We are excited to announce the projects and groups awarded grants through the latest round of Make it Happen, Islington Giving’s micro grants programme bringing to life inspiring ideas in Islington. In this round, we awarded grants to 31 projects totalling £15,135.00 of funding.
Alina Zaremska: Grammar Through Games Club: Led by a qualified English teacher and supported by a community organiser, this free, eight-week project helps children aged 7–11 build confidence in English grammar through fun, creative and social activities. The club offers a welcoming, play-based environment where grammar skills are developed naturally through drawing, movement, storytelling, and teamwork to build both language skills and confidence.
Allie’s Art Club: Rooted: An Art & Poetry Zine about Environment Sustainability: This project will bring together ten local creatives in Islington to produce a printed community zine exploring environmental issues, such as climate change, sustainable development and nature connectedness. Featuring original artwork, poetry and writing, the project will involve a free community picnic at Highbury Fields, inviting contributors and local residents to celebrate the zine’s launch, take part in nature-inspired arts and crafts, and receive free copies. The zine will then be shared more widely through local cultural spaces and archives, including Cubitt Artists’ zine collection, extending its reach across the borough.
Anfel Azizi: Arabic Classes for Children aged 4-16yrs: This project aims to establish weekly Arabic language classes for young people in Islington, giving them the opportunity to build a valuable skill while staying connected to their heritage and culture. For many families, Arabic is an important part of identity, yet access to affordable, high-quality learning opportunities remains limited. These classes will provide a welcoming space where young people can develop language skills, grow in confidence, and strengthen their sense of belonging.
The impact goes beyond language learning. Bilingualism can support academic achievement, boost confidence, and open up future opportunities in an increasingly global world. By creating an inclusive and accessible programme, this initiative will help young people learn, connect, and thrive, while celebrating the diversity that makes Islington such a vibrant community.
Archway Angels: Street Cleaning Campaign: This project will bring together a small team of local volunteers to set up a regular street-cleaning rota on Giesbach Road, helping to keep the area cleaner, safer and more welcoming for everyone who lives there. Volunteers will work in small groups every few days to sweep the street, collect litter and report larger fly-tipping issues to Islington Council. Beyond improving the physical environment, the project aims to strengthen connections between neighbours, particularly those who live alone or may feel isolated.
Ashmount PTA: Community Fun Planting Day: The community around Ashmount Primary School will come together to transform the school’s front entrance into a vibrant, welcoming green space. Through a community planting day, families, local groups and volunteers will work side by side to clean, plant and reconnect with their environment, building on the success of previous local initiatives.
Bubble & Speak CIC: 3x Coffee Mornings: Based in the Brickworks Community Centre, this project offers a welcoming space for families with children under 4 years of age. The aim is to support and improve the mental health of young children, many of whom are from low or no-income households. This grant will fund four coffee mornings for local people, giving them an opportunity to meet the team, connect with one another, and to see and explore the Bubble & Speak space.
Christine Jaudoin Wall Mural @ St Jude Street Park: This grant will support the creation of a big nature-inspired mural on the wall of the vibrant, community-led food-growing space within the newly redesigned St Jude Street Park. It will be an open, collective community project led by a trained artist. The idea came from volunteers who have contributed to the garden’s development but also built a close[1]knit community, sharing recipes and ideas for harvested foods.
Deannia Madden, Evening of Self-expression: Deannia is a local resident and long-time member of the Parent House, where she supports other parents navigating isolation, school challenges, and housing struggles. She is a member of Islington Giving’s Alumni and former member of the Islington Giving’s Community Panel. Aimed at local parents, “Rooftop Expressions: A night of “music, art and soul” aims to bring people together, and encourage open conversations around mental health, loneliness, and emotional wellbeing, using the arts as a powerful tool for expression and connection.
Emma Ward: Halloween Party @ Hargrave Hall: With few child-friendly events in the area and safety concerns around traditional trick-or-treating, this free party will offer a welcoming alternative for local families. With the venue generously provided, this grant will support treats, decorations and drinks to create a festive atmosphere for all. The event is open to the whole community and aims to spark joy, strengthen connections and help neighbours get to know one another.
Finsbury & Clerkenwell Volunteers :Christmas Lunch & Entertainment: Weston Rise Community Hall will host a special Christmas lunch for around 40 local older and multicultural residents, creating a warm and welcoming space to celebrate together. The event will offer a chance for local people to socialise at what can be a lonely time of year, with a delicious hot meal, live entertainment and dancing for those who wish to join in. The event is fully accessible with door-to-door, wheelchair-accessible transport available. Supported by volunteers from MUFG, who will also provide gifts for guests, and often attended by the mayor, the day is all about connection, joy and community spirit.
