HOME TO COCREATE HACKNEY & THE COMMUNITY CLOSET
VOLUNTEERING AT COHUB • COMMUNITY IN ACTION • SHAPING HACKNEY •
JOIN OUR SHAPERS • COHUB HACKNEY • REAL IMPACT •
Join Our Shapers!
Shaper Roles at the Hub
From participation to leadership. Our hub runs on community.
Many of our volunteers began as service users. They came for support - then chose to stay, step up and shape what happens next.
There are different ways to get involved depending on your time, confidence and interests. Whether you want to support quietly behind the scenes or lead something yourself, there’s a place for you here.
Through our CoStars Programme, volunteers can grow from first-time helper to confident facilitator. We recognise contribution, track progression and create real pathways into leadership.
This isn’t about filling roles - it’s about building capability.
Shop Shaper
The Community Closet
Shop Shapers support the day-to-day running of the Closet.
This includes:
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Organising rails and bundles
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Welcoming residents
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Stock sorting and displays
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Supporting crisis collections
Shop Shapers help create a space that feels like a shop - not a service desk.
Support Shaper
Activities & Events
Support Shapers help deliver Hub sessions, events and programmes.
This might include:
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Setting up and packing down
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Supporting group activities
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Welcoming attendees
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Helping sessions run smoothly
They are the calm, steady presence that keeps the energy right.
Green Shaper
Garden Squad
Green Shapers help develop and maintain our outdoor space.
This includes:
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Planting and growing
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Outdoor events
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Environmental projects
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Seasonal planting days
It’s practical, hands-on, great for your mental health and community-building.
Host Shaper
Lead Your Own Session
Host Shapers deliver their own activity, workshop or session at the CoHub.
This could be:
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Arts & crafts
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Skill-sharing
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Discussion groups
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Cultural sessions
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Fitness or wellbeing activities
If you have an idea, a skill or a passion - come and share it with us, we will create the space for you to lead.
Why Get Involved
Confidence
01
Volunteering builds confidence through real responsibility and contribution.
02
Connection
You meet neighbours, build friendships and become part of something steady and positive.
03
Progression
Through our CoStars pathway, volunteers can move from helper to leader - gaining experience and skills along the way.
04
Power
Participation becomes influence. Our volunteers help shape the timetable, programmes and direction of the Hub.
Community Shapers
Our Community Shapers are the driving force behind CoHub’s local impact. These dedicated volunteers bring diverse perspectives and local energy to our collective work, guiding programmes and leading essential conversations.
Whether coordinating neighbourhood events, supporting administrative needs, or championing sustainability, their commitment ensures that CoHub remains a vibrant, collaborative hub truly shaped by the community it serves.
Host Shapers
Residents Leading. Community Learning.
Our Host Shapers programme is built on a simple idea:
Everyone has something to share.
We use a PBSA-style (Place-Based Social Action) approach - encouraging residents to contribute their skills, interests and lived experience by leading sessions for others.
This might be:
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A weekly craft group
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A cultural cooking demo
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A budgeting workshop
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A language club
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A well-being circle
Host Shapers are supported with:
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Space
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Promotion
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Practical setup
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Volunteer guidance