What about the other election that is happening on May 3rd?

With a week to go before the May 3rd elections we wanted to highlight the other, often overlooked election taking place next week.

Whilst the Mayoral election has received acres of newsprint across London and the nation's media the elections for the London Assembly have seen little in the way of coverage, and few people know about the work of Jennette Arnold who has been the Labour London Assembly member for North East London for almost a decade.

Jennette is currently Chair of the London Assembly and is also a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority. Her work focuses on the key issues that impact the daily lives of her constituents in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest - improved transport services, crime reduction and affordable housing.

Before entering politics Jennette worked in nursing, including a number of roles at the Royal College of Nursing. As Chair of the London Health Commission she successfully campaigned for a smoke free London, and as a member of the London Assembly's transport committee she has worked hard to improve accessibility across the London transport network.

You can find out more about Jennette on her website which can be found here.

You can find more about the London elections as a whole on the London elects website.

Cycling in Hackney

As we approach the summer months the borough sees a increase in the number of cyclist on its roads. Already London’s top cycling borough, we’re keen to encourage even more people to take up travelling by bike.

One of the main ways to increase confidence is through training. The Council offers a wide variety of cycle training activities, classes and courses throughout the borough.

The training on offer suitable for people who want to:

• learn to balance on a bike for the first time
• gain confidence and skills to start riding on the road
• troubleshoot bad habits after having experience riding on the road
• learn to ride with their children on the road

All training is free of charge for people who live, work or study in the borough.

You can find out more about the types of training available here.

For HGV drivers, the Council also offers courses toimprove their awareness of cyclists. This aims to address the high number of accidents that occur between cyclists and HGV vehicles.

Alongside this, the council has an ongoing programme to prioritise cycling when money is invested into the borough – both in terms of road improvement and residential developments.

As cyclists ourselves we're always keen to hear ideas for how the borough can by made better for bikes, so if you have any suggestions please do get in touch.

Hackney Pirates

The Hackney Pirates are an after-school charity organisation aiming to develop the literacy and creativity of the young people of Hackney which was set up in 2010 by locals interested in supporting young people in the borough.

At their HQ in Downham Road, the Pirates work with young people, giving one-to-one attention in a fun space. Young Pirates can get extra help with homework and also work on creating professionally produced products such as books and CDs. 

The Pirates are always on the lookout for volunteers to come aboard. New crew members are required to attend a short evening training session and complete a Criminal Records Bureau form.

If you can spare some time to help with their work you can write to them at crew@hackneypirates.org or at the Pirate HQ: 1-9 Downham Road, London, N1 5AA.

Residents interested in learning more can see additional details on the Hackney Pirates on their website, and they can be seen in action on their YouTube channel.

Parents, teachers and youth workers who would like to refer a young person to the Hackney Pirates can contact Camilla Cook for details on the referral process.

Olympic Torch Coming to De Beauvoir

We were delighted to find out that the Olympic Torch will be coming to De Beauvoir on the afternoon of Saturday 21 July.

The torch - which has been designed by Shoreditch-based duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby - will make its way up Kingsland Road, past Whitmore Estate, Kingsland Wharfs and Lockner Estate on its way to Stoke Newington where there will be a huge free community event in Clissold Park to celebrate the occasion. A carnival will accompany the torch as it passes through the borough. 

We’re excited that the Torch is coming to De Beauvoir and look forward to celebrating with you! You can find out more about the Olympic Torch relay here.