In the face of funding cuts, IVAC found In 1981-82 the Council began its decentralised imaginative ways to raise funds for its work. For Neighbourhood Forum process, which ICSS example, a late-night fundraiser at Screen on had pioneered from 1973 in Mildmay. IVAC the Green cinema was organised. Meanwhile convened a panel of community and voluntary IVAC continued to work hard to serve the local groups to press for community participation. In community and voluntary organisations in the 1983 a student on placement with IVAC helped Borough. By 1981 the newsletter circulation to start PACE - the Islington Police was up to 750 local organisations. Monitoring Group. The Employment Project set up in 1978 In October 1983 IVAC convened a major increasingly concentrated on youth Voluntary Sector Conference to look at unemployment and campaigned for a the abolition of the GLC, rate-capping, local Cooperative Development Agency. In decentralisation, government policy on 1981 IVAC established a 40-place training volunteers, lack of resources for groups and workshop designed to meet the needs of Black how to ensure real community involvement. unemployed young people. Though ethnic IVAC also played a leading part in events minority and community relations groups had marking the GLC’s Anti-Racist Year 1984. from the start been involved with ICSS/IVAC, this was an early example of a project aimed In 1983 Bryan Simons stepped down as specifically to benefit BAME communities. general secretary after six years in post and was replaced briefly by Mike Phillips then Steve Pay and conditions of employment within Balkam who served from 1983 until 1989. the voluntary sector at this time were still quite haphazard. In 1981 IVAC brought In Islington, Councillor Bob Crossman had together representatives of voluntary sector become the first openly gay Mayor in the UK management committees, trade unions in 1986 and IVAC Vice President Chris Smith and Islington Council to begin three-way became the first serving MP to come out as negotiations on wages and conditions in the gay in 1984, marking and encouraging a shift in voluntary sector. public mood. Celebrating 50 Years of Service 19