Islington Council has agreed more than £10 million funding over four years for vital voluntary and community sector organisations.

Islington has always been a place where communities come together, where our diversity is what brings us our strength.

In all, 51 organisations that help to make Islington a more equal place will be funded through the 2024-28 Voluntary and Community Sector Partnership Grants programme. This funding demonstrates the recognition that their vital work contributes to what makes Islington special, by working in partnership to support residents and businesses and to provide opportunities for our community to come together.

The funding includes continued support to Islington’s community hubs which sit at the heart of local communities and there will also be an overall increase in funding for organisations that are Black and minority ethnic-led and focused on supporting Black and minority ethnic women, to help ensure the local Voluntary and Community Sector is well placed to support Islington’s diverse communities.

Cllr Una O’Halloran, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Homes and Communities, said: “We’re determined to make Islington a more equal place and the borough’s voluntary and community organisations play a huge role in helping us to achieve that ambition.

“At a time when many other councils are choosing to cut financial support for voluntary and community sector organisations, we remain committed to funding those organisations that have been so vital in supporting local people through extremely challenging recent times, including the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

“We received a very high number of excellent applications for this funding, and there are always very difficult decisions to make. The high calibre of applications reflects the strength of Islington’s Voluntary and Community sector and I’d like to thank them for the outstanding work they do, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them in the coming years.”

The Voluntary and Community Sector Partnership Grants Programme 2024-2028 was agreed by the Voluntary and Community Sector Committee on Thursday 7 December. More detail can be found in the committee papers. The current funding arrangements will remain in place until the end of March 2024.