Businesses urged to support Hackney Giving’s Cost of Living Fundraising Appeal to help local residents this winter

For many people living in Hackney, higher utility bills and fuel costs will mean the difference between making ends meet and no longer being able to afford essential items.

For those who were already financially vulnerable, price increases will make things worse. Hackney Giving has launched a Cost of Living Fundraiser and we are appealing to businesses to support the fund so that together we can make things better for our neighbours this winter.

Sarah Watson, development and programme manager at Hackney Giving said: “Hackney Giving is the local giving scheme for Hackney and the City of London. We raise donations from individuals and businesses and channel the funds out to local not-for-profit community groups. Currently we know that people in Hackney and the City are feeling the pinch and we want to be in a position where we are helping people to navigate this crisis.

“During the pandemic we were humbled by the generosity of local residents and businesses who donated tens of thousands of pounds to Hackney Giving. We channelled this money to community groups and they provided food packages and other essentials to residents shielding at home. We are calling upon the generosity of Hackney and City residents and businesses once again to help people in need during the cost of living crisis. Hackney Giving already has just over £12,000 in hand from previous fundraising. We are looking to bring that up to £25,000 with this appeal.”

“Hackney Giving worked closely with Hackney Council, the NHS and the City and Hackney Public Health team during the pandemic to support residents and help them stay safe. We’ve distributed more than £1.3 million grants in the past two and a half years. We hope now to be able to support local communities as they deal with the current difficulties of the cost of living crisis.”

Hackney Giving has a track record of supporting many local communities including LGBTQ+ people, young autistic people, people living long term with HIV, people with mental health illness, disabled people and refugees and asylum seekers.

Watson added: “During the pandemic we supported many local residents including people for whom English isn’t their first language, making sure they had access to information, we supported residents who were isolated and living alone, adults with learning disabilities and adults with sensory disabilities, as well as a wide range of communities who have a shared heritage, so Turkish and Kurdish communities, Orthodox Jewish people, African heritage communities, Caribbean heritage communities, Vietnamese and Chinese communities, as well as families, younger people and older people. Everybody in Hackney, we try to make sure nobody in Hackney is left behind.”

Hackney Giving will pool the donations to the Cost of Living Crisis Appeal to make grants of £5,000 to small, not-for-profit community organisations so that they can support individuals with food and other necessities, contribute towards fuel and utility bills or provide hot meals for residents at a community lunch club.

The team will also invite applications from before or after-school clubs or holiday clubs, meaning that parents or carers can access free or affordable childcare so that they can work without having to pay for high cost childcare. We’d also like to support services which help people to save money by redistributing and reusing goods.

Hackney Giving is part of the local charity Hackney CVS. Tony Wong, chief executive officer, said: “Our members from across Hackney and City’s vibrant voluntary and community sector have voiced real concerns about the impact of the cost of living crisis for the most at risk within our communities. Not being able to put food on the table, pay essential bills to keep a roof over their head, buy new school uniforms for children going back to school, or being able to heat their homes as we approach winter are some of the real concerns facing our diverse communities.

“The voluntary and community sector is doing what it does best, and rallying round, but the scale of need is unprecedented. Vital funds raised through our Hackney Giving Cost of Living Fundraising Appeal, will be redistributed to local organisations on the frontline providing critical support to local people facing the worst economic going challenge of a generation. We've set an ambitious target of £25,000, with 100% of donations directly to the cause. Please visit hackneygiving.org.uk and donate what you can, as every pound will make a difference.”