All three partners are committed to tackling inequalities and making a positive difference to people's lives
Date: 09 May 2025
London Met is working in partnership with Islington Council and Voluntary Action Islington to co-produce a strategy for the Borough’s voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector. The project is being delivered through the University’s London Met Lab and Centre for Applied Research in Empowering Society (CARES).
All three partners are committed to tackling inequalities and making a positive difference to people’s lives. This shared ambition will drive the strategy, ensuring that the VCFSE sector can play a full and equal part in improving lives and strengthening communities. The project was launched at Voluntary Action Islington’s spring conference, held at London Metropolitan University in March, and will be completed by the end of the year.
In the current financial climate, both Islington Council and the VCFSE sector face significant challenges, with austerity and the cost-of-living crisis impacting them as well as the communities they work with. Against this backdrop, the strategy aims to combine the strengths of both sectors, finding ways to work together to meet people’s needs more effectively.
Navinder Kaur, Chief Executive of Islington Voluntary Action, commented: “Islington’s VCFSE is the backbone to Islington’s diverse communities and plays a unique role in tackling inequality. We are looking forward to exploring with our VCFSE and council colleagues what is working well and not so well, and what can we do to radically shift the dial.”
For Pam Aristokle, Head of Community Partnerships at Islington Council, "the Voluntary, Community, and Faith Sector plays a pivotal role in fostering equality and unity within our communities and mirror our ambitions in the early intervention and prevention agenda. As we face future challenges, the strength of our partnerships with the VCFSE sector and our commitment to collaboration will be key to achieving our shared goals.”
The project will be led by London Met, but the strategy itself will be co-produced with VCFSEs. Their knowledge and experience, including lived experience of Islington’s diverse communities, will ensure that it has a strong and practical foundation.
“It’s really important that the VCFSE sector is in the driving seat, they know what the challenges are and what is needed on the ground,” said Dr Belinda Pratten, Senior Lecturer in Community Development and Leadership, who will be leading this work. Belinda is also the Clinic Co-Lead for London Met Lab’s Charities and Social Enterprise Clinic.
The partnership is the result of London Met Lab’s long-standing engagement with Islington Council and the local VCFSE sector, as part of the University’s commitment to give back to our city, and especially the local borough. It also highlights the value of London Met Lab’s Charities and Social Enterprise Clinic and its ability to harness the expertise of staff and students to support civic and community partners.
The project was launched at Voluntary Action Islington’s spring conference