Leader – Right the ship

Like the SS Robin, many of us will be returning home to the East End after what was hopefully an enjoyable Christmas break.

And like an old steam ship, many are probably feeling a bit slow and creaky.

Spare a thought, though, for the people not weighed down by a festive feast, and those who don’t have a home or even a family.

Hackney Winter Night Shelter is appealing for donations so it can provide 10 more emergency beds over the winter – you can find the crowdfinding page at bit.ly/3tsVlhZ.

Hackney Foodbank has launched a new fund to help fight food insecurity.

At this time of year, it’s important to remember that good people are out there doing good things.

It’s easy to feel powerless when faced with miserable economic circumstances in the UK, awful conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and myriad other problems in society.

But look locally, and you’ll find people making a difference: volunteering for charities; finding ways to cut the borough’s waste; trying to persuade the council to adopt plant-based catering.

The SS Robin is greeting the new year with a fresh lease of life.

We could all do something in 2024 to make a splash in the world, no matter how big or small.