Charities have welcomed the cash injection. Photo: Neil Roberts

More than £2.5m has been awarded to community and voluntary groups in Hackney through the Hackney Grants Programme, which is administered by the council.

A total of 73 organisations were funded to run 90 projects for local people next year, including Albion Kids Show, Age Concern Hackney, and Shakespeare Walk Adventure Playground. Community groups and umbrella organisations such as Jewish charity Interlink, the An-Viet Foundation, and Day-Mer Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre will also receive funding.

Violet Higgins, 77, welcomed the move. She said: “Age Concern do so much good work. I particularly enjoy the Internet lessons that they organise. A lot of elderly people have so little understanding of modern gadgets. At my age it’s a relief to get out of the house now and then to see my girlfriends.”

The annual programme was heavily over-subscribed with requests for nearly three times the available funding. Applications were scored on how well they could address key priorities such as tackling unemployment, promoting health and wellbeing and making Hackney safer while also demonstrating good value for money.

Councillor Nargis Khan, cabinet member for community services, said: “It is positive to see the diversity of the borough reflected in the wide range of organisations that received funding this year. Clearly the voluntary and community sectors are adding value at every level when it comes to improving the lives of Hackney residents, and the Council is pleased to support this through the administration of the Hackney Grants programme.”