When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Hackney’s voluntary and community organisations sprang into action. Going far beyond what they were funded to deliver, they responded rapidly to unprecedented changes, adapting their expertise to meet urgent and changing needs. Embedded in communities, and identifying with residents, the expertise and reach of these organisations brought critical services to those that need them most.

At Hackney CVS we also sprang into action. We dug deep, focussed and pivoted our many services to adapt to what our communities and local organisations needed. We brought in nearly £2 million in new funding and created new spaces for people to come together at a Neighbourhood level. Building on our strong relationships, we collaborated across all sectors and across our diverse communities to meet needs and influence services, from the vaccination programme to responding to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Never has our work, and that of the sector more widely, been so critical. I commend all of you who have been working tirelessly to protect our local communities. The work obviously doesn’t stop now but we have lots we can build on.

Download the report or read the Executive Summary.