Children at Benthal Primary School in Stoke Newington dressed up as toys for the day to raise money to buy Christmas gifts for children experiencing extreme poverty. The playground was filled with toy soldiers, Rubix cubes, Uno cards and even a space hopper. It’s the third year the school has supported the Winter Toy Appeal. Staff and pupils paid £1 to dress as toys on November 29th and a group of children will go shopping to pick out gifts for the Appeal. Headteacher Louise Drew said: “The children really engage with the toy appeal - they love getting dressed up and they feel very proud to know they are helping to send a little magic to those who are experiencing hard times.” Each year the

Independent traders in Stoke Newington are pulling out all the stops for A Very Stokey Christmas. The event takes place on Sunday December 8 (11am till 5pm), with much of the activity centred outside the Fire Station on Church St. There’ll be a snowball competition (with targets to aim at), a Santa’s grotto with lovely gifts and choirs will be singing! The event will help raise funds for the Winter Toy Appeal (delivering gifts to children experiencing poverty), Solace women’s refuges and Hackney Quest (which helps young people develop skills and reach their potential). Over 30 local businesses are taking part and there will be plenty of mulled wine and mince pies. Location Location has dec

Forget Black Friday! Celebrate independent shops, artists, makers and small businesses instead! The team behind the Just a Card campaign have launched Indie Week (from November 25th till the 29th) as a colourful alternative to Black Friday. Since its launch in 2015 in a bid to bolster dwindling sales, the grassroots campaign has amassed over 10,000 independent high street and online businesses which proudly display the Just a Card sticker. Now they’re urging people to shop small in the run up to Christmas. Sarah Hamilton, the artist who founded Just a Card, said: “Our campaign is changing the way people shop! From bookshops to bakeries, artists, makers and designers, independents bring us so

As a teenager Poppy Alfredou dreamt of a life in fashion, she was underweight and had bad eating habits – the last place you’d find her was in the gym. But when she moved from her home in Cyprus to study fashion at university in London, she stumbled across The Factory gym in Hornsey and it changed her life. She’s one of many clients-turned fitness instructors who have quit their day jobs (or in her case her degree) to pursue a whole new career in fitness. She said: “The great thing about this place is that the personal training sessions are included as part of your membership. I quickly became hooked on the endorphins I get from working out; I knew it was serious when I’d turn down nights ou

Imagine going without lunch every day so your children can eat. Imagine being so hungry you load your coffee with seven sugars at the children’s centre. Imagine queuing for food packages at a Food Bank because the wages you earn simply aren’t enough to cover the cost of food and rent or because you’ve been without benefits for five weeks while you wait for Universal Credits to come. Imagine being the only child in a class full of children who daren’t ask for a Christmas present because poverty in your household is so extreme. Now imagine being a mum or dad who knows they won’t be able to buy a gift. These are the families our Winter Toy Appeal reaches. This is the sixth annual toy appeal and

Why drive to a soulless out-of-town cinema when you can walk to your nearest independent for an altogether richer experience? The reasons for supporting independent cinemas are plentiful but here are a few to get you started! Scroll down for 6 of the best too. Most are steeped in history – from Grade II Listed and stunning Art Deco buildings to neglected community halls which had seen better days. Their survival and ongoing maintenance depends on the individuals who now run them. Independent cinemas are a focal point for community life - they’re where friendships are made, horizons broadened and where vital interactions take place to that make people feel part of their communities. The prog

A popular neighbourhood bar in Islington that serves the best brunches in town has just added a restaurant to its offering. The Little Bat Bar on Islington Park Street, which is a sister business to whimsical cocktail bar Callooh Callay, has relaunched as the Little Bat Bar & Kitchen, welcoming Head Chef Ian McIntosh to the team and transforming part of the building into a 24-cover restaurant. The food is modern, British, seasonal and incredibly fresh; with vegetables picked just a day or two before serving. Brunch dishes include Roast Tamworth pork belly breakfast banh mi; pancakes, passionfruit cream, strawberries, maple syrup as well as their classic smashed avocado and poached eggs. For