See this powerful film about mothers learning of their son's death.
Calling with information about knife crime may feel hard - but there are harder calls. If you ever have any information about knife crime, you can anonymously call Crimestoppers and help prevent further deaths.
See here for further information and to learn more about these mothers' stories.
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones.
It is vital we all take the vaccine as soon as it is our turn to do so. I've recently had my first jab and it was quick, easy, and pain-free.
Hackney Council has produced an excellent booklet with further information about the vaccines and Hackney's vaccination centres. Click the pdf link below to read it in full.
Calling all young Hackney creatives aged 18 or under.
Newington Green Meeting House: Revolutionary Ideas project and Hackney Museum are still accepting entries for their Mary Wollstonecraft art project. They are asking students to create a piece of art inspired by Mary’s story and her time at Newington Green.
You have until the end of the month to submit. See here for further details.
Thanks Kazeem and the NHS for giving me my vaccine today. It was quick, painless, and easy.
Please take the vaccine when it is your turn to do so. It's the best way of protecting ourselves and our loved ones.
Young people in Hackney and the UK have spent the majority of their lives here but must pay eye-watering fees for citizenship.
They are talented, capable, and essentially British – but priced out of citizenship. The Government must act.
I remain concerned about the slow broadband in parts of Hackney. With more people working from home, I am pressing Openreach about the not-spots. The average download speed in London is 78.3 Mbps, however in Hackney Central it is as low as 47.4 Mbps, putting it in the worst 30 per cent of areas across the UK. Shoreditch is also in the worst 10 per cent of areas in the UK for people unable to receive good speeds.
Hackney Community Champions are doing excellent work communicating key public health messages to family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.
Find out more and apply for grant funding here.
Deadline for this round of grants is tomorrow.
I have been working hard to press the Government to ensure that every child has access to regular, nutritious, healthy food. Last month, I signed Emma Lewell-Buck MP's letter to the Minister for Children and Families to urge the Government to scale up school breakfast funding and make support to schools permanent. See more here.
We have now received this response from the minister. Read the letter in full by clicking the pdf attachment below.
It is vital that COVID-19 vaccination centres are accessible for everyone, including people with sight loss.
I wrote to the Minister for Vaccine Deployment and asked him to outline how the Government is ensuring that COVID-19 vaccination centres are fully accessible. You can read his response here and click on the pdf link below to download and read the letter in full.
If you, or anyone you know, needs to use the Foodbank, please note that vouchers must be acquired through referral agencies. Many of these organisations have moved their services online.