What is Hackney Festival Support Group?

HFSG was set up in 1981 to supply local community festivals with the basic items of equipment needed to stage an event. In fact the organisation was constituted out of local festival committees in Hackney who had put forward a representative to from the management committee of HFSG Hackney's local community festivals, which ran every weekend through out the Summer, were then serviced by a small pool of equipment which was purchased with a one off capital grant and managed by a full time temporary worker whose wages were paid by a temporary revenue grant from Hackney Council.

In 1987 we became a registered charity and limited company, and our Hackney based user groups form the register of members. They represent a very broad range of community groups, including: tenant associations, refugee organization, homeless groups, single parent family groups, pensioners' action groups, play schemes, PTAs, ethnic minority interest groups, local action groups, arts and drama groups, and, festival committees.

The principle which underpins our support service is one of self-help and community determined initiative. By providing the resources to enable our membership to achieve some of their goals, be these fund raising, campaigning, or simply fostering community involvement, we allow local people to take a pro-active stance in their public lives. Operating in an inner city borough with its attendant problems and distresses we are able to conjoin improving the quality of peoples lives with community involvement.

Hackney Festivals Support Group is managed by a board of voluntary directors who are elected by the membership at each A.G.M. At present there are six directors. The project is run by one full-time staff, one volunteer and one part-time worker - casual workers and sub-contractors are regularly called upon to assist in delivery and setting up of equipment.

Due to grant aid from various bodies we are now able to offer our equipment for hire to statutory bodies such as local authorities, or any voluntary/community organisations who are based outside of Hackney. The charges that we levy are significantly less than commercial hire companies, but we insist that the events we hire to conform to our charitable objectives.

Core Principles of Hire Service
Hackney Festivals Support Group was set up to give assistance to community events in Hackney. We offer our support to events which improve and advance education, particularly by the production and promotion of educational performances and exhibitions and the encouragement of the Arts for the benefit of the public.

To take advantage of our hire service
telephone: 020 8806 7933

Equipment for hire listing feature page