Simon Kaplinsky was the first community worker employed by ICSS (edited interview from 2011) I was involved in the Tufnell Park Two resident associations sprang into life Play Area in 1971. There was and we established King Henry’s adventure an old derelict Victorian house playground. We lobbied for that and had owned by the council, and local demonstrations. We also helped to get the people lobbied the council to provide Mayville Estate Community money for a summer project. Things have Centre going. changed enormously in terms of health and The Government had a series of initiatives safety. It was a three-storey house, and just for urban aid to stimulate local activity. to illustrate the differences in attitude, the I came from a construction background kids climbed out of the dormer windows, and saw this empty building (an old hung onto the gutters three storeys up, piano factory). I thought, we can do and one of the helpers, I think it was a something here. We won a grant of psychiatrist, said “Don’t worry, leave them about £30,000. That was the start of the there, kids have got to test their limits!”. Factory Community Project. We did all the Although I’m an engineer, I was interested renovation and came out on cost, probably in community work and eventually became due to my experience in the a community worker at ICSS in 1973. The construction industry. local authority wanted to promote the idea Small voluntary organisations have of neighbourhood forums, so they set up problems now, in terms of maintaining two experimental projects: one funded budgets, proper accounts, employment through the ICSS. A housing association laws. Organisations like Voluntary Action provided a base in Mildmay and I started to Islington have a role in providing that sort work with tenants in the Mayville estate. of thing and are absolutely critical in times of threat.” Celebrating 50 Years of Service 15