Islington Council

We’re asking for feedback on our draft Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Strategy and Action Plan. Like all councils, we’ve seen a huge increase in the number of people coming to us for homelessness support. We’ll do everything we can to stop people becoming homeless and prevent rough sleeping, and these documents will guide this ongoing work. The draft strategy sets out four priorities: 1️⃣ Early and tailored support 2️⃣ Eliminating rough sleeping 3️⃣ Improving housing options 4️⃣ Support for refugees and migrants And will be supported by an Action Plan that sets out how we’ll deliver against these. We’re keen to hear from individuals and organisations. Find out more and share your feedback on our Let’s Talk Islington website ⬇️ https://orlo.uk/FSxjm #homelessness #roughsleeping #housing #ukhousing

Do you have an idea for a business solution to tackle mental health challenges in your community? Transform your idea into a viable business pitch: https://orlo.uk/FUJ7e £500 will be awarded to 2 teams with the best pitch at the end of the day. Refreshments will be provided. Open to social businesses, entrepreneurs, residents, and organisations in: Hammersmith & Fulham Council London Borough of Tower Hamlets Lambeth London Borough Council London Borough of Hackney Southwark Council London Borough of Camden Digipac Consultancy #LifeSciences #SocialEconomy #Innovation #MentalHealth #Wellbeing

We’re determined to make Islington a more equal place and Islington's community spaces play a crucial part in that, by fostering social cohesion, well-being, and economic vitality. Our community wealth building strategy https://orlo.uk/cePB1 recognises the value of these community spaces and resources and sets out how we’re using our influence and planning powers to protect and enhance shared spaces for local communities. One of the ways we do this is by charging developers money when they want to build in the borough, which we use to fund community projects, like Hilldrop Community Centre, featured in our video. Our community wealth building strategy seeks to give local people the power to make decisions to transform shared spaces and make improvements to community spaces from playgrounds to community centres and public squares - so together we can continue to provide the vital hubs for local to communities to come together. #Islington #CommunityWealthBuilding #Community

We’re proud of Islington’s dynamic and diverse business landscape which significantly contributes to London's economy. Islington is home to over 19,000 businesses - 97% of which are small and medium-sized enterprises. This emphasis on SMEs highlights our commitment to fostering local entrepreneurship and innovation. And we want to do more to support our small and local businesses through our community wealth building strategy. Initiatives like our affordable workspace programme are already having an impact – creating more than 40,000 square feet of workspace for local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Businesses like Fashion Enter based in FC Designer Workspace in Finsbury Park and headed-up by Jenny, who features in our video. #FinsburyPark #CommunityWealthBuilding #MoreEqualLocalEconomy

🌍 Celebrating the conclusion of our first Islington climate panel! 🌍 We’ve wrapped up the first series of our Islington climate panel sessions! Over the course of eight engaging sessions, 35 residents, chosen by lottery to represent the diversity of our borough, came together to tackle the vital question: 'What does a climate-resilient Islington look like, and how do we get there?' During these sessions, we explored critical themes such as the science of climate change, adaptation and resilience, green spaces, and emergency planning scenarios. Our panel members made several key recommendations to enhance Islington's climate resilience, focusing on greening our streets, how we can make the most of our public spaces and buildings, and collaborating with local businesses. As a council, we are dedicated to ensuring that by 2030, Islington will have the greenest and healthiest neighbourhoods in London, where people live healthy and independent lives. This climate panel marks our first-ever citizens panel, reflecting our commitment to placing communities at the heart of decision-making. Next Steps: • 📑 Publishing a report with resident feedback • 📅 Autumn follow-up sessions • 🛠️ Updating our climate action plans in 2025 • 🌳 Shaping the Green Infrastructure Strategy • 🆘 Informing emergency response plans We had great contributions from fantastic local partners such as UCL; Arsenal; Islington Climate Centre; Cripplegate Foundation; TGC; Islington Faiths Forum; National Park City; Islington Food Partnership; Ecocounts; Octopus Community Network; and the Islington Environmental Emergency Alliance. A big thank you to our panel members for their invaluable contributions. Your ideas will help create a greener, healthier, and more resilient Islington. 🌿💚 #Islington #ClimateAction #Sustainability #ClimateResilience

We massively welcome today's announcement by Liz Kendall that local leaders will be given more powers to get people into work and training. We're determined to make Islington a more equal place and making sure everyone has access to opportunities that are right on their doorstep. Our community wealth building strategy is helping to tackle economic inequality and shaping a local economy that works for everyone. And it’s already having an impact. Here's a few highlights: ➡️ Last year, 1,788 learners enrolled on our free adult and community learning courses to gain new skills to help them into jobs of further learning. ➡️ More than £84K worth of childcare bursaries have been allocated, supporting 50 parents or carers to get into work or sustain their job after having children ➡️ Last year, our Income Maximisation team (IMAX) put more than £5 million into the pockets of residents who weren't aware of the benefits they were entitled to. ➡️ And with Islington Working, we’ve supported more than 3,000 people into good, secure and fairly paid jobs with long term prospects. People like Chesney, a Bright Start Administrator who was supported into her role by the iWork team and features in our video 📹 We look forward to working with the Government on this to get more people in Islington into work. Check out our Community Wealth Building Strategy on our website: https://lnkd.in/dtp9EE9a   You can also check out our Islington Working website, where we help local find the best jobs for them in the borough: https://lnkd.in/dWFkD45B

