VAI was also looking at new areas of support y to help volunteers to gain more skills, social for local groups. We negotiated to free NCVO contacts, employability and improved health membership for one year for current VAI (primarily through the Volunteer Centre). members. A valuable partnership was struck up with London Metropolitan University, where Community safety was also a focus, with VAI VAI’s Voluntary Sector Conference was hosted jointly organising a ‘Quit Knives, Save Lives’ for several years. LMU also offered advice and event. A Women in Leadership conference was information to VAI members. In 2015 voluntary well received, as well as networking events for sector hustings were organised by VAI for trustees and CEOs. VAI’s current CEO Navinder political parties in the run-up to local council Kaur joined in 2020. elections, with four major parties represented, giving the local VCSF the chance to question The COVID-19 Pandemic 2020-22 the candidates. From early 2020 the problems facing the community in Islington were intensified by In 2016 Mike Sherriff retired after nearly 10 COVID-19 – the worst global pandemic seen years’ service. In the annual report of that year for many years. This resulted in a series of VAI chair Phil Kelly described 2016-17 as “a national lockdowns, severely restricting travel year of planning for change”. and close contact with others. Despite itself being hit by the lockdowns, Islington’s vibrant Under new CEO Guljabeen Rahman in 2016 Voluntary, Community and Faith sector (VCFS) VAI prioritised supporting the local VCSF in underpinned the response to the pandemic. four areas: From food banks to medical deliveries, to y to be more sustainably resourced (e.g. educational help, to mental wellbeing, to through the ‘Open 4 Communities’ funding combating loneliness, to assistance in the database) vaccination programme, Islington’s voluntary y to deliver more effective services (e.g. and community organisations came to the fore. through Capacity Building Essentials) y to influence policy (brokering meetings between the VCSF and Council departments) Celebrating 50 Years of Service 37