Islington Giving has since raised over £6m A new website was established in 2011. That and awards grants to voluntary organisations year 75,000 people were matched with a providing support to Islington residents to volunteering opportunity. The Capacity Building address poverty and inequality. service supported 30 smaller groups, compiling During 2011 VAI launched a major consultation valuable information packs. to modernise its identity and purpose, with a Collaboration was a growing theme, including view to maximising the impact of a now more sharing of premises, community accountancy, limited budget. The outcome was a set of new and supporting the borough’s Community aims for VAI: Network. VAI continued to support the BAME The outcome was a set of new aims for VAI: Forum, which organized Black History Month y Providing support to our members in the Borough. A Children’s Voluntary Sector y Improving the effectiveness of the local Forum was supported, bringing together voluntary and community sector charities and voluntary organisations going y Developing the voluntary sector in Islington support for children. y Mobilising our members to influence VAI also launched a new Voluntary Action change Academy – a new way of providing training In 2011 VAI celebrated its 40th anniversary. A and information for community groups and special presentation was made to Pat Haynes, volunteers. New projects covered volunteering who had been a founder of ICSS and Treasurer and supporting children’s voluntary throughout the first 40 years. He wrote a organisations. VAI played a leading role in fascinating self-published record of his time promoting quality standards in the sector, as a councillor, [5] which also illustrates his helping 20 organisations to gain national involvement in the ups and downs of ICSS, accreditation. VAI itself was accredited by its emergence as IVAC and its transformation Investors in People for its treatment of staff. into VAI. It shows how he had been a powerful advocate for the Islington voluntary sector and 5. Haynes, P An Islington Councillor 1971-1992 in particular VAI. Spider Web 1994 Celebrating 50 Years of Service 35