Features Archive

The Good, The Bad and The Virus: How Hackney is Fighting COVID-19

COVID-19 has forced the world to into lockdown: people are working from home, standing two metres apart in the ransacked …

by Joshua Lamb/ March 30, 2020/ Features, Hackney, Lead Stories, Society/

Crisis Skylight – a support hub for Croydon’s most vulnerable

For Tanya Marsh, Director of Crisis Skylight Croydon, the most satisfying thing about her job is the feeling of accomplishment …

by Valentina Romagnoli/ March 26, 2020/ Croydon, Features/

‘The gym smells more like a hospital’: How Coronavirus threatens our fitness as well as our health

With the increasing growth of Coronavirus across the UK, how is it impacting individuals ability to participate in sport and …

by Charles Woodham/ March 18, 2020/ Croydon, Features, Lead Stories, Sports/

Lost and Found: Hackney Museum to exhibit rediscovered photos from the 1980s

The photograph of protesters in Hackney shown above could have been taken last week at a climate rally or an …

by Joshua Lamb/ March 14, 2020/ Arts, Features, Hackney, Local News, Society/

The community worker getting Croydon’s young cooking and trading

With his experience in street trading and a desire to support teenagers with help from his family and the community, …

by Fiyon Gibson/ March 14, 2020/ Croydon, Features, People/

First COVID-19 case in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets saw its first case of the Coronavirus yesterday according to Public Health England (PHE). The council …

by Antonina Mitkova/ March 10, 2020/ Croydon, Environment, Hackney, Health, Lead Stories, Lewisham, Local News, News, People, Society, Tower Hamlets/

Meet the young lawyers working pro-bono to make a difference

EastLondonLines speaks to three members of a Tower Hamlets student-led pro-bono clinic, who work in their free time to help …

by Mieke Faeste/ March 9, 2020/ Features, Local Hero, People, Tower Hamlets/

Artist Kehinde Wiley portrays the hidden female figures of Dalston

Women from Dalston are at the centre of Nigerian-America artist Kehinde Wiley’s exhibition in Hackney. The LA-based artist usually portrays …

by Malaurie Accrombessi/ March 9, 2020/ Arts Features, Features, Hackney/

Your Week in Drag

For the country bred- turned Londoners looking for liberation, Shoreditch offers an extensive drag scene boasting a brilliantly charismatic and …

by Olivia Edwardes/ March 9, 2020/ Features, General Features, Tower Hamlets/

The campaigner building networks for black women in Croydon

From childhood ambitions of wanting to be a doctor, to setting up Croydon’s new supportive network for black women working …

by Fiyon Gibson/ March 7, 2020/ Croydon, Features, People/

Lewisham art company on a mission to raise enough funds to teach locals the art of muralism

For Patricio Forrester, painting murals is all about providing “colour in places of adversity ”. This is how the local …

by Claudia Rivas/ March 2, 2020/ Arts Features, Lewisham, Local News/

Forty-eight hours in the life of Tower Hamlets’s homeless

The numbers of rough sleepers in Tower Hamlets are on the rise – again. Recent figures showed a rise of …

by Mieke Faeste/ March 2, 2020/ Features, General Features, People, Tower Hamlets/

The grassroots social movements in Hackney making a difference

Social movements are trending. From Extinction Rebellion to #Metoo, the yellow vests in France and Las Tesis in Chile,  citizens are …

by Malaurie Accrombessi/ February 28, 2020/ Features, Hackney, People/

‘Lack of care’ in Croydon Hospital

Croydon University Hospital has been graded ‘requires improvements on all the main and important categories’, according to a report. Care …

by Salma Abdurrazag/ February 14, 2020/ Croydon, Health, Lead Stories, Local News, News, People/

My Home is Not My Home

Reema’s story is heart-rending but by no means unique.  She describes how she was brought to Yorkshire from Qatar in …

by Melina Havoutis/ February 3, 2020/ Arts, Arts Features, Employment, Lead Stories, Uncategorized, Videos/

Canary Wharf Winter Lights

Canary Wharf is welcoming back the popular Winter Lights festival, where people can enjoy the beauty of the light artworkscreated …

by Jason Tzu-Kuan Lu/ January 24, 2020/ Arts, Arts Features, Events, Lead Stories, Tower Hamlets/

History of East London print industry on show

East London had a thriving printing trade in the last century providing jobs for thousands of people. But technological changes transformed …

by Ibrahim Banat/ January 23, 2020/ Arts, Arts Features, Events, Lead Stories, Tower Hamlets/

NHS desperate for male blood donors

Men in four South London boroughs are being urged to come forward to give blood to help increase supplies across …

by Eastlondonlines/ January 17, 2020/ Health, Lead Stories, Lewisham, News, People, Society/

New Year New Team

Goldsmiths MA in Television Journalism students have now taken over from their MA Journalism colleagues to run our independent local …

by Ilaria Cafaro/ January 16, 2020/ Education, Lead Stories, Lewisham, Local News, People, Society/