Fit Women’s Group: Food for Black History Celebration: Fit Women Group is planning a week-long Black History Month celebration to bring the community together through a series of creative workshops, including arts and crafts, cooking, dance, and drumming, followed by a large community event. The celebration will feature food, storytelling, and activities for all ages, creating an inclusive space to celebrate Black culture and strengthen local connections. Funding will support the preparation of a shared meal for up to 300 people, with volunteers cooking a range of traditional dishes for the community to enjoy together.
“I often reflect on what makes our borough so special – and it’s not just the landmarks or the history – but it’s the ordinary residents doing extraordinary things.” – Mayor of Islington, Jason Jackson
The People’s Army: Lunch & Lyrics: This is a new weekly community gathering at Mildmay Community Centre, bringing people together over good food and music. Each session will offer a shared, healthy meal followed by a relaxed, karaoke-style singalong, creating a fun, welcoming space to connect, unwind and express yourself (or just enjoy the atmosphere!). This 10-week programme is open to everyone and especially aimed at those who may be feeling isolated or struggling with the rising cost of living.
Lady Stitch Embroidery: Brunswick TMO Embroidery Project: This creative community project will bring residents together through a series of five relaxed embroidery workshops, running between February and March 2026. Starting with a collaborative ideas session, participants will co-design a shared theme before working together each week to create a unique embroidered banner for their community hall. All materials will be provided, and sessions are designed to be welcoming, accessible and easy to take part in – no experience needed.
Hillrise Mansions Gardening Club: Hillrise Mansion Community Planting Day: Residents at Hillrise Mansions are coming together to transform an unused gated corner of their estate into a vibrant, wildlife-friendly green space. This will involve a community planting day, bringing together neighbours, local families and nearby schools. This once-overlooked patch will be filled with colourful plants to attract bees, butterflies and birds. The aim is to create something lasting and create opportunities for residents to connect, spend time outdoors and take pride in their environment.
Khulood Khatlan: Art & Identity: This creative programme will bring local women together for a series of relaxed, hands-on workshops exploring identity, self-expression and connection. Held in a welcoming community space like the Clock Tower, sessions will include activities such as journaling, mask-making, self-portraits and group storytelling, including opportunities for reflection and shared conversation. The project aims to build confidence, support wellbeing and foster a sense of belonging.
Ellen Coleman: Festive Meals/Gatherings for residents at Look Ahead: This funding will deliver co-produced festive celebrations across Look Ahead’s three services, supporting up to 70 residents with shared meals, small essential gifts and inclusive activities shaped by those taking part. Many members face increased isolation and financial hardship over the festive period, so these events aim to create comfort, belonging and joy while strengthening community connections and supporting wellbeing.
Mildmay Street TRA: Festive Community Celebration: This Festive Community Celebration aims to bring together residents of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs to celebrate unity, friendship, and community pride. The celebration will feature shared food, music, games, and creative activities that encourage participation across generations, including residents from our local care home, families with children, and individuals from our multicultural community.
Alihossein Rokhsari/NC Productions: Event for young people to share/exhibit art: This event is a free, inclusive creative showcase and networking evening at Whittington Park Community Centre, bringing together young local creatives who often struggle to find affordable, welcoming spaces to share their work and connect with others. The event will provide a supportive platform for 16–30-year-olds to exhibit art, perform, and collaborate, while also inviting the wider community to engage with local talent.
Olden Community Garden: Woodland Biodiversity Planting: This Woodland Biodiversity Planting project at Olden Garden will create a welcoming, hands-on community activity where local people can come together outdoors to improve a shared green space while supporting long-term biodiversity. Running between March and May 2026, participants of all ages and abilities will work alongside experienced gardeners to plant shrubs, perennials and ground cover, transforming a woodland border into a thriving habitat for bees, butterflies and other wildlife.
“Islington Giving, thank you for making it happen. Without the funding, my dreams would never have been achieved.” – Deannia, Make it Happen grantee, 2025
St Jude & St Paul Food Hub: St Jude’s & St Paul’s Festive Event: This festive event for regular attendees of St Jude and St Paul’s Foodhub will provide a safe, welcoming space for vulnerable, disabled and disadvantaged adults to come together, share a hot meal and dessert, and receive essential food and gift items to support them through the Christmas period. The event aims to offer comfort, connection and practical support, helping people feel cared for, included and better able to cope during the festive season.
