November 2023

Patrick Scally joins the CDT as the Executive Lead for ReRoute

We are delighted to announce that Patrick Scally is joining HWFI CDT as the Executive Lead for our ReRoute Programme. Patrick joins us from LB Hackney and Tower Hamlets' Creative Enterprise Zone. He brings a wealth of knowledge about the local area as well as practical knowledge about place-based economic development and local engagement.

The ReRoute programme is a project designed by local people and businesses in Hackney Wick and Fish Island aimed at tackling climate change by coordinating local action and working together. The project has involved over 50 people, local authorities, institutions and businesses all of whom already participate or want to participate in taking climate change action. Our proposal is to test, trial, scale and grow ideas and business initiatives that seek to reduce the amount of waste and emissions in the local area.

With Patrick joining the team, the programme will be moving forward at pace, and exciting opportunities for local businesses and the community are coming soon - watch this space!

This post has been enabled by UKSPF's Future Industries Demonstrator Programme launched by SHIFT.

Alex, Executive Director says

“The experience Patrick has had working at the London Borough of Hackney and Tower Hamlets Creative Enterprise Zone gives him a great starting point to take this project to the next level and I know he will be integral to its success. We're delighted he is joining the team. “

Patrick says

“Working alongside the CDT here in HWFI for many years now, I believe their mission, approach and impact is essential for the area. I'm thrilled to be joining the team. From my first day in post, I want to continue the great work done by the CDT and listen to all voices in the community, so we can chart a path forward together. So, if you see me in the neighbourhood, let's connect.”

November 2023

The Loop:Call for innovators seeking space in Hackney Wick

ReLondon and Hackney Wick & Fish Island Community Development Trust (HWFI CDT) are pleased to be teaming up to create a circular, low-waste neighbourhood in Hackney Wick & Fish Island

The Loop is based at a temporary site at 119 Wallis Road in its first iteration and is available for a minimum of 12 months and up to 2 years. At the end of this period, the site will move to its permanent site in or around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, with location yet to be defined.

This unique hub will host a cluster of businesses working on the circular economy. By being part of this pioneering project, you will play a key role on developing and scaling a hub that aims to create a closed loop system within a hyper localised area, to serve Hackney Wick. Tenants of The Loop will also have the opportunity to develop relationships with Hackney Council, LLDC/ SHIFT Future Industries Demonstrator, HWFI CDT, ReLondon and UCL’s academic network.

We are currently inviting local innovators to apply for the following spaces:

Desk & Studio Workspace

The new site will offer a flexible number of desks in an open-plan workspace, with access to knowledge and resources from UCL academic business support and network. This space will be dedicated to any circular businesses seeking to trial and prototype new processes and undertake R&D locally related to the circular economy.

If you are interested in desk and studio space, please download the information document and check the eligibility criteria.

To apply, please complete the online application form here. The online registration form asks for basic information about your business, as well as what you are currently doing around the circular economy and how you intend to support the objectives of the site.

Desk spaces will be allocated on a rolling basis and subject to availability.

Operational Space

The site will also offer space for light-industrial use, for circular businesses offering specific solutions in food and packaging, and/or for food and drink waste, particularly in the context of hospitality; and that want to improve and scale their processes. The space will be dedicated to specific circular businesses whose core product or service is:

supplying circular packaging solution for the food and drinks sector (e.g. reusable container systems; innovative biodegradable packaging materials; alternatives to single use packaging)

and/or

providing an innovative solution to tackle food and drink waste, particularly in the context of hospitality (e.g. new applications for food waste from cafes; redistributing surplus to restaurants).

If you are interested in operational space, please download theinformation document and check the eligibility criteria.

To apply for operational space, please complete the online application form here no later than 8th December 2023, specifying which facilities at The Loop you would like to be considered for.

More Information

Following your submission, ReLondon and HWFI CDT will carefully review your application to ensure your business meets the eligibility criteria and the aims of the project.

Questions should be submitted by email addressed to business transformation’s business engagement lead Mafalda Oliveira at business@relondon.gov.uk by 27th November. Responses to questions will be communicated by 1st December.

If you would like to join a site visit with other potential tenants on 1st December 9am – 12pm please express your interest by email addressed to business transformation’s business engagement lead Mafalda Oliveira at business@relondon.gov.uk (agenda to follow).

We aim to get back to all applicants, regardless of their outcome, by 18th December 2023.