Two thirds of Croydon adults overweight or obese

Croydon Council has launched a new campaign to help local people lose weight, amidst the shock finding that two thirds …

by Shahir Al Kindy/ January 16, 2020/ Croydon, Features, Health, Lead Stories/

A Christmas Carol: A Fairy Tale – a strange blend of panto and champagne feminism

“I am a woman and I have lived a life men made for me…I am a woman and I will …

by Georgina Gambetta/ December 21, 2019/ Arts, Features, General Features/

Homeless at Christmas: 14,947 children in temporary housing in local boroughs

In an examination of the poverty crises affecting people this Christmas, Celine Wadhera looks at how prevalent child homelessness is …

by Celine Wadhera/ December 21, 2019/ General Features, Housing/

Meet the Councillor: “The Corbynistas are not very bright”

As the dust of the General Election settles, the bins still need emptying and the schools still need running. Many …

by Barney Stone/ December 19, 2019/ Features, General Features, Politics/

The product of an East End postcode: abuse, crime, poverty….and finally, hope

Gary Hutton is a reformed criminal, born and raised in the East End of London, who now helps young people …

by Eleanor Magill/ December 19, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Meet the Councillors: “We’re facing a catastrophic future. It’s climate suicide”

As the dust of the General Election settles, the bins still need emptying and the schools still need running. Many …

by Celine Wadhera/ December 18, 2019/ Features, General Features, Lewisham/

Get bell soon: workshop demonstrates ancient craft to save historic foundry

Bell making is one of the oldest crafts in Britain, with a process that has essentially remained unchanged since the …

by Georgina Gambetta/ December 15, 2019/ Features, General Features/

The suburb with the lowest life expectancy in London: ‘It doesn’t have that feel-good factor’

“Selhurst does not have that feel good factor” says Mark Richs, 38, owner of the Moorish Grill takeaway restaurant in …

by Eleonora Girotto/ December 15, 2019/ Croydon, Features, Health/

In 24 days of hunger strike, 76-year-old Peter Cole has brought the power of protest to the doorstep of the Tories

“It’s the power of vulnerability” says one onlooker of 76-year old Peter Cole’s solemn vigil in support of action on climate change. …

by Daisy Lester/ December 11, 2019/ Features/

Meet the Councillor: “Everywhere you look, our assets are under threat”

As the dust of the General Election settles, the bins still need emptying and the schools still need running. Many …

by Jordan Lane/ December 10, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Iconic grass roots music venue re-vamped by young volunteers

The 100-year-old facade of The Macbeth public house could have been carved from a Dickens tale- a sore thumb among …

by Lois Borny/ December 9, 2019/ Arts, Arts Features, Music/

The Street: A story of Hackney’s grit and glory

“You can’t live in Hoxton unless you’re absolutely wedged to buggery.” Joe Cooke The pie and mash in Joe Cooke’s …

by Sean Russell/ December 4, 2019/ Features, General Features/

Xmas Day meal hosted by Lemn Sissay appeals for gifts for care leavers

A Christmas Day Dinner for care leavers in Hackney which is hosted by award winning poet and author Lemn Sissay …

by Clara Hill/ December 2, 2019/ Hackney, People, Society/

Croydon Christmas Market open for business

The alpine lodges in Croydon’s North End may have been a strange sight to some; but, for those who were curious …

by Jordan Lane/ November 29, 2019/ Christmas, Croydon, Events, Holiday Features/

LGBTQI and Muslim: the charity fighting prejudice from all sides

“Not only are we fighting against homophobia, biphobia, transphobia” said Faizan, one of the founders of Imaan. “That we thought …

by Georgina Gambetta/ November 27, 2019/ Features, Uncategorized/

Traders -v- residents: traffic curbs plan divides Colombia Road community

Residents and shopkeepers on the historic Columbia Road in Tower Hamlets are divided in opinion about a new Liveable Streets proposal which aims …

by Daisy Lester/ November 26, 2019/ Features/

Community fridge dishes out a tonne of food

Since launching six weeks ago, Catford Fridge Station has redistributed 1250kg of food to vulnerable people in the community. The …

by James Bayley/ November 25, 2019/ Lewisham, Local News, People/

Deptford’s Rapman: banned film is a powerful love story, not glorification of violence

The Deptford director of a groundbreaking film about childhood friendships amid postcode wars in South London, controversially banned following a …

by Caitlin Griffith/ November 25, 2019/ Features, Lead Stories, Lewisham/

For one night only: women challenge male rule of Brick Lane curry houses

Among the Bangladeshi community in East London, it’s the skilled women who run the kitchens in their homes, buying and …

by Daisy Lester/ November 25, 2019/ Features/

We run this town! Teenagers takeover Croydon

Imagine a town run by teenagers, making tough decisions on housing to handling budgets at the Town Hall. Yesterday this …

by Evie Breese/ November 22, 2019/ Education, Features/

Clothes swap shops aim to take fast fashion out of style

Fast fashion culture has made clothing insatiable, and despite cheap clothes having an undeniable appeal, the worldwide repercussions are extremely …

by Lois Borny/ November 20, 2019/ Features, General Features, Hackney/