Duffy Boxing is one of the latest businesses to call East Wick + Sweetwater home. We caught up with founder Ciaran Duffy to find out more about the boxing gym and what visitors can expect.

Hi Ciaran, it’s great to welcome you to EW+S! Tell us more about Duffy Boxing

The idea for Duffy Boxing was initially discussed during a conversation with my friend Chris Kenning during the Covid pandemic. We then formed Duffy Boxing, with plans for both a physical gym and an online counterpart.

In the gym we offer the chance for everyday gym goers to be coached in a top-class boxing facility by high level professional coaches. The gym offers classes at every level, from beginner right through to more advanced sparring classes.

Within our first twelve months we’ve added legendary former boxing champions and Sky Sports presenters Johnny Nelson and Spencer Oliver to the team.

Visitors can expect an authentic, high-energy and friendly atmosphere in the gym. Boxing gyms can often come across as intimidating places for non-boxers and for this reason it is hugely important for us to create a friendly and enjoyable experience for everyone that attends our sessions.

How did you get into boxing?

I have been in and around boxing for as long as I can remember. My father was a former amateur champion as well as an amateur and professional coach, and the sport was ingrained in me from a young age.

I boxed as both an amateur and professional for 20 years, winning national championships in both codes and boxing internationally in many different countries around the world.

As a professional boxing coach I have trained boxers at every level, including championship boxers. I’ve been lucky enough to corner boxers in British, Commonwealth, European and World championships fights.

I am also a level 3 personal trainer and have been active in the fitness industry now for over 15 years.

What do you like about your new space at EW+S?

I absolutely love EW+S and the surrounding area. I always wanted to have a friendly community feel in my boxing gym and I really love the vibrant and diverse atmosphere that this area exudes. It’s full of interesting and creative people and I really believe it’s a perfect fit for my business.

The gym space is the perfect size – not too big, but big enough to have a high-level boxing facility without losing any of the authentic boxing atmosphere that can be found in a professional boxing gym.

I’m really looking forward to the boxing gym becoming part of the local community and also producing high level professional boxing champions that can hopefully be a further source of pride and inspiration to the surrounding area.

To find out more and to book an introductory session, visit: www.duffyboxing.com

After 14 years teaching everything from Spin, Pilates and Zumba, Chloe Redmond was ready to launch her own passion project The Body People.

This incredible new Fitness, Dance and Aerial studio is now open at East Wick + Sweetwater, giving visitors not only a great place to exercise, but somewhere to relax and meet other members of the community. We caught up with Chloe to find out more.

Hey Chloe! What’s the story behind The Body People?

The Body People is my baby! I’d been an Instructor and Personal Trainer for years and felt like some studios open up and just offer Spin, Pilates or Dance, but it was my dream to open up a space where we can do it all Dance, Fitness or swing from the ceiling if you like.  We’re a Fitness, Aerial and Dance studio, and we’re not just about exercise. We’re also looking forward to hosting spoken word events, pop-up markets, rehearsals and photography exhibitions if it fits with our vibe, we’re interested. Our visitors come from all backgrounds. Some people come along to complement their gym routines, whereas others come exactly because they don’t like a generic gym and they enjoy the communal element, chatting and relaxing with others whilst being guided through a big variety of sessions.

Aerial sounds interestingWhat’s that?

Aerial is anything above the floor, so imagine flying, and that’s it! If you’ve ever been to the circus you’ll also get the idea.  Our Aerial Sling and Silk classes are popular as they allow you to be weightless, which can feel really exhilarating, whilst also being a great workout.

What inspired you to start your own studio?

In the past I used to teach classes out of community halls, school halls and gyms, but I could never put my stamp on them. So, when I decided to start my own studio, I wanted to find somewhere where I could grow and expand and put my personal touch on it. Now people come in and tell me they can feel this is somewhere that’s really loved. People walk in and you can see their reaction, which is the best feeling for me. We’ve got an incredible team on board and our timetable is growing with additional Pole Dancing and Yoga classes added to the bill come and check it out!

