Why are you standing for election?

I have lived in London since 1988, moving across the city before choosing Hackney as the place to raise my child 12 years ago. I quickly found a sense of purpose. Within three months, I uncovered a long-ignored gas leak, helping a neighbour whose home suffered severe disrepair – an issue that took four years to resolve and led to a lasting friendship.

As word spread, more residents came forward. I surveyed our estate and identified 50 homes affected by damp and black mould. My work was featured on Dispatches in “The New Landlords from Hell.”

In 2016, I founded our Tenants and Residents Association, campaigning successfully for 169 boiler replacements, three new lifts, and fibre broadband via Hyperoptic. During Covid, I created a residents’ WhatsApp group to support vulnerable neighbours and set up a sewing hub making masks.These experiences led me into local politics. I am standing for election because I believe communities deserve better than career politicians. Together, we can build people-powered neighbourhoods – because Another Hackney is Possible.

What are three things you are most excited about in our manifesto for Hackney?

I’m passionate about Community Wealth Building because I’ve seen firsthand the impact of poverty, poor housing, and unequal services – especially during Covid. Growing up in Northern Ireland during The Troubles instilled in me the values of community, compassion, and solidarity.

I spent six years campaigning to take back control of my community centre, Gascoyne One, transforming it from poor management into a space that truly serves residents. I stopped the cross-community youth club from paying excessive rent, enabling them to run their own centre in Homerton. I’m proud that my work is now seen as a model for community-led change across the borough.

Mental health is a human right, yet many suffer in silence. I want to tackle the root causes – poverty, poor housing, inequality, and underfunded services – that drive people into crisis. Governments prioritising war over investment in people is a moral failure; resources should go into schools, housing, local businesses, and communities.

We must nurture young people, especially after Covid’s lasting impact on their wellbeing, which remains under-assessed. Education should be shaped by lived experience, not just data. Overcrowding, rising rents, and poor repairs damage lives daily. To improve mental health, we must close the gap between rich and poor and build fairer living conditions. Ageing well in the UK is increasingly difficult. The state pension remains among the lowest internationally and many older people face poverty, isolation, and rising care costs. Cuts to local services and unaffordable social care add to the strain. Housing pressures have pushed younger families away, reducing vital informal support networks. Even benefits like the Freedom Pass feel uncertain. Retirement should be a time of dignity, not hardship. In our community centre, we try to help by offering free weekly activities, funded through weekend bookings. It’s a small contribution, but it shows how local efforts can still make a meaningful difference.

What’s one thing residents might not know about you?

I campaigned tirelessly for a socialist government under Jeremy Corbyn – the best Prime Minister we never had. At the time, I served as elected Vice Chair of Campaigns for Hackney South and Shoreditch Constituency Labour Party and as Hackney Wick Branch Secretary. I gave my time and energy freely, driven by a genuine belief that this work would help improve people’s lives and create a fairer society.

Promoted by E. Henton on behalf of Alana Heaney, c/o 5 Brayford Square, E1 0SG