Local bar owners are using the medium of mixology to prove that not only is Dalston one of the city’s most creative neighbourhoods, it’s also one of the most charitable.
From 10th February, the vibrant neighbourhood’s most popular bars and bistros will be serving a unique cocktail christened the “Dalston Thing” – a rum and ginger beer concoction with a tropical taste and a charitable twist.
A pound from every cocktail sold will go towards Dalston Bridge, a fund which supports local charities tackling local challenges, ranging from youth literacy and unemployment to homelessness and substance misuse.
Both the drink and the donation scheme have been organised through Dalston’s Night Time Economy Forum – an association representing the neighbourhood’s diverse array independent venues including Dalston Superstore, The Alibi, Visions, Ruby’s, Voodoo Ray’s The Vortex, The Rio, The Arcola Theatre and many more. Dalston Superstore’s Dan Beaumont is a founding member of the ‘Dalston Bridge’ initiative, which launched earlier this month and aims to make sure the whole community benefits from change and development in the area.
Dalston Bridge seeks to promote charitable giving “the Dalston way”: bringing businesses, charities, visitors and residents together to turn some of the area’s most popular pastimes into engines for donation.
Dalston Bridge will make it easy for the people who work, live and play in Dalston to make a difference to their community, making a bigger impact than they could do alone. All donations will go into a single fund, for distribution to fantastic local organisations who are working every day toaddress some of the area’s most deep seated problems.
In addition to the launch of the Dalston Thing – which will be sold in venues across the area - Currell Residential estate agents are stepping up and will be adding to donations to Dalston Bridge from customers selling properties in their Hackney offices’ area.
With money raised from these initiatives, Dalston Bridge will begin by funding five local charities. They have been chosen using the advice of The London Community Foundation and the local knowledge of the Dalston Bridge advisory panel. These charities are Hackney Pirates, Bootstrap Campus, Circle Sports, Hackney Winter Night Shelter and Studio Upstairs.
Dalston Bridge founding member Dan Beaumont said: “We are fortunate run venues in one of London’s most vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods – and we rub shoulders with some of the city’s most innovative young businesses but we need to make sure the whole community benefits from that buzz. The area still faces huge challenges, and despite all the development going on it’s still the 21st most deprived of London’s 621 wards. That’s why Dalston Bridge is giving people the chance to make a real difference, right on their doorstep; or in this case at the bar of their local.”
The Dalston Bridge advisory group consists of seven members who are all residents or business owners in the area. Dalston Bridge will be announcing further partnerships with local businesses during the course of 2014, so watch this space.