How did you find EW+S and what do you think of the local area?

I grew up in Walthamstow and was trying to find a space there for years, but many of the newer buildings were occupied. Luckily, one of those venues connected me to the team at EWS. I’ve seen the growth of Stratford and Hackney being an East Londoner, and I feel like EW+S is in the perfect spot between the two. The area has a really nice mix of people from all backgrounds and it’s important to me as a black woman that I could create a space that’s for everyone. We’ve had a great mix of people putting their head around the door and coming in to find out more.

New visitors can claim their first class for free using the code FREE1. Find out more and book by visiting www.thebodypeople.co.uk

IG & TikTok @thebodypeopleuk

Born and raised in Italy, Antonio and Federica have always worked in the beauty world. Federica was brought up in her mother’s beauty salon, where she learned the tricks of the trade and developed her passion for the industry. Antonio, meanwhile, arrived in London and started working with VIP clients and celebrities, pampering them to the max.
Having been based in East London for the last seven years, the couple are now bringing Italian glamour to East Wick + Sweetwater, opening up Temptation Beauty London in the upcoming months. We caught up with them to find out more.

Tell us more about the business

Our passion for beauty comes from growing up in Italy, when Federica worked in her mother’s salon for many years. We’re a family run business, and we make it our mission to make sure every customer has the most exceptional service from us, always leaving feeling more special.
We pride ourselves on providing the warmest welcome to our clients, ensuring their visit is always memorable. Our team are all experts and passionate about beauty, so come to us if you want to feel relaxed and be pampered from the moment you arrive.

What type of treatments do you offer?

We offer most beauty treatments, including massages, facials and hydro facials, eyelash extensions, waxing, laser treatments, manicures and pedicures, nail extensions and much more. We also have tanning facilities with either sunbeds or spray tanning. Most importantly, we also have our champagne bar, where our clients can enjoy a glass of their favourite bubbles, or a cappuccino.

Why did you decide to move to EW+S?

We were looking for a prime location in east London to establish our first salon, and when we saw EW+S and the space that was available, we jumped in immediately.
We know the community here already and the people are amazing. Hackney Wick in general is a lovely area and is developing quick! We can’t wait to contribute to the local area, and to help EW+S continue to grow into an incredible new neighbourhood.

Head over to their instagram page for more info.

We’re very pleased to introduce our new commercial tenants… Curfew Grooming.

Ben Theophanous and his team at Curfew Grooming are shaking up the traditional barbershop model.

It’s not often that your hair stylist offers its own branded hot sauce, or collaborates with local brands, but that’s exactly the type of direction Ben’s pushing.

And it’s not just beards and hairstyles that they care about – some of the team have also been trained in Mental Health First Aid, after completing a course with the Lions Barber Collective (a mental health training course specific to the hair and beauty industry).

To find out more, we caught up with Ben ahead of him opening a new, larger space at EW+S.

So, what’s Curfew Grooming all about?

Curfew Grooming is a modern barbershop based in Hackney Wick and Brixton. We believe the traditional barbershop model is broken and does not focus enough on the customer. We provide modern services and products, and we’re bookings only – because we think people have better things to do than wait. We’ve also got barbers that are trained in Mental Health First Aid, because that’s really important to us too.

How did you first hear about EW+S?

We’ve been based in Hackney for almost two years now and we could see how EW+S has been growing. Now it’s time for us to expand, we reached out and started viewing units. We’re really excited to be moving literally across the road from where we are now and becoming part of the EW+S family.

What do you like about your new space?

A lot of our inspiration and style of barbering is about modernism. The unit we’re taking on features a lot of concrete and feels really on brand. It’s also about five times bigger than our current location too, so we can’t wait to get in and put our mark on it.

What do you love about Hackney Wick?

