We feel that it is essential that we work together with other organisations in the borough to bring about an environment and an abundance of services that can support our clients to achieve long term, sustainable and holistic change in their quality of life through better health, connection and prosperity. Please use the links below to explore what is available in your local area and to find services which may help you move towards achieving your goals.
Cooking Skills and Food Access
Made in Hackney - Their mission is to tackle health inequalities, food access, the climate crisis and bring communities together using the power of plants. They offer courses such as:
- Community Class - Zero Waste Cooking
- Course: Cooking for Type 2 Diabetes
- 6-week Cooking Course for Carers
- Community Class - Good Mood Food
- Community Class - One Pot Cooking
To book into these classes and find out all the details, follow this link: Whats On | Made In Hackney. Their most recent poster can be found here.
Carib Eats London: They deliver delicious Caribbean food to those who need it across Hackney. Carib Eats also aims to be a friendly face who can connect the community, providing conversations to those experiencing isolation due to the pandemic or personal circumstances. The warm space is open 11-3.30. The canteen is open 12-3, with the meal served at 1. Criteria for eligibility: Over 50's, resident of Hackney, affected by the cost-of-living crisis, isolated, and need of support. The venue is: Northwold Community Centre Northwold Est 131 Upper Clapton Road E5 9SA. Please call 07958060947 or email caribeatslondon@gmail.com for further information.
St Peter’s Church, De Beauvoir - They provide affordable (free or by donation to those without means) meals the last Friday of the month, from 12 noon to 2pm. The meals are cooked and served by local volunteers. All are welcome. For more information contact debeauvoir.community.cafe@gmail.com. They are also looking for volunteers to cook or help out on the day. Expenses are reimbursed. Please also get in touch if you are interested.
Hackney School of Food - FREE cooking and exercise workshops for parents who would like support with healthier lifestyles. These workshop are only open to parents who have a child/children under the age of 18. The 12 workshops will take place at the Hackney School of Food, which is next to Mandeville School on Oswald Street, London E5 0BT, with the first session starting on Friday 9 June 2023. Anyone interested in taking part should email hello@hackneyschooloffood.com. Please find the poster with more information here.
Physical Activity Classes and Initiatives
Healthier Together Hackney - The Healthier Together Hackney programme offers both Weight Management and Physical Activity on Referral programmes to support you to achieve your personal goals whether that be losing weight or becoming more active.
Walking groups - This is a programme of weekly and monthly walks around Hackney. A regular 10 minute brisk walk can boost your energy, clear your head and lift your mood, and can help people with lower back pain or at risk of high blood pressure. It can also improve your long-term health. Please use the updated Walking together schedule and the Walking together walkers guidance.
Sharp End - A place to connect, be active, learn and share your time, with like minded peers. They now offer hybrid classes to support people aged over 50 to be healthy and independent, in a nutshell, The SHARP End “keeps you stronger for longer”.
The New Age Games programme is a free sport and physical activity programme for Hackney residents aged 50 and over, which can help users increase and sustain exercise to recommended levels, contributing to a healthy lifestyle. Please find the summer timetable from Tuesday 2 May to Monday 24 July 2023 here
Exercise for over 50s | Hackney Council - Follow this link for the timetable for The New Age Games programme. New Age Games is a sport and physical activity programme for Hackney residents aged 50 and over. It can help you increase the amount of exercise you do and sustain it, contributing to a healthy lifestyle. The New Age Games autumn/winter full programme returns from 12 September 2022 to Saturday 18 March 2023 (no sessions held from 11 December to 15 January).
Fit 4 Health Specialist Exercise after Stroke scheme - This is an established free community-based service positioned at the final stage of rehabilitation and re-enablement in health and social care. It supports individuals in the maintenance of healthy lifestyle changes and the subsequent transition to independent living. The programme is designed to meet the long-term effects of stroke and the varied and wide-ranging exercise needs of stroke and TIA sufferers. They are currently accepting referrals from health professionals. Please see the Fit 4 Health poster.