A path to a more equal local economy: Community Wealth Building in Islington Islington has a dynamic local economy characterised by its diversity, entrepreneurialism, innovation, strategic location, and ongoing investment -making it a vibrant and thriving borough within London’s economic landscape. However, beneath the bustling exterior, there are inequalities that need addressing. Our ambition is to create a more equal Islington, where everyone has the same opportunity to reach their potential. Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Culture & Jobs, explains the council’s approach to fostering a fairer, more equal local economy through our community wealth building strategy: https://orlo.uk/uynA3 #CommunityWealthBuilding #FairerLocalEconomy #Islington

Domestic abuse has no place in Islington. Since 2022, our specialist violence against women and girls (VAWG) services have worked with more than 4100 survivors and families. Recently, our Journey to Change service was accredited by Respect UK, the gold standard for work with perpetrators of domestic abuse. Journey to Change is for people who have caused harm to or frightened a loved one and want support to change. Find out more about our non-judgmental, one-to-one support: https://orlo.uk/OT4nf Aisling Barker, Dr John Woolf, Curtis Ashton, Siobhan O'Sullivan

🚀 Attention Islington Entrepreneurs! 🚀 In partnership with Action for Race Equality, we’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Business Resilience Programme - a unique opportunity to take your business to new heights! The programme offers bespoke solutions to scale up your businesses, with applications especially welcome from underrepresented local entrepreneurs. We're offering grants of £2,000 to business owners who complete the programme activities! Here's what’s on offer: 🔹 1:1 Consultancy Sessions: Receive personalised guidance from trained business consultants. Discover the benefits of these consultations in this specialist consultancy offer blog: https://orlo.uk/znVsP 🔹 Masterclasses: Gain insights into improving operations, financial planning, communications, data management, and more. 🔹 Networking and Peer Learning: Connect with fellow entrepreneurs and industry experts to exchange ideas and foster valuable relationships. Ready to take your business to the next level? Find out more and apply here: https://orlo.uk/c4En5 ⏰ Applications close on August 23rd, so make sure to register via our short form before then! #IslingtonEntrepreneurs

🌟 Exciting Updates from the Islington Anchor Institution Network 🌟 We're thrilled to share the latest achievements of our collaborative efforts with the Islington Anchor Institutions Network which launched in September 2022. It brings together eleven locally rooted organisations that have agreed to work together to address inequality and boost the local economy. At the launch event the group made three pledges: ▶️ To support jobs and employment ▶️ To support local businesses through procurement ▶️ To reduce carbon emissions Here's a snapshot of our recent successes: Supporting Jobs and Employment: ▶️ Linked with the council’s World of Work Programme, connecting young people with valuable employment experiences. ▶️ Placed 38 young people in summer work placements, offering them invaluable exposure to the world of work. ▶️ Launched an 'anchor-wide' coordinated approach to apprenticeships, establishing an Apprenticeship Academy. ▶️ Delivered two apprenticeship levy information events to encourage more local businesses to take on apprentices. ▶️ Cross-promoted vacancies and shared insights on recruitment challenges. Reducing Carbon Emissions: ▶️ Rolled out the ‘Go Zero’ campaign in collaboration. ▶️ Completed an upcycling art project at Jean Stokes Community Centre with London Metropolitan University. ▶️ Hosted Arsenal Dr Bike Events at Highbury House and the Armoury to encourage more people to get on their bikes and travel greener. ▶️ Launched the Arsenal Match Day Boot Collection/Sports Equipment Swap on Earth Day. ▶️ Organised the NHS & Islington Council food waste event at Whittington Hospital. ▶️ Held the Peabody Cook for Good Event at Cubitt Community Centre. Supporting Local Businesses: ▶️ Embedded social value commitments into our strategies. ▶️ Shared best practices to maximise joint purchasing power across the network and open new opportunities for local businesses. ▶️ Worked diligently towards our respective Net Zero Carbon targets. ▶️ Committed to paying the London Living Wage and working to put this into place across our supply chains ▶️ Hosted a Meet the Buyer event, bringing together 43 suppliers and 13 buyers including six Anchor Institutions and seven large contractors. A huge thank you to all participants for their commitment, expertise, and passion and and we are excited about the opportunities ahead as we continue working together to drive meaningful change in Islington. #IslingtonAnchorInstitutions Angel Business Improvement District Limited Arsenal F.C Business Design Centre Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust Capital City College Group City, University of London Cripplegate Foundation London Metropolitan University Peabody Whittington Health