It’s been really interesting seeing the area change. Often, development or regeneration can negatively impact an area, but when developers are sensitive to the local environment – EW+S being one of those – it can often work to the benefit of the area, the residents, and businesses alike.

Hackney Wick is an eclectic mix of old and new. You see art and creativity everywhere, and it’s home to many creatives. We also feel like the local people tend to support independent businesses over big chains, which is a dynamic I hope never changes. It’s also got a buzzing start up scene. So, we’re proud to call it our home!

Who best to tell you what East Wick + Sweetwater is all about than some of the people who helped create it?

As co-masterplanners for East Wick + Sweetwater, architects Sheppard Robson have overall responsibility for creating the vision for the new neighbourhood. Working closely with many different partners and the local community, their designs have set the tone for the look and feel of East Wick + Sweetwater, from the style of the buildings to the new public spaces.

Charles Scott leads Sheppard Robson’s masterplanning team and has been involved with East Wick + Sweetwater for nearly 10 years. We recently caught up with him to ask what makes a great masterplan, what inspired the designs at East Wick + Sweetwater, and how he hopes the neighbourhood will evolve in years to come.

Hi Charles, can you give us an overview of your work?

We’re cross-sector architects, which means we design everything from small scale interiors to large scale masterplans, including major buildings like universities, schools, workplaces or residential apartment buildings.

I’m lucky to have colleagues who design all kinds of interesting projects, which means when I’m designing a masterplan, it’s informed by a real knowledge of how these buildings get built and who will use them.

We don’t have a house style as a practice, which means we have a lot of flexibility evolving designs ourselves. This means we often get very attached to projects like East Wick + Sweetwater, because it’s been a personal journey for many of us. This is what we love as architects helping to form a place and feeling like we’ve made a difference.

So, what exactly is a masterplan?

Masterplans at their best should be a combination of people, place and time. We design places for people to live in, work in or to visit. It’s an approach, and a way of laying out the plans for future development.

When we design a masterplan, we’re asking ourselves questions like “Who do we want to use this place? What do we want it to feel like? What do we want it to be in the future as it grows and more people live in it or visit it?”

Importantly, masterplans need to be flexible and something that can evolve. A good masterplan should be able to cope with changes in living and working styles. However, you must be very careful not to try and rigidly fix everything; we don’t know how achievable things we’re drawing today will be in another 15 or 20 years, and that’s why they have to be flexible. Although, good masterplanning proposals must have overarching principles that have longevity through design evolution and implementation.

What inspired your designs for East Wick + Sweetwater?

I’ve been involved at East Wick + Sweetwater from the earliest design stages with the Joint Venture team (Places for People and Balfour Beatty Investments).

We wanted to create an exemplary new neighbourhood, based on the principle of creating different ladders of opportunities as people moved here. For example, you might arrive as a young professional, so we wanted there to be great homes to rent, as well as affordable opportunities like Shared Ownership. Then, a few years later, you might decide to buy one of the new apartments. Then again, if you find yourself with a growing family and in need of more space, you can move to one of the bigger townhouse-style homes as your life experience changes.

We really wanted East Wick + Sweetwater to welcome a diverse community with people from all walks of life be that age, incomes and working backgrounds because this mix of people is intrinsic to what makes a successful London neighbourhood.

Visiting today, what do you think?

Seven years on from our original masterplan designs, I’m delighted to see that this ethos is still here. Visiting today, you walk around and see all sorts of unexpected, interesting things, like different buildings and street scenes, which are growing together.

People cross over the canal from Hackney Wick into East Wick + Sweetwater, as they are now seeing it as a new neighbourhood with new facilities and services that are thriving and relevant. It’s becoming a part of everyday life and that’s really exciting.

You’ve also got the amazing evolution of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Now people are coming here not because of the London 2012 Olympic legacy, but just because it’s a great park. Then you’ve got East Bank coming with its amazing new occupiers, and I think this is going to make it an even more interesting place. It’s a great time to be moving here, and each week is more exciting.

