We’re very lucky in Hackney to have a tradition of changemakers and pioneers. The history here is full of brave figures who stood up for everything from the Abolition of Slavery through to gender equality and no war. It carries on today, with a river of consciousness that manifests itself in contemporary activism and also movements like social enterprise.

We’re going to explore this rich past and inspiring present next Tuesday in the Alternative Statue Tour (see here for booking details). I started London’s first women’s history running tour some years ago and I think this is another first for Hackney.

Both events featured, naturally, Mary Wollstonecraft who spent time here in Hackney.  She is finally starting to get the recognition she deserves, but who are the other figures who we might put up on a plinth? Should we even have any  more statues?

While I’ll be showing people a wide range of figures who might fit the bill, if we’re looking for positive inspiration and good role models for the next generation, but it’ll be you who decide in the post-tour discussion if there is still a place for monuments? And if so, how should they look and who should they include?

It’s an interactive session, so I hope that once I’ve inspired you, you’ll have some ideas about what we might celebrate and how. There’s no shortage of figures here in Hackney, so come and hear all about them next Tuesday.

Many thanks to Newington Green Meeting House for their kind sponsorship of this tour.