The Sunday Club: Christmas Day Lunch: This Christmas Day lunch will provide a warm, welcoming space for local residents who are unable to cook for themselves or who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. Bringing people together over a shared meal, music, treats and a special visit from Santa, the event aims to create moments of joy, connection and celebration at what can be a difficult and isolating time of year. Guests will leave feeling valued, supported and reminded that they are an important part of their community.
Tomislav Latinovic: 12-week Singing Group: This project will create a free, inclusive community choir at Holloway Neighbourhood Group, running as a 12-week programme from January to March 2026, designed to bring people together through the shared joy of singing. Building on existing volunteer work and interest from local participants, the choir will offer a welcoming space to explore music from different cultures, learn new skills and develop a collective voice. The project aims to break down barriers, build connection and reduce isolation.
Volodymyr Zaremski: Kick Bullying Out: Taekwondo 8-14yrs: This one-month project in Islington that brings together children aged 8–14, particularly from low-income families, refugees, and migrants, to tackle bullying and social isolation through martial arts. Using Taekwondo, children will learn not only basic self-defence techniques but also the core values of respect, perseverance, self-control, and honesty. These skills will help build self-confidence, improve emotional regulation, and enhance communication. The goal of the project is to improve physical and mental wellbeing, unite participants through shared activities, and support positive social change within the community.
Mama Brain: Parent Peer Support Group: 5 pilot sessions: This project will offer a free, welcoming peer-support space for new and local parents, recognising how isolating and overwhelming the early years of parenthood can be. It will be hosted as a pilot series of five 1.5-hour sessions at Awesome CIC’s soft play space, and will create a calm, supportive environment where parents can share experiences, build connections and explore the realities of early parenthood together.
“Thank you for funding us. It was a successful event which enabled us to get more funding to try to continue this weekly Andover Estate Football programme” – Walaalo FC CIC
Chelsey: Pre Christmas Tea Party & Christmas Day Lunch: Building on the success of last year’s Christmas lunch, which brought over 50 people together for a shared meal with support from volunteers and community partners, this year the group will host two festive events for members. This involves a pre-Christmas afternoon tea for around 50 people, followed by a smaller Christmas Day lunch for around 12 people who would otherwise be alone, shared with staff and their families.
Go Africa CIC: Passport to Belonging’ & ‘The Music Within Us’: Go Africa will deliver a free 8–9 week creative programme at Finsbury Park Trust, offering weekly 2-hour workshops in zine-making, storytelling, fabric book wrapping and music for local marginalised African-Caribbean and wider multicultural residents. The project will run in the Autumn and Winter, with participants exploring identity and culture through a “Passport to Belonging” zine project and “The Music Within Us” workshops.
Walaalo FC CIC: 2 Day Football Event & Football Sessions on Andover Estate: Walaalo FC is a youth-led football club based in Islington, created in 2023 to provide a safe, inclusive space where local people can come together through sport. Building on our work delivering training sessions, tournaments and workshops, Walaalo FC will run two free community football sessions on the Andover Estate aimed at residents of all ages. This project will address the lack of accessible, free sports provision in one of Islington’s most deprived areas.
Vibe4Life Ltd Community Dance Event @ Caxton House: This project will deliver a free community dance and wellbeing event at Caxton House Community Centre, bringing together local residents to celebrate movement, music and cultural expression. Led by a local Islington resident with experience delivering dance sessions in community centres and gyms, the event is designed to build on existing community connections and respond to clear local demand for inclusive, joyful spaces where people can come together.
“This is such an empowering approach to community funding. Small, accessible grants like this can unlock ideas that might otherwise never get off the ground…” – Giving Insight, LinkedIn
ITKCW: Glass Painting for Stress Relief & Sustainability: This project will teach marginalised women – including those on benefits, socially isolated and from minority groups – the therapeutic art of glass painting. The project will run weekly for six months, focusing on stress relief, creativity, and sustainability using recycled glass jars. At the end, they will host a community event to showcase the women’s artwork, inviting local women’s community groups and the Finsbury Park Women’s Network to celebrate the participants achievements, offer refreshments, and promote social connection.
Somali Community Gardening & Wellbeing: 6 Week Gardening Pilot Project: The Somali Community Gardening & Wellbeing Project is a community-led, not-for profit initiative that brings together British- Somali people of all ages through gardening and nature-based activities. The project is designed to create a safe, inclusive, and culturally relevant space where elderly Somalis, children with disabilities (including autism), young people, and families can connect with nature, improve wellbeing, and strengthen community bonds.
Do you have a project or event idea that could positively impact your community? Apply now to Make it Happen – the next deadline is 11 May 2026.