Who better to tell you why they love the local area than locals who established their business there?

We caught up with Ed and Jess from Get Up Yesterday, who founded their sustainable vintage clothing shop Getup Yesterday in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Like many, they found their usual working worlds had been turned upside down. They hoped their fledgling fashion business would help them get by, but they didn’t know how quickly it would turn into full time jobs.

Now, based at Hackney Bridge in East Wick + Sweetwater, Getup Yesterday is flourishing. We sat down with them to find out more about the inspiration behind the business, and what drew them to be based in Hackney Wick.

Can you tell us more about how Getup Yesterday started?

We live locally in Leytonstone in East London but spend lots of our time here in Hackney Wick with our little dog Buffy.

During the first lockdown in 2020, we found ourselves either furloughed or unemployed, so we knew we had to try something different on the side to help. We were passionate about vintage clothing, so we looked around Hackney Bridge and loved the idea of a local community hub and space.

We saw an opportunity and we decided to take a chance on ourselves, opening our first ever shop. We were surprised at how fast the business started to grow and quickly realised we would need to dedicate more of our time to it!

What can people expect at Getup Yesterday?

We sell vintage clothes mostly from the 80s, 90s and early 00s and we try to promote a more sustainable and affordable way of living. We want to encourage people to do their part even if it’s just changing one outfit, as it all helps towards a better future.

How are you getting on at East Wick + Sweetwater?

We live local to the area and enjoy going on long walks, so we saw construction starting in the early days and watched the new buildings develop. There is an amazing community feel to the area and lots of things always happening. It has a great vibe and we feel at home here.

Have you got any local tips or recommendations?

We would definitely recommend the Bar and Kitchens at Hackney Bridge; it is a great little venue and hang out spot with lots of food options to cater to everyone’s needs. We also enjoy venturing into Hackney Wick after work to visit some of the amazing bars. One of our favourites is Howling Hops who have amazing craft beers and Colombian inspired food by Maize Blaze. And check out Four Quarters, a cool little bar with loads of old school arcade games and Cake Cult, where you can get the best vegan cakes going.

Keep up to date with them on their instagram or head over to their website to bag yourself some very cool vintage pieces.

Who best to tell you how diverse the local area is than some of the people that make its fabric?

Stuart Hutchinson is the General Manager of the Copper Box Arena the iconic London Olympics venue and one of East Wick + Sweetwater’s closest neighbours.

We had a chat with him about the trajectory of change in the local area since the Olympics, how the Copper Box Arena has remained resilient throughout challenging times and how the Hackney Wick community really does work together to create a healthy and vibrant neighbourhood for all to enjoy.

What’s your role with Copper Box Arena and how has it evolved since the Olympic Games?

I’ve been the General Manager at the Copper Box Arena since 2018 and it’s been a pleasure to watch the area grow over the past three years that I’ve been working here.

After the Olympics, we were one of the first venues to reopen which kickstarted the legacy stage of the area’s development and since then, we’ve offered our spaces and facilities to not just the local community, but international sporting partners.

We’re managed by Better, a social enterprise and see the Copper Box Arena as a community leisure provider, helping to support people’s health and wellbeing. We’ve continued to grow and while 2020 has been difficult in many ways, our multi-purpose spaces have enabled us to be extremely efficient with what we can do, so that we remain active despite the changing restrictions.

How does Copper Box Arena play a part in the local community?

The Copper Box Arena is iconic both locally and abroad. We’re one of the few sporting facilities which is able to flex to the needs of local people’s fitness requirements with our gym and fitness classes while accommodating international championships sometimes both at the same time.

A lot of the young people who come to train or exercise, they’re really inspired by the fact that major sporting events are held here, like the Federation Cup, Tennis tournament and home games for our resident sports teams, London Lions and London Pulse.

