New Speaker of Hackney puts young people and the homeless on his agenda

Cllr Michael Desmond has been elected as this year’s Speaker of Hackney, and has put young people and the homeless onto his fundraising agenda.

As the civic representative for Hackney, the Speaker welcomes visitors to the borough, chairs council meetings, presides over citizenship ceremonies and raises money for local charities.

Having founded a charity, House the Homeless, Hackney Downs ward Cllr Michael Desmond witnessed first hand the huge impact that mentors and positive role models play in motivating young people to “never give up, believe in themselves and look forward to the future”.

For this reason he has chosen to support charity for homeless people, St Mungo’s, and the Fairbridge Programme of the Prince’s Trust, which he believes “make a difference to young people’s lives and have made a huge impact in Hackney”.

With ancestry links to the borough going back to the mid-19th century and having lived in Hackney for over 25 years, Cllr Desmond is aware of the challenges faced in the borough and is keen to raise awareness of its successful transformation over the last decade.

He hopes to foster partnerships between business and public services for the benefit of the community and has also set his sights on sporting achievement in the borough.

For more information about the new Speaker or if you would like him to attend an event call 020 8356 3591, email speaker@hackney.gov.uk or write to: Speaker of Hackney, c/o the Speaker’s office, Room 72, Hackney Town Hall, Mare Street, E8 1EA.