Hackney Harm Reduction Hub: three months in the life

July 11, 2024

The Hackney Harm Reduction Hub launched in March and now, three months on, we’re pleased to be expanding the service to two days a week, working with more volunteers and reaching more people who need harm reduction equipment and advice.

What is the Hackney Harm Reduction Hub?

The Hackney Harm Reduction Hub is a mobile unit. It provides people with harm reduction equipment and essential information. The Hub connects individuals to other services and offers support from peers with lived experience. It includes:

  • Needle and syringe provision (NSP)
  • Clean equipment
  • Naloxone
  • Synthetic drug testing kits
  • Condoms
  • Hepatitis C testing
  • Hot drinks

This service supports City and Hackney’s efforts to reduce hepatitis C infections and harms from drug use. The London Joint Working Group on Substance Use and Hepatitis C and The Hepatitis C Trust run the Hub. They work closely with Hackney’s Community Wellbeing Team.

Where and When is the Hub Open?

Since March, the Hub has run every Thursday from 2 pm to 8 pm at Ridley Road Market in Dalston. You can find it at the corner of St Mark’s Rise and Ridley Road, E8 2NR. In July, the Hub also operates on Mondays (8th, 15th, and 29th) from 2 pm to 8 pm. It is near the public toilets where Colvestone Crescent meets Ridley Road, E8 2NP. These hours were chosen based on feedback from people with experience in substance use.

What Makes the Hub Different?

The Hub stands out for its peer-based approach. Volunteers with lived experience of substance use run the service. They are part of the Strategy Group to ensure it meets community needs. Nine volunteers are in training to support the Hub. Many staff members also have lived experience.

Peer support and advice make a big impact. For example, a man without a permanent address visited the Hub. He used opiates and was hepatitis C positive but never completed treatment. The Hub team connected him to Turning Point on Mare Street. A nurse there helped him start treatment.

The Hub team responds quickly to community needs. In early May, they worked with City & Hackney’s Local Drug Information System (LDIS). Together, they made an emergency leaflet when xylazine (‘tranq’) appeared in the local heroin supply.

What’s Next?

The Hackney Harm Reduction Hub keeps evolving. Community feedback and dedicated staff drive this progress. By next year, the Hub plans to move to a fixed building in the borough. Until then, it remains vital for reducing drug-related harms and promoting health in Hackney. The goal is for the Hub to inspire similar services across the country.