We, as an organisation, offer a Sports Foundation membership to young aspiring athletes so that they can access funding and bursaries to support their development. Our facilities act as the perfect incubator for these people, both in terms of support but also as a form of inspiration.

On another note, we recognise that we are valued amongst the community for their everyday exercise needs and we see so many of our classes booked up well in advance. Many elderly people living in the area couldn’t do without somewhere like the Copper Box Arena because it just doesn’t get them active, it’s a place to be social and connect with others.

What do you think of the new community coming to life at East Wick + Sweetwater? 

Seeing East Wick + Sweetwater rise out of the ground has been fantastic. As our next door neighbour, we can’t wait until the entire neighbourhood is complete.

The Park has been growing ever since 2012 but I firmly believe that East Wick + Sweetwater has reinvigorated this side of the park in a way which will have strong synergies with not just the Copper Box Arena, but the other amenities surrounding the development.

It’s an exciting chapter ahead and I can see the new homes, leisure facilities, workspaces and future school all working together in harmony as the years go on.

With so many new potential residents coming to the area, we hope the Copper Box Arena will continue to inspire healthy lifestyles amongst residents and give them a space to relax, unwind and get fit all at the same time.

Lastly, what are your top recommendations for a newbie moving to the area?

There is so much choice around the canal so it’s really difficult to pick just a few. I would say Randy’s Wing Bar is great for tasty chicken wings always a winner!

For coffee, Clarnico Club at East Wick + Sweetwater and The Roasting Shed on Hackney Bridge serves up some great ground roast and the staff are always so friendly.

Across the canal, Bar 90 and Barge East are two of my favourites for food and drinks really cool and authentic sort of places to go with friends and family.

Who best to tell you how diverse the local area is than some of the people that make its fabric?

Layla Conway works as a Communities Manager for London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and has witnessed nearly a decade of change across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

A born-and-bred Hackney resident, Layla works with the park’s wide-ranging communities, making sure that young people’s voices are heard by creating opportunities for them to play a role in the Park’s future.

We caught up with Layla to hear about the changes she’s witnessed since 2012, what makes the Park unique and her hopes for its future.

You’ve seen a lot of change since the 2012 Olympics, what do you remember about those first few years following the Games?

In the immediate aftermath, everyone was on such a high because the Games had been such success and captured the nation.

Initially, there was some resistance to the park closing, but people had quickly forgotten that before the Games this wasn’t an area where people would naturally visit there were many derelict industrial buildings and the green spaces were not what we can see today.

Now we’re realising the opportunities that are created for local people and the benefits they bring, with jobs alongside community centres, libraries and schools, which are massive assets to the community.

We’ve also seen a lot of local people buying homes across the park they want to be part of history too, living in the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.

How important is it to give local communities a say in the park’s future?

As a Hackney resident, I feel very connected to East London and I’m really excited by the opportunities that regeneration can bring.

I’m passionate about communities and young people they’re the future of this place and the ones who will drive it forward for years to come.

A key part of my work is making sure that whatever is being created homes, businesses or social facilities has been designed for them too, as they will have an integral role in the area’s future success.

I think we’ve done a great job developing interim uses across the Park; we’ve already delivered great community projects like Hub 67, a mobile food garden and sports pitches and equipment, and there’s more of this to come.

The Legacy Youth Voice initiative has also been a great success. Some people have been involved in this for 12 years now and have had an integral role shaping how things look today. Youth ownership and a sense of belonging is something to be really proud of.

What do you hope the next ten years look like?

The Park’s emerging as a new piece of London, and there’s been a huge amount of investment in the places and people that call it home.

For me, we will be judged on how the park becomes stitched into the wider community. I want it to continue to grow into somewhere that becomes rooted with its own sense of place, whilst contributing to the rest of the regeneration taking place across East London.

With East Bank expected to bring an additional 1.5m visitors to the park each year, I want to see local people being part of this growth and proud of their role in it.

