fire?”

Traditional Caribbean cakes – such as sweet potato pudding, rum cake and sweet bread – were served. The menu also included patties, fish cakes and ackee and saltfish vol-au-vents.

Former Hackney Councillor and cultural historian, Patrick Vernon OBE, who has spearheaded the Windrush campaign, spoke about the national

significance of Hackney’s Windrush generation. Hackney-born BBC Radio London presenter Eddie Nestor MBE compered part of the afternoon and shared his experiences as a Windrush descendant, while the legendary drummer Jah Bunny and his band entertained the crowd.

The line-up also featured various senior groups, including East London Dance’s Leap of Faith, a professional dance company for older people, and the Caribbean elders’ group Uprising Community Club. The floor was then opened for an open mic segment for the guests to share a memory, song, or poem. The music was turned up and played classic songs such as ‘Stick By Me’ and ‘Could You Be Loved’.

Sherlene Barker, 73, who arrived age 18 from Barbados, said: “Hearing the records brought tears to my eyes. Back then, we communicated through music and it brought back so many memories. Those moments you thought you forgot, it was all brought to the forefront and you face the life that you passed. That was so touching, and today, Britain is a better place for most.”

A Polaroid booth was also set up to document the day. Led by artist Aida Sylvestri, the project collated an archive of photographs of the Windrush generation. BBC London Radio and Voluntary Arts England also broadcast live interviews with tea party guests in both the Town Hall and outside, on the BBC bus.

Find out more about Hackney’s Black History celebrations, which look at the contributions that African and Caribbean communities have made both locally and across the globe. Hackney Council events are free and will take place at Hackney Museum, Hackney Archives, Youth Hubs and at libraries across the borough, until January 2018.

Some events require advance booking. For more information, pick up a programme of activities from libraries and other venues across the borough, visit the Black History webpage or follow the year-round Black History awareness campaign in Hackney on Facebook.

People in Hackney who love good architecture are being encouraged to vote for their favourite new building or public space as part of the eighth biennial Hackney Design Awards.

Forty-two schemes entered the prestigious awards, which have now been whittled down to a shortlist of 15 by an expert panel. The group took design, functionality and contribution to the surrounding area into account.

The 15 shortlisted entries will be assessed in visits by an architect panel later this month, who will decide on overall Design Award winners. Residents in the borough also able to vote for their favourite in the People’s Choice category of the awards.

The entries range from extensions, studio spaces and outdoor spaces to a brand new hotel.

Since the Hackney Design Awards launched 14 years ago, they have helped to celebrate cutting edge design and architecture across the borough.

Previous winners, including Bateman’s Row by Theis and Khan Architects, and Barrett’s Grove by Groupwork and Amin Taha, have gone on to be shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize.

Voting for the People’s Choice category closes on 8 November. In 2016, Woodberry Wetlands won the People's Choice award. 

The 15 shortlisted entries are: 146A Rushmore Road, 32 Cassland Road, E9, Bayston Road, N16, Black Stone Building, N4, Building 1, Principal Place EC2A, De Beauvoir Block, N1, Great Eastern Buildings, E8, Hackney Town Hall, E8, Kings Crescent Estate, N4, Nobu Hotel, EC2A, Peer Gallery, N1, Pitwell Mews, E8, Quadra, E8, The Makers House, E9 and Wrong House, E9. 

To vote in the People’s Choice category, people can visit www.hackney.gov.uk/designawards or email designawards@hackney.gov.uk stating the scheme they wish to vote for.

To launch Hackney’s Black History Month last week, Malaika Parillon Langlais Baron, a Year 9 pupil from The Urswick School, joined the Speaker of Hackney to raise her winning flag design above Hackney Town Hall.

The young artist won against 75 other school children in the Hackney Black History Flag competition, which was launched in October last year. Her winning design was picked out by a panel of judges and was awarded on distinctiveness of design, being exciting and colourful and celebrating the present and future while honouring the past.

Malaika said: “I feel a sense of pride seeing my flag design fly over the town hall. I hope it will draw attention to Black History and inspire others.”

Richard Brown, Executive Headteacher at The Urswick School said: “Black History Month is one of the most important parts of the school year as it allows us to celebrate the unique contribution Black people have made, and will continue to make, to our community and society in general. As a school we are located close to the Town Hall and Mare Street. It will be fantastic to see a flag designed by an Urswick student flying proudly from the Town Hall during this month. We will all be inspired by Malaika’s work.”

