About us
In 2006 we were named Islington's Carbon Reduction Champions for 2009 after installing solar panels on our roof to produce greener energy. Another proud achievement came in summer 2014, when we helped to transform the outdoor space beside the centre, previously unused and subject to anti-social behaviour, into a high quality multi use games area, led by community consultations.
In September 2015, Barbara Ludlow became the Head of Centre. Shortly afterwards, we became a registered charity (#1164597) and formed a board of Trustees to help shape the future of the centre. Our current Head of Centre, Elaine Maffrett, joined us in September 2018, and during 2019-20 HACA continued to deliver on its aims and consolidate it's practice, bringing in new activities and developing our Play Project after school and holiday childcare services.
In 2020 we were able to respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic by adapting our Food Hub service and linking with our local St George's Mutual Aid volunteers to provide groceries and other essentials to those isolating and struggling financially.
In 2021 we returned to full operations and were once more able to provide affordable Hall Hire for private and community events. We saw a gradual increase in the number of members joining in regular activities, including our Lunch Club, Sew & Craft and Gardening activities. Our Play Project services returned to full capacity and we were delighted to pass our long awaited OFSTED inspection with all targets successfully met.
In 2022 we welcomed People's Place Community Partnerships (PPCP) on board to help manage and improve our IT systems. PPCP manage the hugely successful 21st Century Skills (21CS) project, a flexible training and work experience programme supporting young people into IT careers.
Work continued on improving our outdoor spaces including the creation of the Hilldrop Peace Garden thanks to the Grow Back Greener fund, and we've hosted a series of well attended events over the past couple of years designed to bring people together and celebrate our vibrant community.
We're proud members of the Octopus Community Network and are grateful for their ongoing support. We'd also like thank Islington Council and our many funders and partners for enabling us to do what we do. Finally we'd like to thank all our residents, service users, volunteers, staff and Trustees, all of whom have played an essential part in our successes and achievements.
We welcome applications from new Trustees and volunteers. Please view our
Get Involved page for further information.
Hilldrop Area Community Association (HACA) aims to enhance the wellbeing of our diverse local community with a focus on employment and health. We are the community hub for the Tufnell Park (formerly St George’s) Ward, Islington and are based at the Hilldrop Community Centre: a large, multi-purpose facility offering a wide programme of activities and services. We are committed to involving the community in the shaping of our programme, and proudly work in partnership with many other local groups and organisations.
HACA was formed in 1986, in the wake of rising community turmoil. The Tenants Association of the large Hilldrop Housing Estate initiated a multi-agency approach to the problem, bringing together different groups and individuals and taking over the management of Hilldrop Community Centre. The first Head of Centre was Bob Drinkwater, whose dedication and commitment saw him hold the post for an amazing 30 years. The strong community base on which we were founded has continued to this day, with staff and Trustees all local to the area.