You may remember us having a series of public meetings a couple of years back, to discuss various ideas for keeping money circulating locally.

It was an evolution attempts to improve upon the static business directories and loyalty schemes we’ve seen launch in so many other areas, with associated big fanfare (and costs), before ultimately not delivering that much for locals, or small businesses.

Talk of establishing a local currency came up, but examples from places like Brixton (which once had the now defunct Brixton Pound, including striking banknotes featuring David Bowie), also seemed to flag up lessons in how hard it can be.

Yet the conversations have persisted, and now, Hyejoon (June) Yoon, a Masters student at Loughborough University London, is undertaking more research into how Hackney Wick & Fish Island residents and businesses feel about the very latest kinds of digital currencies.

Essentially, the Wick ‘coin’ would be something this sits seamlessly in your phone wallet, and could be used towards the purchase of goods or services in the neighbourhood, offering a range of locals-only discounts, special offers and rewards for undertaking activities that add social value.

It could be a genuinely exciting new way for the community here to support each other and to discover more places to find things on their doorstep, instead of shopping online. It also could be a way for bigger stakeholders to demonstrate the real social impact by adding value to the scheme, and for charities and other organisations to benefit from locally circulating money, too.

We’d love to hear what you think, so if you have any initial feedback or questions on the concept, June is ready and waiting to spend a few minutes talking to you. Here’s more info and where you can arrange a short chat with her via email or WhatsApp.

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🍖Over at Riverside East this week, there are a couple of tasty outdoor sessions going on. First up on Fri 7th Aug, the London Reggae & Food Festival offers roots selectors, live acoustic sets, and a proper jerk barbecue. Then on Sun 9th Aug, the celebration continues with a full daytime gathering marking Jamaican Independence Day, bringing live steel pan performances, spoken word, and local food stalls.

💥Bodyslams, flying elbows, and ring drama land at Colour Factory on Thurs 6th Aug as Hustle presents another edition of Hackney Wick Wrestling. The indie wrestling outfit takes over Queen's Yard with an 18+ showcase of championship matches, theatrics, and mayhem - promising a riotous, beer-in-hand Thursday evening spectacle.

🎬Settle in with a pint for a dose of dark cult cinema as Bar Trash screens 1982 black comedy Eating Raoul at Beer Merchants Tap. The cult movie night takes over the taproom on Sun 9th Aug, serving up the tale of a squeamish suburban couple who resort to murder to fund their dream restaurant.

🔔Social Yoga are launching a weekly Gong Bath and Sound Healing Sunday series starting this Sun 9th Aug. The 1hr30 session pairs guided breathwork with a sonic immersion using Paiste symphonic gongs, planetary gongs, singing bowls, and chimes.

🌮Black Eats Fest takes over Hackney Bridge from Fri 7th - Sun 9th Aug. The Black-owned food and lifestyle festival brings together dozens of independent street food traders, artisan bakers, indie bookshops, and skincare makers right along the River Lea. Three days to sample hot rotis, plant-based dishes, and small-batch sauces while browsing handmade crafts from local creators.

🧶Tufted Wall Piece Workshop takes place at Fashion District E15 (inside Hackney Bridge’s Echo Building) on Sun 9th Aug. Get hands-on with yarn and master this satisfying craft, guided through designing, loop-tufting, and trimming a textile wall hanging.

🎨Barge East host an Abstract Painting Workshop on Tues 11th Aug with artist Joan Mitchell. The outdoor session involves over 2 hours of brushwork, colour mixing, and canvas work by the water with all materials provided. Go on, get a bit of paint on your hands, and sip a drink down by the canal.

Check out local culture reviews, features & interviews every week on thisisthewick.com

🤝Nile Nights lands at LVLS on Thurs 7th Aug with Sudanese sound culture taking over the space. The live bill brings together performances from Sudani artists YK, G-Salih, and Wad Almzad, alongside sets from resident DJs Love Bonez and Mode Nads. A portion of ticket sales supports Haboba's House to help rebuild homes affected by the conflict in Sudan.

🎷Saxophonist and DJ Nathan Haines brings his blend of soulful house, jazz, and live instrumental riffs to Crate Brewery on Sat 9th Aug. Best known for his collaborations with the late Phil Asher, the virtuoso takes over the decks for a daytime set peppered with live sax solos.