Black History Month is a national annual celebration of the contribution that African and Caribbean communities have made both locally and across the globe.

Events run by Hackney Council are free and will take place at Hackney Museum, Hackney Archives, Youth Hubs and at libraries across the borough, until January 2018.

Some events require advance booking. For more information, pick up a programme of activities from libraries and other venues across the borough, visit the Black History webpage or follow the year-round Black History awareness campaign in Hackney on Facebook.

About 17,000 homes will be fitted with new or upgraded front doors as part of the Council’s multi-million pound investment proposals which are set to improve resident safety and reduce fire risks.

The majority of tenants and leaseholders living in flats in tower blocks of six storeys and higher are to be given more fire-resistant doors in order to bring homes up to current building regulations that state flat front doors must provide 30 minutes’ fire and smoke protection. The plans go before Council Cabinet later this month. 

The door replacement work is being undertaken in order of priority, based on fire risk assessments undertaken by the Council.The Council is initially replacing all the front doors of flats in blocks that are 10 storeys and higher, with the entire project expected to take around three years.

The doors in need of replacement include older doors that don’t meet the 30-minute fire and smoke resistance legislation and a small percentage of newer doors that may need to be replaced or improved because we cannot be sure they provide that resistance. This is subject to ongoing Government testing.

The newer doors the Council thinks need replacing make up approximately 10 per cent of the total number of doors. The flat front doors will be replaced with a door that meets 30 minutes of intense fire under test conditions.

In March 2018, the Metropolitan Police revealed that the flat front fire doors installed in Grenfell Tower (manufactured by Manse Masterdor) failed under test conditions in 15 minutes; just half the 30-minute resistance it should have offered. We do not have any of these doors in our blocks.

Following that, the Council commissioned an accredited fire safety company to carry out fire resistance testing on its door stock, including two composite and one timber brand. The Council booked that in April and received initial results in July. The composite doors were tested on one side, which was standard practice at the time. The Government has since issued guidance that requires composite doors be tested on both sides. The manufacturers tell us their doors have passed that test; they intend to share those results, which we will scrutinise carefully.

Testing of the timber door will be undertaken by the Government in the coming weeks.

Young men from across Hackney attended an inspirational careers event at Young Hackney’s Forest Road Youth Hub on Tuesday 2 October.

Over 50 young people attended the event, coming from local secondary schools; City Academy, Stoke Newington, Hackney New School, Skinners and Swanlea.

The day saw 17 local professional men and entrepreneurs of all ages and from a range of backgrounds, sharing their stories and offering informal career advice on their field of expertise in a bid to motivate and galvanise young men.

Guest speakers included company director Richard Blackburn, who set up his own multi million pound recruitment company, after leaving school with only a few GCSEs. Alongside Firefighter Richard Reid, entrepreneur Matt Lo and Reg Amoah social responsibility manager for charity ELBA.

Matt Lo, Founder and CEO of health and fitness company Outrivals, said: “It’s good for young people to know there are different options in life, and to feel that they can be open minded when thinking about their future. I hope young people can learn today that you will get far with a good work ethic, and that you shouldn’t be afraid to dream, as dreams can take you a long way.”

The young audience listened to speeches and took part in discussion groups to talk informally with all of the speakers. Which also included Hackney Council officers, apprentices, film industry professionals, tech experts and people from other fields who all had an inspirational story to tell.

Ben Fox, Firefighter, who was formerly a London Fire Service Cadet, but had many other jobs before deciding to join the service, said: “Days like today are great for finding out there are many different job roles out there, in our case it’s not just a fire engine rushing past on the way to an emergency, there are actually loads of other things going on behind that. Though you may start with one job, there are no straight career paths in life, so even if you are unsure, you may start in one place but it can lead you to somewhere you love.”

The speakers gave valuable insights into their chosen career paths, talking about their real life experiences, successes and failures, which all helped them grow and achieve. Young people discussed their dreams and aspirations and saw how volunteering and hobbies could be key to getting the future careers they want. The groups also talked about the importance of first impressions, what employers are looking for, and even practiced handshakes and eye contact.

Mahin Ahmed, a Year 9 pupil from Swanlea School said: “It’s been great hearing from different people who choose different paths for their careers. It’s great to learn about how they made mistakes, but learnt from them and that it doesn't matter if you made a mistake or not because you will learn a thing or two.”

