Hackney Giving is designed to bring people together and support communities. The programme has a positive impact on a range of stakeholders including residents, community groups, businesses and the public sector locally.
Read our latest Impact Report here.
Hackney Giving resumed grantmaking in April 2020, following a break in the programme’s delivery. Since then we have distributed more than £2.5 million to not-for-profit groups in Hackney and the City.
Number of grants given
Total value
Number of VCS groups funded
KM travelled by sponsored sportspeople
Between April 2020 and November 2023, we:
For full details of what we have funded, please see our grants made page
Reducing the impact of the increased cost of living
In response to stories of the increased cost of living and the impact it was having on people’s lives, Hackney Giving launched a fundraising appeal to raise money to support communities in Hackney. Thanks to the generosity of individuals and businesses, in November 2022 we were able to give three grants of £5,000 to not-for-profit groups working with people facing ever more difficult financial circumstances. The grants paid for food for families, a lunch club for older people and after school provision including a hot meal for young people.
Hackney Council approached us in late 2022, to say that they had similar priorities for their own funding and propose that we work together to distribute additional funds. We have worked with the Council since then and have made grants worth £641,818 to support Hackney residents deal with the increased cost of living.
We have also been able to offer a further two grants totalling £7,650 using funds raised by the community.
We are grateful to the organisations delivering these vital frontline services.
“I would like to say a Very Big Thanks on behalf of my five children and myself for the help and support received via food parcels during this period of home isolation and lockdown due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. This support has been really helpful and well organised and is much appreciated.” – a service user, who received food parcels funded by Hackney Giving
Hackney Giving in the Covid-19 pandemic
At the start of the pandemic, we changed direction overnight in order to respond to an immediate and growing need. Many people wanted to give to the community, while others needed access to food and supplies as they were cut off from their usual support channels.
Our grants during the pandemic funded VCS organisations to:
Provide food and supplies.
Reduce inequalities.
Reduce the digital divide.
Reduce isolation and loneliness.
Support people remotely.
Make a positive difference to people’s wellbeing.
Help people recuperate and remain safe at home.
Provide public health information to communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Help people living with mental health issues.
Support vaccination events and provide outreach to reduce vaccination inequity.
Hackney Giving worked closely with partners in the public sector to secure fair funding for voluntary and community sector organisations. We hosted regular grant-holders’ forum meetings where colleagues from both sectors exchanged knowledge: information about the changing rules and rates of infection was provided by Public Health and insight from communities across the borough was shared by community partners. This cross-sectoral model has proven effective at communicating public health messages to communities.
“Thanks are due across the organisations – it’s a phenomenal piece of work and we couldn’t have done it without Hackney Giving and VCH, the Community Champions and the groups.” – a senior Public Health specialist at London Borough of Hackney
Hackney is a vibrant place with diverse communities and many creative centres but where many residents live in poverty, isolation and poor health. The Covid-19 pandemic and increased cost of living have both highlighted these entrenched health and social inequalities.
Hackney has the fourth highest rate of child poverty in London.
The borough is relatively deprived, ranking 18th most deprived borough in England and the 2nd most deprived borough in London (IMD 2019).
The prevalence of people with common mental health disorders aged over 16 was measured at 24% in 2017 – the highest level in England.
Loneliness affects many people in Hackney. The percentage of adults (in Hackney and the City of London) who feel lonely often, always or some of the time was 21% in 2019.
At Hackney Giving, we work to make a positive impact on the borough by channelling funding to community groups who are working to address the inequalities faced by Hackney residents.
Our work with public sector partners continues, building on the foundations laid during the pandemic. We now want to build relationships with businesses and increase the number of residents who choose to support community groups in the area via Hackney Giving.
“You have been so patient with us. As a small charity with no paid admin or funding staff; this is the only way we could access funding.” – A grant funded organisation, providing feedback about working with Hackney Giving
