Chair's update: November

Tom Walker, Chair

The highlight last month was the photo shoot with Hackney's Mayor, Philip Glanville, to formally start works on the Abney Park restoration project. In the mid-1970s, local residents first launched the campaign to Save Abney Park Cemetery (SAPC) after the cemetery company went bankrupt.

From this the Trust was formally constituted in the early 1990s and ran the park for several years as a lessee. After many years of campaigning and working to improve Abney Park, this National Lottery Heritage Fund project will be a huge investment and will help tell the story of Abney for years to come. The Trust's members aim to continue the dedication and commitment that our predecessors have invested into the Park over the years, and we were really pleased to join the Mayor to mark the occasion.

We will keep you up to date with developments about the project on our website and on our social media pages. Regular visitors will have seen the new temporary "container accommodation" at the High Street entrance. Our team, Zach and Haydn, are now working here alongside the contractors.

November is an important month for the Trust. As a registered charity we have to produce audited accounts each year which are published on the Charity Commission website. The accounts and annual report set out our finances and everything we have done through lockdown. Despite the challenges of COVID 19 we have had a very successful year putting the Trust in a healthy financial position to continue all that we do. We hope to increase our focus on monument restoration and repair.

November is also an important month for events, and the highlights are listed below. We are always on the lookout for artists, musicians and neighbours to collaborate with. At the very end of October we were really pleased to welcome poet and writer Chris McCabe along with celebrated Hackney writer Iain Sinclair. Chris' new book has just been published and you can read a review here. Why not pick up a copy at Stoke Newington Bookshop?

The park is still very green and lush. The paths are muddier but it still provides a peaceful place to escape the city bustle. Follow us on social media for more #AbneyAutumn.