Voluntary Action Islington - A Short Walk Through Our History Voluntary Action Islington has been supporting This publication briefly tells the story of our local activity in the London Borough of Islington first 50 years – and in doing so tracks trends for over five decades. We exist to strengthen and issues as they emerged and evolved our local voluntary, community and faith across civil society. We pay tribute to the sector (VCFS) to deliver services effectively founders of Voluntary Action Islington and all and promote social justice. We are a one-stop the people who have served as volunteers, source of help providing advice, advocacy, staff and trustees, our member organisations news, resources including funding and and everyone in the Borough’s voluntary volunteering support. and community bodies, as well as our A little over 50 years ago, a group of local hugely valuable partners in the public sector, people committed to improving the lives of charitable trusts and businesses. people in Islington came together to create a We share some of the stories, successes new voluntary body, which became known as and challenges, as VAI was born and grew to the Islington Council of Social Service (ICSS) maturity. We hear from some of those most – later renamed Islington Voluntary Action involved and we look forward to our next Council in 1977 (IVAC), then Voluntary Action fifty years. Islington from 2009 (VAI). It was an ‘umbrella Most of all we celebrate the thousands of body’, offering to nurture and support all the Islington residents whose lives have been hundreds of charities, community groups and shaped and enhanced by the work of VAI and other voluntary organisations of all shapes and its predecessors. sizes within Islington. It aimed to foster better communications, create a hub of coordinated Joe Irvin – Chair of Trustees VAI activity, and help provide a stronger collective voice for the sector. 4 Celebrating 50 Years of Service