Meet our New EDN Rep Dominic Ellison

Dominic Ellison is the new Economic Development Network representative for the VCS at Team Hackney meetings, he'll also work with the EDN team to shape the direction of the network. Get to know Dominic and find out more about his experience in the sector below:

Where are you from?

I am originally from Wigan, Lancashire

Where do you live?

I now live in Telegraph Hill, South East London (just 20 mins from Dalston on the overground!)

What organisations do you work for?

My main role currently is Managing Director at Hackney Co-operative Developments CIC. HCD is a co-operative development agency which supports new and developing co-operatives, as well as social enterprises, charities and small businesses. We also head the GSquared Partnership, of which I am on the board and which delivers the events programme on Gillett Square in Dalston, where HCD’s ‘Dalston Culture House’ is based.

I am a Director of London Co-op Development, which is a capital-wide development body formed of a number of individual CDAs. I am also a Director of Co-operatives London, which is the regional Co-operative Council and works in close partnership with Co-operatives UK.

I am a Director of the Vortex Jazz Club which is based in Dalston Culture House and has seven evening performances of cutting-edge jazz each week, as well as being a major partner in the delivery of the Gillett Square cultural and community events programme.

What do you like about Hackney?

Hackney is a vibrant and exciting place to be. While I was studying my Fine Art degree, Hackney would be the place I would head to be part of fantastic emerging arts scenes. Since then I have variously lived and worked around the borough and at all times it has been the place I head to party and enjoy music. Hackney has, for many years, attracted both migrant and creative communities, which share a characteristic for innovative enterprise. This means there is always something new and fascinating to discover in this rich cultural tapestry.

Why are you passionate about the community and voluntary sector?

In my experience, many key services are best delivered by the third sector and I have learned this working with projects supporting people from early years to old age. When communities are empowered to find their own solutions to social need, the result is services that put the recipient at the heart and focus on addressing their multiple needs. At the same time communities build and strengthen around assets created to meet the community’s needs.

Working in the community and voluntary sector gives me the opportunity to work with people who are driven by a passion for helping other people. We may not always agree about the right solutions, but we all have a common goal, which is about making communities more fair and resilient, not putting the individual first where competition is not appropriate.