Supporting residents over the summer and beyond
The increased cost of living is continuing to have an impact on Hackney’s communities and by working in partnership with the Council, we have been able to distribute a further £75,000 to help. This summer, we funded 15 projects that provided food and essentials, offered meals in a community space or which contributed towards utility bill payments.
One resident who was helped with food vouchers said “Thank you! thank you! thank you! I had been walking around sick with worry about how we will manage it all and this just feels like a great big hug!”
Another said:
“I work full time but face a considerable amount of debt. With the soaring cost of living, it has gotten to the point where it is really overwhelming with 5 children to provide for, one being physically disabled. People underestimate that you could be working and earning as much as you can and still struggle with daily food expenses… We are so grateful for your help. You delivered a life-saving food parcel which sustained us until we settled some of our major financial issues. You went beyond every call of duty, packing quality foods that we could never otherwise afford, giving our children something to look forward to every day of the week!”
Hackney Giving has now given grants totalling £334,000 to not for profit groups working to support residents. The demand for support with the cost of living is huge and ongoing: 77 applications were received for these 15 grants, meaning we were able to fund just 19% with the budget available. We plan to work with the Council to distribute additional funding in the coming months.
Community Chest
Hackney Giving has also given ten grants of £2,500 to organisations working to reduce the barriers to accessing health and financial services. Funded projects have included:
- Mental health support for young people in the summer holidays.
- IT classes for older people, focusing on how to access health information.
- Workshops for refugees and asylum seekers to explain UK healthcare services.
- Advice provision in different communities.
This work has been funded by North East London Health and Care Partnership. Projects started in August 2023 and will run till January 2024.