Juliet Alexander, Careers, WRL & Enterprise Manager at Stoke Newington School said: “It was a great opportunity for our young boys to meet such inspirational men and hear about their journeys. I think it helped to motivate them to do better in their studies. It was wonderful the way these busy professionals took time out to enthuse and inform our students, many of whom do not have strong male role models. It was great to have professionals with such a variety of stories to tell. Our boys also really liked meeting a former Stoke Newington student who had left school with only a few GCSEs, gone on to study a BTEC locally and now had a full time job as a gas fitter. Congratulations to the entire team, we will be back next year.”

For more information on Young Hackney and to see what other events they are hosting you can visit: www.younghackney.org. Or follow @younghackney on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter. If you want to find out more about volunteering with young people, contact xanthippi.karkantou@hackney.gov.uk.

Hackney libraries will be celebrating National Libraries Week with a season of events focusing on wellbeing.

The week-long programme, from 8-13 October 2018, aims to highlight the best that UK libraries have to offer.

This year Hackney’s libraries will showcase how they bring communities together, combat loneliness, provide a space for reading, creativity and support people with their mental health and wellbeing.

All Libraries in the borough will offer Mindful Colouring for all ages and other free sessions for families and adults. From a ‘knit and natter’ session at Hackney Central Library to a digital wellbeing workshop for families at Dalston CLR James Library.

Hackney Libraries are also taking part in the ‘Worlds of Possibility’ London Libraries Festival, on Saturday the 13 October, which will showcase the wider cultural impact that libraries have by delivering a range of free activities across the network of 325 public libraries.

For more information about events in Hackney’s libraries visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/libraries-whats-on. For more information on National Libraries Week visit www.librariesweek.org.uk/

Hackney Council joined over 20 local businesses in signing up to offer free tap water refills in a bid to help residents ditch plastic bottles.

Research shows that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea, a large part of this will be from the 420 million bottles that end up in landfill each year that get blown into the ocean, damaging the environment and harming wildlife. The Refill London action plan aims to reduce the number of plastic bottles used by the public, by encouraging people to take out reusable bottles and fill them up when they are out and about.

Eleven volunteers took to the streets to explain the benefits to businesses of signing up to the pledge to offer free water refills, as part of the first ever National Refill Day, on 27 September.

Volunteer, Lucy Simler, said: “It’s really important to get people to use less bottles, this refill scheme makes it a lot easier for people, and will help us all reduce waste.”

Businesses who commit to refill were added to the Refill app - https://www.refill.org.uk/get-the-refill-app/ - and given a sticker to display in their window if they wish. The Council is working with Refill London, a City to Sea and Thames Water collaboration, to promote the scheme in the borough.

Andrew Woodyatt from the Rio Cinema in Dalston, which is a refill station, said: “It is essential for all businesses to support any initiatives like Refill London that cut down on single use plastic. The Rio Cinema is very committed to eliminating plastics all together, our food packaging is made of sustainable paper and card materials, and the cups we use are compostable vegware. We have a zero to landfill policy and work with First Mile to recycle all our waste and hope this inspires other cinemas to follow our lead. As part of the current refurbishment of the Rio we are installing LED lighting to reduce our energy consumption, and looking at ways to make the Rio carbon neutral, including plans to become the first solar powered cinema in the UK."

Hackney Service Centre is one of the buildings now proudly displaying a Refill sticker, and thirsty residents are welcome to ask any member of customer service staff for a refill.

Businesses looking to get involved can download the app and add their refill site. Alternatively they can email london@refill.org.uk.

A Council tenant has been forced to pay thousands of pounds after illegally subletting his Council property.

Jeremy Matuba pleaded guilty in August to three criminal offences under the Fraud Act 2006 related to subletting his home and providing false information on two right to buy applications.

A Council investigation identified evidence that he had sublet his Council home to multiple sub-tenants while he was actually living elsewhere. Mr Matuba received a two year suspended prison sentence, 250 hours community service and a three month curfew.

The criminal prosecution followed separate legal proceedings in the civil court to end the tenancy which resulted in an award of outright possession to the Council.

A conviction for certain criminal offences enables the Council to take further action under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA), allowing for the confiscation of criminal assets, regardless of whether they are directly linked to the original conviction.

Proceedings concluded at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 19 September resulting in a confiscation order against Mr Matuba for £147,998.97.

Anybody who wishes to report social housing misuse is urged to contact the Tenancy Fraud Team on 020 8356 2508 or by email to housing.fraud@hackney.gov.uk or by contacting their social landlord.

