Ahead of their upcoming evangelistic campaign (Peace Restored: A Conference for Living, taking place September 16-30, 2023, with guest speaker Pastor Dwayne Jones alongside guest singing evangelist Kay Alleney-Meloney), members of the Hackney Seventh-day Adventist Church put on a street fair which attracted over 100 people.
Throughout the day on Sunday, 10th September 2023. The street fair, which took place in Haggerston, Hackney, running from 12-4 pm, had something on offer for everyone – from the bouncy castle and racing for children along with Zumba and Karate Fit-to-Fite sessions led respectively by fitness instructors Daniel Mathieu-Marius and Ross Mathieu for the adults.
As well as stalls containing free Caribbean-style food, fruit and drink on offer, there were also opportunities for members of the public to sign up for free health checks and a massage.
One young person from the community in attendance said he "enjoyed everything offered on the day, from the bouncy castle to the free food."
Hackney Church Founder Ann Williams, aged 93, said: "The community well supported the day. At least over 100 turned up, and none of the food or drinks supplied for the event was wasted."
Many community members were eager to know when the next street fair would take place.
Michael, a community member, said, "I found out about the street fair whilst passing the church one day and decided to check it out and have found it to be a good experience and atmosphere."
Also in attendance were regular visitors to the church food bank who took time out to mix and mingle with church members and the Hackney community who turned out on the day.
Senior Hackney members Edith Omolu, 80 and Ruby Merchant, 82, who defied their years as active participants in both the Zumba and Karate Fit-to-Fite sessions, both agreed that "it was a great day for all the family and community in which the weather, though overcast at times, held up."
