As the festive season approaches, Islington Giving and Angel Islington BID are coming together with a vital mission: to ensure no one in Angel feels alone this winter.
With support from local businesses like the Business Design Centre, Angel Central Shopping Centre, and sponsor Tishman Speyer, the community is joining forces to fight loneliness and isolation, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable residents in the borough.
The brightly designed ‘Angel Crackers’ have been hand-made by volunteers from our community and go on sale from 29th of October. With a suggested donation of £5 each (or £30 for a box of six), 100% of the proceeds go toward funding incredible local organisations offering points of connection, support, and joy for vulnerable local residents, via Islington Giving.
Goodies inside include a conversation starter, fantastic fact about Angel, Christmas paper hat (of course), and a Christmas Blend tea bag, plus a novelty curated by homewares and gift store After Noah (Upper Street) including:
- Guatemalan worry doll
- Rainbow egg eraser
- Christmas jingle bell decoration
- Ice lolly eraser
- Stick-on moustache
- Squish ball
- Friendship bracelet
And there’s more! One in 30 crackers include a special GOLDEN TICKET – a great prize donated from one of the campaign’s brilliant supporters, including experiences, meals and tickets to Angel’s best places.
You could win:
- Free meal for two at Karen’s Diner
- Free cup of coffee at EGRO, Camden Passage
- Two hours free karaoke for six guests at Lucky Voice
- A free Google Fitbit from Islington Giving
- A pair of tickets for any show at King’s Head Theatre
- Free golf session for two at Birdies
- Pair of tickets to any show plus three free drinks each at O2 Academy
- A free piccolo ice cream at Badiani, Camden Passage
- £30 to spend at Badiani, Camden Passage
Where can you buy Angel Crackers?
- David Astburys Estate Agent, 312 Upper Street
- Islington Giving, 13 Elliott’s Place
- Lucky Voice, 173 Upper Street
- Karen’s Diner, 8 White Lion Street
- Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street
- Angel Central’s Christmas light events on November 22 (4pm-7pm) and November 23 (11am-6pm)
- Glow in the Angel, Islington Green, November 23, from 1pm-6pm
- Islington Square, The Christmas Sorting Office on November 23, 12-5pm
- Loom Club, Unit 23, The Ivories, 6 Northampton Street on November 30
Larger orders – perfect for your office Christmas do or family get-togethers – can be made by emailing isobel.miller@islingtongiving.org.uk.
Crackers with a Purpose
Loneliness is more than just a feeling; it’s a public health issue that worsens other inequalities. In Islington, where an estimated 54,000 people live below the poverty line, rates of depression and mental health issues are among the highest in the country. About one in six adults in the borough have been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or both. This makes tackling isolation and building community support more critical than ever.
This year, 3,000 Angel Crackers will be made and sold across Angel, not just as a charming holiday accessory but as part of Islington Giving’s ongoing work to combat loneliness locally. Every cracker sold will help fund vital projects in the borough, offering vulnerable residents opportunities for connection, support, and improved wellbeing.
By joining this campaign, you’ll be helping to spread joy, connection, and support to those who need it most this winter.
Let’s pull together to end loneliness in Islington this winter.
Want to expand the difference you can make this winter? 100% of your donation to out winter appeal, however small or big, will help us fund vital projects in the borough, offering vulnerable residents opportunities for connection, support, and improved wellbeing.