CEN Achievements

By hosting events, liaising with local VCS networks and leaders, and campaigning for change often in partnership with the public sector, the CEN has achieved much for Hackney’s communities.

Below is a snapshot of CEN achievements

• Commissioning: Secured £100k for the VCS to deliver their own childhood obesity interventions and increased the amount of funding for the VCS to deliver youth projects to £1.5million.
• Domestic violence: CEN networks have been working with Hackney Council to increase understanding about how violence against women affects Hackney’s diverse communities.
• Economic Development Support for CEN reps’ and Economic Development Network’s proposals to maximise local provision of training and job search by linking large and small providers.
• Environment issues: Our CEN rep to the Housing Investment Subgroup, raised the issues of Fuel Poverty which prompted Team Hackney to set up a working group to look into this. This has now resulted in commissioning through the Sustainable Environment Subgroup about CO2 emissions.
• Community networks: Our grants programme supported 15 networks including three new networks to meet needs in their communities:
• Hackney Vietnamese Network – looking at domestic violence and drug and alcohol issues
• African Women’s Network – focussed on disseminating information to prevent domestic violence and female circumcision in the African community
• Hackney Francophone Organisations Network – working with the Congolese community in Hackney looking at worklessness, youth crime and mental health issues.
• Youth Crime - Team Hackney’s Safer Young Hackney sub group supported CEN rep’s proposal for targeted commissioning in the VCS to reach most marginalised young people.