October 2023

Textile Reuse Hub Launch!

Last night was the official launch of the ReRoute Textile Reuse Hub and the Sustainable Young Makers programme. Attendees heard from our Executive Director, Alex Russell and Yodomo Director Sophie Rochester about the hard work that has gone into the programme.

The Sustainable Young Makers programme supports young people from the local area to establish their own creative businesses using sustainable approaches and is hosted by the Textile Reuse Hub. We have six great creative young makers joining the programme, watch this space for more information on their work!

Thanks to our friends and partners including, Yodomo, The Trampery, Rise Up East, Augarde & Partners, Poplar HARCA, Hackney Council, London Borough of Tower Hamlets and ReLondon for coming along, and for all your support. Thanks also to Toast for providing the refreshments!

See more photos from the night here.

August 2023

The Sustainable Young Makers Programme: Now open for applications!

What is the Sustainable Young Makers Programme?
Reroute’s Sustainable Young Makers Programme will support 6 young people, aged 18-30, from Hackney and Tower Hamlets to establish their own creative businesses using sustainable approaches. The project, which runs from September 2023 to March 2023, will support young creatives to set up or grow their own business in textiles, fashion or making using sustainable approaches.

Young creatives selected to take part will receive:

Access to studio workspace at the Textile Reuse Hub at the Tramery Fish Island village
A £500 grant to help get your business off the ground
Opportunities to showcase and sell your products
Access to the Make a Living business development programme, run by Yodomo
Mentoring and support from established fashion and textile businesses

Who is eligible for the programme?
The Sustainable Young Makers Programme is for young makers, small creative practitioners or emerging businesses working in fashion or textiles who are:

Aged 18-30
Living in either the London Borough of Hackney; or the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Educated to any level

How do I apply?
Simply fill out and submit this Google form before the closing date of Monday 4th September.

For more information and support with your application, contact Kianu at kianu@wickers.org

This project is part of Reroute, an initiative designed by local people and businesses in Hackney Wick and Fish Island aimed at tackling climate change. The programme is run as a partnership between Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust, Yodomo Ltd and Rise up East and is funded by the Mayor of London

June 2023

New Textile Reuse Hub to launch this summer

Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust (HWFI CDT) is excited to announce that, as part of the ReRoute project, it has secured a space with The Trampery Fish Island Village, to launch a textile reuse hub that will focus on solutions to reduce textile waste and be the home of the Sustainable Young Makers programme.

The Textile Reuse Hub will showcase circular economy approaches to fashion and making and is the first ReRoute project to launch.

ReRoute is coordinated by HWFI CDT and is a programme to test, trial, scale and grow ideas and business initiatives that seek to reduce the amount of waste and emissions in the local area. ReRoute is a project designed by local people and businesses aimed at tackling climate change by coordinating local action and working together.

The Sustainable Young Makers Programme will run out of the Textile Reuse Hub and support young people from the local area to establish their own creative businesses using sustainable approaches. Young creatives will learn key business and sustainability skills working with Yodomo's professional maker community. They will have the opportunity to work in the space, and use the space as a platform to launch and sell products.

The Hub will also host community workshops focused on the reuse of textile waste, encouraging all of us to build more sustainability into our lives and learn about the reuse of textiles, materials and ways to avoid unnecessary textile waste.

The Textile Reuse Hub will be managed by social venture partners Yodomo, with programme support from Poplar HARCA, Rise Up East and local youth charities with space provided by the Trampery.

The space will:

Provide a demonstrator for circular economy approaches to making, encouraging materials reuse and a space to use machinery and learn about materials to support sustainable making
Support young makers to gain experience in building their own fashion and making businesses, using circular approaches, or to adapt existing businesses to build in more sustainable approaches
Provide showcasing opportunities, including product launches, for Sustainable Young Makers
Engage the wider community in sustainable approaches to making through a series of events and activities
Encourage circular approaches in the wider Hackney Wick and Fish Island fashion, creative and making communities via access to material resources, linked to the Hackney Creative Reuse Project at Hackney City Farm

The Textile Reuse Hub has been made possible by the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) High Streets For All Challenge Fund and support from the London Borough of Hackney. In 2021, the GLA funded the HWFI CDT to deliver a circular economy initiative in the area, to demonstrate new ways of using the high street area and engaging young people in this agenda.

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