We thought long and hard about how to build these homes, and we want families to move here and stay here.

East London is a place of invention, where new things are tried and tested. If today’s young people are at the heart of it 10 years from now, we’ve done our job correctly.

What do you love about the area?

The fact we’re surrounded by waterways is an incredible asset. There’s a real sense of vibrancy and energy here, it’s so mixed and so diverse. In Hackney Wick you really feel that people can be themselves.

Aerial shot (c) Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Photo (c) Rahil Ahmed

Who best to tell you what East Wick + Sweetwater is all about than some of the people who helped create it?

Involved from very early days through his role at astudio, one of six architects working across the East Wick + Sweetwater masterplan, Nick Gazanis had previously worked for Norman Foster, one of the world’s most renowned architects, and has worked on a range of fascinating buildings across London.

At East Wick + Sweetwater, astudio have a dual role as well as designing some of the new buildings, they’re also looking at how to optimise the delivery of the overall project, including via Modern Methods of Construction.

We caught up with Nick to get his feedback on his experience so far in helping to create a new neighbourhood in East London.

As architects, what are you trying to achieve with the design of East Wick + Sweetwater?

We want to create a new neighbourhood that clearly echoes its previous use as a park, and to us that means lots of open green spaces and amenity areas for the public to use alongside new residents.

East Wick + Sweetwater has an amazing role to play in the evolution of the park it’s the missing link between the creativity of Hackney Wick Fish Island, and the commerce and infrastructure of Stratford. We all believe that East Wick + Sweetwater has the potential to be the last piece in the jigsaw here, helping to bridge different communities.

We’re one of six architects working on the project which is really exciting, as we all have our own flare and identity. This means the new neighbourhood will offer different styles, which creates a more interesting place to live and visit.

What type of person would enjoy living here?

East Wick + Sweetwater will offer a wide range of tenures, and this means it will attract a much broader community.

The design is heavily focused on establishing a real sense of community, as we want to bring different types of people together.

The landscaping will create a very lush, green area and once this matures we’ll have many really attractive outdoor spaces.

We’re also designing highly sustainable homes, including car-free liveable streets that create a much better sense of community, whilst also providing walking and cycling routes. It’ll certainly be attractive to those who are aware of their environmental impact on the community.

Why would you encourage people to live here?

The location is key. It’s a no brainer really in terms of where it sits, with Stratford and Hackney Wick on its doorstep and the park to enjoy.

The new V&A campus will bring a different crowd and you’ve already got landmarks like Here East and the Copper Box Arena, as well as major sports facilities.

You’ve also got a buzzing nightlife scene and very good links to central London.

Who best to talk about the local area that surrounds East Wick + Sweetwater than the people who make it such a unique community?

In this third episode we caught up with Kevin, who tells us about growing up in the multi-cultural borough of Hackney and how the principles of Kung Fu, learned and mastered over many years, gave him a strong sense of self-discipline and self-understanding which help him master key challenges in life and which he now uses to empower others, particularly vulnerable communities. And that’s how Taking Shape was born!

Kevin supports the community by sharing the core values of Kung Fu. Through his work, he demonstrates how these principles can applied to everyday life and how they can be applied to support self-growth.

Taking Shape works with vulnerable young people and adults, offering a vast range of affordable fitness and holistic services, which combine the values and disciplines of Martial Arts with elements of non-physical disciplines like body coordination, balance, conditioning, fitness, mental focus, mentoring, reflection, coaching, and meditation to enhance mental wellbeing and to empower participants to build resilience and confidence to make positive life choices and achieve personal goals. This intrinsically strength-based approach builds important protective factors to help counteract some of the key challenges individuals face.

Taking Shape works with cohorts of individuals over multi-week programmes as well as through one-to-ones, or group sessions.

Find out more about Taking Shape and donate here and follow them on twitter, facebook or instagram – you can also find a quick overview of their work here

Keen to share your story with us? Drop us a line.