Chair's update, December 2024

Tom Walker, Chair

Happy Christmas and New Year.

We've had an amazing year since we opened the Chapel on 4th February 2024 to the public on for the first time.  We have provided access to thousands of people this year through a huge range of diverse occasions.

We have had a full programme of events and it has been absolutely brilliant to run events and a whole lot more promoting Abney's history and ecology and involving new communities in the park.  We have delivered nearly all the events that the National Heritage Lottery Fund plan requires, and we have seen people from all faiths and communities engage in new ways.  It has been a testament to the energy and creativity that Steph and Haydn bring to their work, plus the tireless efforts of all our Trustees and volunteers.

Thank you to the biggest crowd we have had at our AGM at the end of November.  We showcased our work, signed off the accounts and made some important changes to our articles to allow us to refashion the way the Trust works next year.  Thank you to everyone who came to support and find out more about what we do.

If you are Christmas shopping do pop into the cafe - we have some Abney merch on sale including books about history and ecology.  All proceeds get reinvested in our work.

The council has recently confirmed that our core grant will be cut next year.  This does pose some significant challenges.  They currently pay a grant of £22k a year (about 45% of our income in 23/24 - and a smaller percentage in this current year).  We are hopeful that some will be retained after September but that is not clear yet.  We will need to be creative about how we close the funding gap and we have some good ideas.  If you would like to make a donation or even better a direct debit then please do so through our CAF donation page.  It will all go to promoting Abney Park through the staff time and events we do and in particular working with groups who typically don't access this amazing site in the middle of Hackney.

Thank you for your support and Happy New Year.