Landlords in Hackney could face unlimited fines and prosecution unless they apply for a licence before 3 December, as part of new property licensing measures coming into force in Hackney.

The new powers mean that landlords of all private rented homes in Brownswood, Cazenove and Stoke Newington wards will need to hold a licence committing them to keeping properties safe and treating tenants fairly.

And landlords of the 4,000 Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) – with two or more households and shared facilities such as kitchens, bathrooms and toilets – across the borough will also need a licence requiring them to meet acceptable standards.

Those who don’t get licensed or fail to comply with the conditions will face fixed penalties of up to £30,000, a criminal prosecution with unlimited fine, or be forced to pay tenants back up to a year’s rent. Serious offenders can be banned from letting homes completely, and placed on a rogue landlords database.

The Council’s private housing enforcement team is set to almost double in size to uncover perpetrators and tackle issues such as inadequate heating, damp and mould, dangerous boilers, exposed wiring and vermin infestations.

Council research found that around one in five homes covered under the new measures suffer from serious hazards, disrepair or poor management.

Landlords who require a licensce are able to apply online from today (25 September) and will need to make an application before enforcement begins from 3 December. Find out more about the application process and the licensing fees and conditions.

Thanks to the 10,000 residents that ordered a food waste caddy over the past two years, Hackney is now recycling more than it ever has before.

For this years Recycle Week, which takes places between 24-30 September, Hackney Council wants even more people to reduce and recycle their food waste, which will help lower the borough’s impact on the environment and help households save money.

According to Recycle for London, households in the capital throw away one bag of food shopping for every 5 bought, which means around £840 per family goes in the bin each year. As well as being bad for the bank balance, all this waste generates 19 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Residents in Hackney can recycle any cooked or uncooked food, vegetable and fruit peelings, tea bags, bones, egg shells and plate scrapings in their blue bin. No amount of food waste is too small, the more that can be recycled, the better. All this food then gets turned into compost which is used for agriculture and it also generates renewable energy.

As well as recycling unwanted food in a blue bin, residents can also make other changes to their daily routine to reduce food waste, such as freezing bread. It’s no loafing matter that 2.6 million slices of bread are thrown away every day from London households.

Find out more about reducing your food waste, or order yourself a blue bin by visiting www.hackney.gov.uk/food-waste.

Find out more about how you can recycle and re-use more by visiting CLR James Dalston Library on Monday 24 September between 6-7.30pm. Speak to recycling officers about where your recycling goes, pick up recycling bags and learn some waste reduction tips. Fill out a short booking form to reserve your place, sign-up here.

A brand new pavilion and changing rooms officially opened at Hackney Marshes on Wednesday, completing Hackney Council's multi-million pound transformation of the Marshes and Mabley Green.

The North Marsh Pavilion, which replaces old facilities that had come to the end of their life, will provide 16 new changing rooms, four officials' rooms, cricket practice nets and a social space overlooking the cricket pitch.

To mark the opening of the new pavilion, Stoke Newington Cricket Club and Pedro Youth Football Club hosted matches and a training session, watched by representatives from the Council and guests from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Football Foundation.

The Council worked in partnership with the ECB, the Football Foundation and other funding partners to build the new high-quality changing facilities, with the changing rooms complying to national football and cricketing standards.

The pavilion is designed to be as unobtrusive as possible, with landscaping including a new stand of poplars planted across the southern face of the building. It also incorporates a variety of sustainable features, including a brown roof, which uses the soil displaced from the site, and foundations in the car park and landscaped areas made from the crushed remains of the building it replaced.

The opening of the North Marsh Pavilion completes the Council’s transformation of Hackney Marshes. This has included a new all weather pitches and improved landscaping at Mabley Green, bringing back the football pitches at the East Marsh after the London Olympics, developing the Hackney Marshes Centre, new cycling and walking routes to link the Marshes to the Olympic Park, and the refurbishment of Cow Bridge.

The England and Wales Cricket Board and Football Foundation contributed £800,000 and £1.94m respectively to the £17m Hackney Marshes transformation.

Atticus Endean, 11, who plays for Middlesex County Cricket Club and Stoke Newington, said: "I think the new pavilion is really snazzy, it’s really nice. The changing rooms are great. It’s a lot better than it used to be. The old changing rooms were terrible. It’s also such a big impact to have the new cricket nets because we’ve never had nets at Hackney Marshes and it will just help people train and get their eye in for batting and bowling.”

