Hackney Citizen - Hackney Citizen: latest news, events, reviews and opinion from Hackney's free, independent monthly newspaper

Residents over the age of 16 in the affected areas asked to take PCR test even if they are symptom-free

Volunteers at Stoke Newington’s woodland haven are looking forward to the future after a ‘challenging’ pandemic

Cllr Sophie Conway raises concerns about families ‘opting out’ of the system

Richard Brown calls for ‘urgent’ oversight of special schools outside the borough where local children have been placed

Local health watchdog remains concerned that reorganisation ‘may result in poorer service’

Time for government to ‘end central command and control’, says borough leader

Borough leader defends alternative river crossing as ‘incredibly important’ while acting as proxy for London Mayor Sadiq Khan in online hustings

Move ‘could deliver efficiency savings alongside improvements’, according to council report

Deschanel Gordon becomes patron for Awards for Young Musicians, which he says was ‘crucial’ to his development

Hackney Downs councillor takes over from Jennette Arnold OBE, who steps aside after 17 years in the role

The victim, believed to be in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene after police responded to reports of gunfire

Labour holds three of the four wards up for grabs, while the Tories retain Stamford Hill West

Two artists curating the First Words In Dalston display want to hit 250 submissions by the summer

MPs last week voted down amendment designed to protect leaseholders from crippling fire safety costs

Shoreditch gallery Autograph unveils selection of submissions for project honouring a ‘brilliant place to call home’

School wants an apology from ITV over ‘unbalanced’ coverage, but broadcaster says it stands by story

Nine schools sign letter to Hackney’s transport boss knocking proposal for School Street

Domestic abuse charity Sistah Space chairs event organised by the Women’s Equality Party

Precious Martini-Brown, 74, sat down in Stoke Newington last Saturday as part of XR’s Rebellion of One campaign

Kate Poland on lawns, and why a little bit of chaos is not always a bad thing

Targeted testing announced in Dalston and Shoreditch after Indian variant discovered

Abney Park fully reopens after a year of virtual events – with 181st anniversary just around the corner

School exclusions plummet during lockdown as home education spikes

Some children with SEND ‘only getting an hour of education a day’, warns local headteacher

Contentious pathology lab merger should make ‘no difference’ to patients, says Homerton Hospital

‘Riding roughshod over local democracy’: Hackney Mayor picks apart Whitehall’s agenda following Queen’s Speech

Hackney Mayor defends apparent U-turn on controversial Silvertown Tunnel plans

Town Hall set to merge wellbeing services for everyone under the age of 25

Hackney jazz prodigy joins charity that helped pay for his piano lessons as a teenager

Labour’s Sem Moema elected as north-east London’s representative at City Hall

Police launch probe after man with serious injuries dies in Gillett Square

By-election results leave Hackney’s political landscape unchanged

Pick your favourite opening line from a book for public artwork in Dalston

Cladding crisis: Homeowners promise summer of protests after Commons defeat

#HackneyIsHome: Photographs by members of the public celebrate life in the borough

Hackney New School to complain to Ofcom over ITV report on disciplinary practices

Jewish school leaders call for ‘rethink’ of Dunsmure Road traffic-calming plans

By-election candidates debate violence against women and girls at online hustings

‘The future is bleak’: Hackney resident blocks local traffic on day of climate action

The Citizen Gardener: No Mow May