I am happy with what we funded and that I’ve been part of many families benefiting, restoring and starting anew.
Our 2021 Family Panel have made their funding decisions, supported by Islington Giving Programme team. This year’s call was focused on projects that engage and empower isolated parents and carers and reduce the likelihood of families facing crisis through social, emotional and community support, as well as opportunities for parents to improve their practical skills.
Once again the panel received more applications that they could fund. With our limited pot of funding our panel was able to fund 1 in every 4 applications, highlighting the need for family support in the borough. In one of the family panellists words:
With the Panel, I have risen up, not just as a mum. I still have dreams… Sometimes you bury yourself.
We are delighted to announce that the following groups and projects have been awarded grants:
All Change Arts (£22,547 awarded)
A group of mothers have developed WellConnected, a new peer-led project offering wellbeing, parenting and progression support to low-income Islington parents, with arts engagement as its focus. The group will meet weekly, offering enjoyable and social creative activities alongside advice, guidance and support from peers and professionals.
Global Generation (£29,350 awarded)
Story Garden is a community garden located just behind the British Library. It serves as a training hub, a gathering space for people to come together, learn and inspire others. Global Generation offer practical hands-on activities to develop people’s skills and confidence and improving their wellbeing. Their new project engages isolated parents and carers through workshops and Story Walks: a series of wellness oriented, nature connection walks, combining different ways of knowing each other and the natural world.
Jannaty Women’s Social Society (£10,428 awarded)
Habibi Hub, (Habibi means ‘my love’ in Arabic) is a social and support hub primarily for Arabic and Somali speaking women. The hub supports the work Jannaty has already delivered with Talk for Health, getting Arabic and Somali women, who would not normally speak about their mental health, or seek professional help, to begin having healthy conversations to improve their wellbeing and learning basic counselling skills.
The Parent House (£9,995 awarded)
Many parents continue to be concerned about their children’s schooling in the aftermath of the pandemic restrictions, reporting a lack of communication with schools, and the need to further support their children’s learning and mental health. With this grant Parent House will help parents to better support their children’s education through various activities: support groups, workshops and communications with schools.
Manor Gardens Welfare Trust (£27,755 awarded)
The project will focus on families who are isolated because of language and cultural barriers from accessing wider networks across Islington, working with six of the main communities they’ve engaged with for over five years: Spanish, Arabic, Turkish, Eastern European, Albanian and Somali. The programme supports parents, carers and children by providing advocacy, early interventions and support for situations ranging from domestic violence to help with heating bills.
Hillside Clubhouse (£15,000 awarded)
Hillside Clubhouse works with people with mental health conditions to improve their wellbeing through employment and employability support. The grant will support two projects: Workday programme which helps members to develop life and work skills through volunteering to run the daily business functions of the Clubhouse, and the Recovery Project which provides practical help and support to those with personal problems or crises. Through projects we support parents and carers to improve their mental wellbeing through developing their practical employability skills and their life skills, becoming less isolated and increasing self-esteem, confidence and wellbeing.
Family Panel is one of Islington Giving’s Residents’ Panels. Read more about their impact here
The process has really challenged my opinions and made me reflect on my privileges. Wish I could do more. Thank you.