Fit 4 Health slow-paced walk - Returns 19 April 2023, Wednesdays, 11.30am-12.15pm. Places must be booked before attending.. This walk is for people who have suffered a stroke/TIA or have mobility issues. To be eligible to attend you must be a Hackney resident or be registered to a Hackney based GP. This meets within the garden area of Clissold House Cafe, Clissold Park, off Green Lanes/Church Street N16 9HJ. To book/further information contact helen.mcginley@hackney.gov.uk or telephone: 020 8356 5285 or call/text 07483 335 891. Please find the Fit for Health - Slow Pace Walk poster with more information.
Better – They provide physical activity across Hackney and aim to get more people, more active, more often. They are the UK’s largest leisure charitable social enterprise, giving communities access to facilities that help improve their health and happiness through participation in activities. They are a staff-owned leisure trust and work in partnership with councils and other partners, managing leisure centres, sports facilities, libraries, day spas and children's centres across the UK.
Community and Social Support
Together Better Hackney - They are Hackney's volunteer centre with the aim to improve employment outcomes, build social cohesion, boost mental wellbeing and reduce social isolation. They offer 'Monthly Mondays Community Cooking sessions' where you can learn to cook, share recipes, and meet new people. They also offer lots of different activities across the community including exercise classes such as Thai Boxing, Walking Groups, Seated Dance, Yoga and more.
City & Hackney Neighbourhoods - Neighbourhoods brings residents, voluntary sector, health, education and care services together in City & Hackney’s eight Neighbourhoods, to work together on what matters to local people and address health inequalities. They also provide a comprehensive map of services by area.
Shoreditch Trust - Shoreditch Trust is working to create a future free from inequality. Their people-focused and peer-support approach enables them to model their services around the needs of those they support, facilitating individual and community leadership and development and encouraging people to achieve their goals
Morningside Community Centre - Youth club, community lunches, fitness and activity sessions, community days and much more taking place at Morningside Community Centre, Cresset Rd, London E9 6SJ. They offer physical activity sessions for free including Box Fit, Zumba and Chair-based exercise. A full timetable can be found in this Hope warm space poster
Tikva - Tikva offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities for adults with moderate to severe learning disabilities tailored to the needs of the Orthodox Jewish community.
Hackney Parochial Charities - They have three charities that aim to relieve poverty in Hackney by giving grants to individuals who live in Hackney or for projects that are based in Hackney or that will benefit people in the borough.
Bikur Cholim – The aim of this organisation is to relieve the effects of sickness, poor physical and mental health and old age, for people of the Orthodox Jewish community in North London by assisting with the provision of support, facilities and services.
Heating and Energy Financial Support
Energy tips | Hackney Council - Follow this link for tips to support with fuel poverty by making your home and behaviour more energy efficient. This link also provides information on Winter Fuel Payments, Warm Home Discount Scheme and Cold Weather Payments.
Warm Spaces - Warm Spaces is designed to signpost anyone in need of warmth & community, to a warm space to share with others. Hackney council have worked with warm spaces and local venues. You can use one of their interactive maps to find your nearest space.
Emergency help with fuel costs for pensioners - The London Borough of Hackney has a small amount of money to help pensioners who are struggling to pay their gas and electric bills. This help is only available for pensioners (over 66).
Library of Things - Library of Things is a social enterprise that helps people save money and reduce waste by affordably renting out useful items. Hackney Council is taking action to keep residents warm this winter by offering free access for 24 hours to a thermal imaging camera in partnership with Library of Things - in Dalston CLR James Library. Register with a Hackney postcode to borrow this item for free to make your home more energy efficient to save money all winter long. You can register your interest here.
Financial Support
Help at hand: A guide to the support available for Hackney residents during the cost of living crisis - The Resident Participation team at Hackney Council has produced a booklet for residents which provides a very helpful overview of the support available to residents who are struggling with financial difficulties.
Council Tax Rebate | Hackney Council – Please see this website for advice and information on receiving a council tax rebate. For assistance with this process, you can call 0208 356 3111 Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm for support with applications over the phone.
