Hackney CVS is the local infrastructure body for the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in Hackney and the City of London. For 30 years we have supported, connected and represented community organisations of every size and type. Our role is to strengthen the VCS, build collaboration and ensure that the organisations serving residents most affected by inequality can shape the decisions that affect them.

The legacy of our founder, Adiaha Antigha, and our long history serving the local area remains at our core. We recognise how much trust the VCS, individuals and communities have placed in us over the years, to convene and support, to challenge racism, power and injustice. From the 2011 riots to the Covid-19 pandemic, and responses to the 2020 case of Child Q and the murder of George Floyd, we have supported local organisations and residents to process, heal and respond.

At a time when inequalities are deepening and the need for community-rooted agency is greater than ever, we must carefully maintain trust, nurture old relationships and new, to continue to offer infrastructure, solidarity and a collective voice. Bejal Shah became our new CEO in 2025, and after significant internal changes in the last few years, we recommit ourselves to our purpose.

Our 2023-2028 strategy set out our vision of ‘A Fairer Society’. We remain committed to all the approaches we set out there. At the same time, as we have reached the halfway mark of that period, this is an opportune moment for a refresh, building on our extensive learning and listening. In particular, we want to focus more closely on what the sector wants from us and our core services, and on how we can have the most positive impact for organisations and the residents they serve.