“I felt like I was part of the ‘Invisible Islington’ and I wanted to have my voice heard.” – Kay, Community Panellist
On Tuesday 28th of January, we came together to celebrate the Islington Giving Community Panel – a group of passionate local people who have played a vital role in shaping funding decisions for grassroots projects across the borough.
Held at the vibrant Almeida Theatre bar, the event was a powerful reminder of the impact of sharing decision-making power with the people who know their community best.
Why the Community Panel matters
The Community Panel puts funding decisions directly into the hands of local residents, ensuring the money we give goes where it’s most needed. Panellists bring their lived experience, insight, and dedication, helping to fund projects that create real, long-term change.
At the event, panel members reflected on their journeys, shared insights on the power of collective decision-making, and highlighted the importance of funding projects that help people build skills, strengthen connections, and access opportunities.
Voices from the Panel
“I have lived in Islington all my life, since I was 5 years old – and I have been through lots of different stages of life here, including having my daughter. My daughter is Autistic and we have faced a lot of challenges, including prejudice – I felt like I was part of the ‘Invisible Islington’ and I wanted to have my voice heard. As a group, we wanted to fund activities and projects that helped people to develop skills that would support them long-term, and to make the services already here more accessible to people with disabilities and additional needs. We felt that this is important at every stage of life…I built new friendships, with people I wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to meet. I feel like I have made a real change in the community.” ~ Kay, Community Panelist
“I’m a social worker at Islington Council, and being part of the panel helped me to get a wider picture of the needs in the community – and to share the needs I am seeing day to day. I can take back what I have learnt and heard from other panellists, and use this knowledge to inform my own work – and have a better understanding of what is already available for people locally”.” ~ Community Panellist
“I got involved with the Community Panel because I see a lot of issues in my community, like people sleeping in the streets, young people unemployed – and I wanted to help. I think it is so important people, especially young people, get the opportunities to build the skills they need to change their lives…On the programme, it was great to be able to work with people of different ages and backgrounds – the young ones gave us older people lots of energy. We worked together to make decisions without prejudice, to be inclusive of the whole community and everyone in it.” ~ Community Panelist
At the event, links were made between organisations – like The Stuart Low Trust and Almeida Theatre, and The Parent House connecting with parents of children with SEND. These partnerships will help strengthen the support network available for local people.
What’s next?
We’re incredibly proud of everything the panel has achieved and excited to see what’s next on their Islington Giving Alumni journey. Watch this space for an update coming soon!