Little Village – This is a resource for parents who may be struggling to buy essentials for their children. It works in the same way as a food bank but is more based around providing clothes, nappies, wipes etc. They accept referrals from professional and voluntary organisations working with families in an official capacity.
Cost of Living Pack - The DWP has produced a guide to support for residents struggling with the cost of living in East London. This digital booklet is designed to be a practical guide detailing the support announced and made available by the Government, councils, and local organisations.
GLA Cost of Living Hub - The Greater London Assembly (GLA) has launched a cost of living hub, which provides signposting as well as advice on maximising residents’ income, help with keeping warm, and help for residents in financial crisis.
Emotional Health and Wellbeing
City and Hackney Talking Therapies - They help people with a wide range of worries, common mental health problems and emotional difficulties, offering a wide range of tried and tested talking therapies. Talk Changes is available to adults who are registered with a GP in City and Hackney. You can complete the self-referral from online or ask to be referred by your GP.
Walk-in Crisis Café - City & Hackney - Walk-In Crisis Cafe, offering a welcoming cuppa and immediate support for anyone who is struggling or not coping in a safe, supportive place. They will also follow up with a range of support to help you find new ways to cope with difficulties and avoid future crisis.
City & Hackney Wellbeing Network - The City and Hackney Wellbeing Network, offers high-quality free support to help people prevent the onset of mental health problems and alleviate issues such as stress, anxiety and low mood. They also offer support to adults with severe and enduring mental health conditions
Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest - Part of the Mind network, Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest is an independent mental health charity providing support for local people.
Jewish Association for Mental Illness – They provide practical and emotional support for anyone affected by a mental health problem in the Jewish community. They improve mental health understanding for thousands more people through training, seminars and other educational sessions.
Derman – They provide health and social care services, such as mental health, welfare advice and health advocacy, to support the Kurdish, Turkish, Turkish Cypriot and Eastern European Turkish speaking people. Their services are up and running, and they’re seeing clients face to face in our office / GP surgeries in person as well as operating digitally and over the phone if and when needed.
St Joseph's Bereavement Service – They offer bereavement support and counselling to those in need (aged 18+). Support is available online and over the phone.
Other Local Support
City & Hackney CCG - See this website for additional weight management and healthy eating services commissioned by the care commissioning group for other age groups.
Healthwatch Hackney - This is your local health and social care champion. They make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers hear your voice and use your feedback to improve care. They can also help people to find reliable and trustworthy information and advice.
HENRY - The Best Start with HENRY service in City & Hackney is supporting hundreds of local families with children, from shortly after birth, right through to starting school – to provide a healthy, happy start in life for their children and the whole family.
Smoking cessation - Smokefree City & Hackney is the local stop smoking service for adults (18 years plus) who live, work or study in Hackney or in the City of London (or who have a City or Hackney GP.
Turning point - The City & Hackney Recovery Service is a service for residents struggling with alcohol and substance misuse issues.
Hackney Mind’s Welfare Advice Service – Their Welfare Rights service supports clients by offering welfare benefit and debt advice to adults in Hackney. Their information is free, independent, impartial and confidential. They can also support individuals access their full benefit entitlements.
Hackney Community Law Centre – Offers free legal and independent legal advice for the residents of Hackney on Employment, Housing, Asylum & Immigration & Welfare Benefits.
Women only activities via Better Health (pay as you go as well as membership options available)
Women Only Swimming
Britannia Leisure Centre – Monday 12-2pm & Wednesday 7.10-10pm
Clissold Leisure Centre – Monday 12-1pm, Tuesday 7.45-9.50pm, Thursday 12-1pm
King’s Hall Leisure Centre – Thursday 7-9.30pm
London Fields Lido – Tuesday 7.50-9pm
Women Only Gym & Classes
King’s Hall Leisure Centre, Programmable gym: Thursday 7-10pm
King’s Hall Leisure Centre, Step Aerobics – Thursday 6-7pm
King’s Hall Leisure Centre, Aqua Aerobics – Thursday 7-7.45pm & 7.45-8.30pm