🌴Discoteque Tropicale make their debut at Grow on Fri 7th Aug, with a mix of retro zouk, soca, tropical disco, and global house cuts. The digging crew set up shop with guest selectors ARLYSS, Atlas, and SANOY.

⚽Catch community sports collective Club Friendly at Colour Factory on Sat 8th Aug, bringing a lively blend of tournament energy and DJ sets spanning UK garage, house, and global club rhythms across the venue's dual sound systems.

⚡On Sun 9th Aug, techno crew Elata Collective lead a daytime party at Number 90 - with guest sets from Justine Perry, Uväll, and Hitam alongside resident DJs.

🏛️City Hall has launched the Draft London Plan Consultation Online Drop-in Sessions, running throughout August via Microsoft Teams. If you care about how development, infrastructure, and green spaces will evolve across East London over the next two decades, these free drop-in sessions let you hear directly from City Hall planners and submit your questions in advance.

🍷The team at new neighbourhood café & wine bar BĀDŌ (pronounced bay-doh), just across the park on Victory Parade, are running a crowdfunding campaign to help with start up costs. Chip in here.

📰 Independent music publication The Young Dudes is officially rebranding to TYD, and to celebrate the evolution, Issue 3 will be distributed for free across local record shops, cafés, and other venues in August. To keep their independent music journalism accessible to all, they’ve launched a £3,200 crowdfunder to help print copies and support the scene. Chip in to that one here.

👕Local collective U SHIRT by NN now have an online U SHIRT marketplace. Buy artwork and designs from artists. Send them your T-shirt. They will print it into a USHIRT and send it back to you. After cost, 80% goes to the artist. Win Win Win. Win for the artist, they get paid. Win for you, you get a USHIRT. Win for the world, we don’t make more clothes. Check it out here.

🚀Discover Creative Careers has launched a fresh chapter as an expanded UK-wide initiative designed to make creative careers accessible to all young people (ages 11–24), particularly those from underrepresented communities. Delivered by the Creative Careers Collective, the updated platform connects students, educators, and industry leaders with hands-on work experience opportunities, career resources, and pathways into the UK's creative economy.

🏆 Submissions are open for the biennial East London Art Prize, celebrating the incredible diversity of art made here in East London. Headed by Bow Arts and supported by local partners including East Bank and V&A East, the prize is open to artists living or working in eligible boroughs, including Hackney and Tower Hamlets. Twelve shortlisted artists will be featured in a group show with access to mentoring grants, while the overall winner will receive a £15,000 cash prize and a solo exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery in Bow. Apply by Aug 16th.

💁🏼‍♂️ All grassroots community organisations based in Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest are invited to partner with Students’ Union UCL to strengthen your organisation through skilled student volunteering. From one-off projects to year-long partnerships including group volunteering, co-created research and volunteering events, the Students' Union's Social Impact Team connect local charities and community organisations with passionate UCL students to support your goals. Fill out the referral form to speak to the team and find out more about the opportunities.

📌The Line is recruiting a new Chair of Trustees. The voluntary role has a three year term with an option to renew. The time commitment is approx. 1-2 days per month, leading 4 board meetings per year. Apply by 7th Sept by emailing your details to [email protected].

🌱Hackney Green Futures - Jobs, Skills & Sustainable Careers will take place on Wed 26th Aug at Teesside University London, Here East. The free event will bring together employers, apprenticeship providers, colleges, universities and training organisations to showcase opportunities in the green economy, including live vacancies, apprenticeships, training, careers advice, demonstrations, workshops and free LinkedIn/CV headshots. The event is aimed at 16 to 30-year-olds, but everyone is welcome.

🔪 Barge East are looking for a tenant for a newly built commercial kitchen within their secure food production hub in the centre of Hackney Wick. The space would suit an independent caterer, food producer, baker, meal prep business or anyone developing food products who is looking for a dedicated production base in East London. For more info, photos or to arrange a viewing, email [email protected].

📕 The Wick Book is a limited edition 160-page hardback historic record, looking at 15 years of culture, community and change in the neighbourhood through the pages of The Wick. We’re now down to the last 100 copies.

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