I have worked for Hackney Shed since 2013 and it is a really special place. I've only ever run a half marathon once before and it was 5 years ago to raise funds for Hackney Shed. It's our 25th anniversary and so I'm doing it again. Even though I said I would never do it again after the last time...!!!

Click here to see a message from our young people to cheer us on! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwKBOrXhos

For those who don't know, Hackney Shed is an inclusive theatre group in Hackney for young people under 26. We have 4 different groups and run regular outreach and partnership workshops and masterclasses. Our groups are open to everyone, but we have a strong focus on welcoming Disabled and Neurodivergent young people as well as those with other access needs. All our projects are “donate what you can” so that we are financially accessible to everyone. During the course of a year Hackney Shed works with over 400 children, young people and volunteers as part of our activities.

I have worked with many different theatre organisations over the years but I'm really proud of the work that we do at Hackney Shed. The young people are incredibly creative, inclusive and silly and our team of staff and volunteers work relentlessly to make it a welcoming and accessible space. That said, it is expensive to run, compared to other theatre groups. In order to make the group accessible there are so many additional costs, for example: extra staffing to support those who need it, creating bespoke materials for individuals that access language in a different way, and requiring more space than a typical group of our size.

Hackney Shed means a lot to me and I hope that you can dig deep and help us reach our fundraising target for our 25th anniversary!

Have a look at our main Just Giving page for more info about Hackney Shed

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/runhackneyshed26?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL