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World Clean Up Day
World Clean Up Day is taking place on 17 September. 60 million volunteers in 191 countries will get together to clean up their local environment. We are running a number of litter picks and clean up events on the day. Register to come along to one, or set up your own! If you would like to set up your own session, let us know the details and we will help promote it. Helpful advice on how to run a litter pick can be found at https://hackney.gov.uk/community-litter-picks. Alternatively, join us at
Abney Park
Clapton Common Pond
Clissold Park
Daubeney Fields
Hackney Downs
Wick Woodland
Girls Football League
Following the recent success of the England Lionesses winning the UEFA Women's Euros 22, we will be launching the Hackney Marshes x Capital Girls League for the 22/23 season. The League will be an extension of the already successful Hackney Marshes Saturday Youth Football League (HMSYFL) 21/22 Girls Divisional football competition which culminated with the winners being presented with their medals and trophies at Hackney Marshes in July.
The Capital Girls League is the largest girl’s football league in Greater London and the collaboration will be a huge opportunity to further develop girls football in the borough. Also joining the collaboration will be West Ham United FC Women's Academy, whose contribution to support the development of the new League will include a number of free tickets to watch their home WSL matches. For further information on the Hackney Marshes x Capital Girls League 22/23 or if you are a Club with teams who would like to join the League then please contact michael.cole@hackney.gov.uk.
Play Area Improvements
Work is due to start on transforming the play areas in Haggerston Park, Clapton Square, Stoke Newington Common and Butterfield Green in September. There has been a slight delay with the works, as lead times for the supply of equipment has dramatically increased over the last year, with some play equipment now taking 6 months to be delivered. The play areas will be closed during the works, which are due to be completed by the end of the year. The original designs can be viewed via the links below.
Haggerston Park starting on 5 September
Clapton Square starting on 12 September
Stoke Newington Common starting on 19 September
Butterfield Green starting on 26 September
Tree Musketeers
The Tree Musketeers are restarting work sessions at the Hackney Community Tree Nursery on the last Saturday of each month (10.00 - 15.00). Work sessions involve everything from watering and weeding, repotting and pot cleaning, composting and harvesting to re-organising the nursery and site maintenance. Wear something that you don’t mind getting dirty! They are also having an Open Day on 18 September - all welcome!
Abney Park
The Abney Park Trust, in conjunction with author Sharon Wright, has reached the £5,000 fundraising target to create and install a permanent memorial to pioneering female aeronaut Margaret Graham (who is buried in the park). In 1826, Margaret Graham became the first English woman to fly solo when she ascended in her balloon from Islington in north London aged just 22. The memorial will feature a relief carving of the celebrated aeronaut in her balloon and the date she made history with her solo flight. The memorial will also feature names of the four people who share Margaret’s grave. Thanks to all who donated and supported!
The Abney Park Trust have also recently launched a new children’s trail. You can find copies of the trail in cafes & shops near the park. They will also be available at the Trust's open day on 24th September. The beautiful illustrations were created by Hackney artists Sarah Finke and Susanna Burton, and funding came from the Hello Again, Hackney fund.
The new cafe in Abney Park is starting to take shape as the steel structure has started to be erected. Cazenove ward councillor and Cabinet Member for Families, Parks and Leisure, Cllr. Caroline Woodley, shared this fantastic aerial video of the renovation works in progress, sent to her by a local resident
Connecting Green Spaces
Work is due to start at the end of September to improve the link between the two halves of Ufton Gardens on Ufton Road as part of our Connecting Green Spaces programme.
The road was temporarily closed in 2021, and now that a decision has been made to keep the closure permanent, we are planning to plant trees, install cycle racks, remove car parking spaces and install a rain garden in the street.
Shoreditch Park
Work is progressing well on the improvement project at Shoreditch Park. The wildflower meadow has been seeded, and 9 new benches installed. The Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) is complete apart from the colour coating and line marking. The outdoor gym equipment has been delivered and the area has been prepared ready for installation. The removal of the old play equipment is complete. Excavation and mounding works in the new play area are well progressed and path construction is underway (see below).
Plastic Free Cafe
Hackney's Parks and Green Spaces Strategy has a commitment to "Eliminate single use plastic from all of our park cafes and kiosks".
Along with 100% compostable takeaway packaging and condiment stations, Park Life Café in Clissold Park's range of confectionary, crisps and snacks is now completely plastic-free!
Individually plastic wrapped confectionery and crisps have all been replaced with alternatives packaged in biodegradable and compostable packaging. New items in the range also have greater sustainability credentials, from favouring wonky and surplus fruits that would otherwise go to waste to including 100% natural and plant-based ingredients. Their new plant based chocolate has a carbon footprint over 50% lower than chocolate made with cow’s milk.
Well Street Common Bat Report
2022 marks the 11th year in which a group of volunteers has surveyed the bats of Well Street Common. The group counts and records the number of bats that passes through the Common, with their data forming part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP). This year the group encountered 2 Serotines, 1 Noctule, 46 common Pipistrelles and 57 Soprano Pipistrelles. On their second outing they encountered 3 Noctules, 9 Serotines, 32 Common Pipistrelles and 38 Sopranos. If you would like to run your own survey, contact bats.org.uk.
Pictures
Fiona Bruce filming the Antiques Roadshow at Abney Park
Clissold Park Splash Pad by Tim
First Clissold conkers by Christine
Millfields outdoor gym by Cllr Rathbone
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