Energising Hackney’s community estate

In December 2022, Hackney Council introduced the BookingsPlus platform, a software solution developed by Kajima Community that allows people to search, take a virtual tour, book, and pay for a community space or facility online.

Hackney is one of London's most diverse and densely populated areas, and the Council directly manages bookings for 40 community halls and spaces in the borough. Previously, booking and administering bookings had been manual, requiring a call or email, creating a sub-optimal customer experience and time-consuming administrative processes.

Additionally, awareness of facilities tended to be low and spread by word of mouth, impacting the potential level of bookings.

Since adopting the BookingsPlus model, booking income has increased by 44%, representing £110,000 in year-on-year growth over 12 months since December 2022. Booking enquiries have increased by 41%, evidencing increased awareness of facilities and simplifying the process.

Over 2,000 unique users have placed bookings or inquired through the platform since its launch. Its efficiencies have reduced the manual tasks required from administrators to fulfil bookings, and Hackney Council now has the tools to analyse building usage and service management data.