A stand-up star from Mock the Week will be putting on a performance at a special charitable Dragons’ Den-style crowdfunding night in Hoxton.
Hackney Giving Live will see three pioneering local charities will pitch to the audience to raise funds for their grassroots community projects on Monday April 13 at the trendy Hoxton Square HQ of personalised shopping site, Lyst.
Amongst the three charities taking part are award-winning youth group The Crib from the De Beauvoir Estate who are appealing for funds for an innovative music project to strengthen relations between the police and young people.
Women and Young People’s Safety Solutions which provides self-defence and personal safety training for local women will also be pitching with Evergreen Play, who are seeking support for their supervised adventure playground for young children.
In addition to the live crowdfunding, the audience will be treated to an exclusive performance from fantastic Hackney local, Ava Vidal, a regular TV presence on BBC2’s Mock the Week comedy programme which sees two teams of comedians taking a satirical swipe at the news.
Vidal, who became a mother at 18, earned a living as a prison officer at Pentonville before turning to stand-up, is now a fixture on the stand-up circuit and puts in appearances on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Kings of Comedy.
She said: “I did the Hackney New Act of the Year talent competition years ago which was a great experience and makes Hackney really special to me.
“I’m supporting the Hackney Giving event because the charities they are supporting are doing fantastic work with young people and women.”
The night has been put together by Hackney Giving, a cross-sector charity initiative which was set up last year to provide a simple and effective way for people to support the wider community.
Jake Ferguson, CEO of Hackney CVS, which founded Hackney Giving, urged people to come along and support the charities.
“Hackney is a thriving borough with a great sense of community, however, alongside the increasing wealth and business start-ups in Hackney, some of our residents experience disadvantage and poverty and this is why we set up a local giving fund to enable local community groups to deliver suitable projects.
“As well as being a fantastic way to support local community projects, Hackney Giving Live promises to be a lively and inspiring night out.”
Tickets cost £10 can be booked at www.hackneygiving.org.uk.
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