Wilhelmina Garcia, 13, who also plays for Middlesex and Stoke Newington, said: “We now have somewhere nearby to train so we can just come here any use the nets whenever we can! It’s really helpful for our Middlesex training that we’re able to train here when we can.”

Bruce Cruse, ECB Head of Participation said: “The new pavilion and cricketing facilities at Hackney Marshes will empower local communities to have the opportunity to play the game in a way and at times that suits them.

“Our South Asian Action Plan includes a commitment to providing access to cricketing facilities in urban areas across the country and projects like this are a key part of our plans to grow the game, get a bat and ball in more hands and ensure that cricket is a sport that is accessible for everyone.”

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Grassroots sport plays an important role in communities across the UK, creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds. That is why I am delighted that Hackney Council has now opened their regeneration project at Hackney Marshes, thanks to investment from the Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund.

“Continuing to improve access to high-quality facilities like this one is a key aim for the Premier League, The FA and the Government. Delivered by the Football Foundation, their funding supports projects for clubs and organisations all over the country and is helping to boost the number of people benefiting from sport through better facilities.

“Grassroots football provides so many benefits for members of the community, not least of which is the opportunity to enjoy themselves. Love for our national game, something that can be found across the country, is an integral part of what drives the Foundation and its Funding Partners to keep increasing the standards and quality of our facilities.”

From as early as 1873 Black musicians have been influencing the cultural scene in Hackney. By the 1970s the borough was leading the way in genres such as rocksteady and reggae and producing its own internationally renowned stars. A new exhibition opening at Hackney Museum next month explores this and the important history and legacy of African and Caribbean music in the borough.

The exhibition, ‘Roots, Rhythms & Records: The Sounds and Stories of African & Caribbean Music in Hackney’, launches on Thursday 4 October at the Museum, and runs until March. The launch will be followed by a free live music gig at 8pm, in the Hackney Empire bar, which includes performances from African and Caribbean musicians in the borough today, such as the Grand Union Orchestra.

Hackney’s well established African and Caribbean communities have used music as an opportunity for personal expression, and to challenge issues of discrimination and racism. Over the years, nightclubs, radio stations, sound systems and record shops have been established in the borough to meet the cultural, social and economic needs of the community.

The display uncovers the history behind music in Hackney, including photographs, oral histories and stories from some of Hackney’s most loved venues.

The exhibition not only looks at the music itself but also about the wider industry, influences and social history. The display also shows how music spawned entrepreneurs at the 30 record shops that once existed across the borough and in the bedroom studios of teenagers. There will also be a chance to listen to Hackney residents telling their stories in their own words, as well as the opportunity for the younger generation to learn to play the steel pan and have a go at listening to a vinyl record.

To coincide with Hackney Museum’s ‘Roots, Rhythms & Records’ exhibition, resident archivist, Etienne Joseph and Head of Hackney Music Service, James Thomas, have pulled together recommended listening from some of the borough’s most inspirational musicians. Listen using the Spotify app at sptfy.com/18xH and visit Hackney Museum to find out more about the history surrounding Hackney’s music scene.

The exhibition runs until March 2019. More details can be found online: www.hackney.gov.uk/museum by calling 020 8356 3500 or by following @HackneyMuseum on social media.

The exhibition is part of Hackney Council’s Black History Season. For more information, pick up a programme of activities from libraries and other venues across the borough, visit the Black History webpage or follow the year-round Black History awareness campaign in Hackney on Facebook.

The demolition of a long disused boiler house in Clapton to make way for genuinely affordable homes as part of Hackney Council’s housebuilding programme has started.

The removal of the building on Pedro Street in Clapton Park will allow 26 new Council homes to be built, all for social rent or shared ownership and prioritised for local people.

The site is one of more than 20 that will provide almost 2,000 new Council homes between 2018 and 2022 - and one of the first in a new push to transform underused Council land such as garages, car parks and depots with much needed housing. More than half of these will be for social rent and shared ownership, with the remaining homes for outright sale to help pay for them.

The Pedro Street development will replace the building with a mix of family-sized and smaller homes that meet the local need in the area, as well as an improved public space linking the homes to Gilpin Square.

The social rent homes will be prioritised for people already living close to Pedro Street who are on the Council’s housing waiting list, such as families in overcrowded accommodation or who need a new home for health reasons. The shared ownership homes will offer a more affordable route into home ownership for people living and working in Hackney.