Central Network priorities:

  1. Listening and Social Action Campaign to listen to and engage the community and gauge its needs.

The Central Locality includes wards Arsenal, Laycock, Highbury, Mildmay, Canonbury and St Mary’s and St James.

Key facts:

  • 91,078 people live in the Central Locality

  • Ethnicities: 42.2% White British, 22.7% White-non-British, 12.4% Black, 8.8% Asian, 7.5% Mixed, 6.4% Other Ethnic Group

  • 9.9% pensioner households

  • 22.3% live in the most deprived 20% of England

  • 17% of children in relative low income families

  • Housing: 25.5% in Islington Council homes, 13.8% rent from other social landlord, 28.5% rent privately

  • 9.7% of households live in fuel poverty

  • 4.9% of the Central Locality is green space

  • ALAG logo - a black filled image of the shape of London, with orange letters 'ALAG' in the middle, and white letters saying 'Asperger London Area Group' beneath

    ALAG

    ALAG is a community organisation working in partnership with local authorities and the voluntary sector to highlight the needs of people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC)

    ALAG provides valuable social and emotional support for autistic adults who do not have a learning disability but nonetheless can become vulnerable due to neglect and lack of support.

  • Better Lives logo - four colourful, petal-like shapes overlapping, with the text 'Better Lives Islington Drug & Alcohol Service' beneath

    Better Lives

    Better Lives is an integrated drug and alcohol service delivered by Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with WDP and Humankind.

    We offer a free and confidential support service for individuals and their families affected by drug and alcohol problems.

    Our specialist team include substance misuse practitioners, doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists and pharmacists, as well as complementary therapists, volunteers and peer mentors.

  • A yellow hand shape, made from the letter b as the palm, with the words 'Big Alliance' in grey capitals beneath

    Big Alliance

    The BIG Alliance was set up in June 2012 by Islington Giving, Macquarie Group and the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) to strengthen links between businesses and community organisations and educational institutions across Islington.

    Through our local expertise and knowledge we ensure that all of our volunteering programmes address the most pressing needs in the borough. We make corporate community investment easier, effective and rewarding for business members.

  • Cripplegate Logo - a red square with white text 'Cripplegate Foundation' in the middle

    Cripplegate Foundation

    Cripplegate Foundation is a local grant-making foundation supporting residents working in the London borough of Islington and a small area of the City of London. Our vision is of a society where everyone can live a rewarding and fulfilled life, free from poverty and inequality.

    We aim to maximise all our assets for our residents – our endowment and investments, our knowledge, people and networks, our grant making programmes, and our partnerships.

  • Elizabeth House logo - a blue circle with outlines of heads and shoulders arranged in a circular shape. The text 'Elizabeth House your local community centre' to the right of the circle

    Elizabeth House Community Centre

    Elizabeth House is a thriving multi-purpose community centre in the heart of Highbury aiming to improve the lives of local residents and connect people together.

    We offer a range of services and activities for all, including Holiday Playscheme, After School and Youth Provision, and adult classes, as well as space for new or established groups.

    Elizabeth House is opened as normal for a wide range of in-person activities.

  • Logo, a black square with the letters 'E and 'S' in white, arranged as two sides of a cude

    Enterprise Starter

    Our purpose is to remove friction and increase accessibility for those establishing, launching and growing an enterprise.

    Enterprise Starter works to provide accessibility to enterprise, particularly to those who are less exposed to business support due to socioeconomic factors. Equipping people with the skills and expertise to launch their own enterprise, which opens up scope for employability, is an important part of our core work.

  • Go Africa Logo - a brown background, with a black outline of the shape of Africa, and the words 'Go Africa mobilising African and Caribbean creatives'

    Go Africa

    Go Africa: A movement mobilising the African & Caribbean creative communities to come together to showcase talent, art and culture in London.

    This movement was created in 2019 to empower African Creative communities. Our mission is to promote a positive understanding of the beauty of African culture by giving a new audience insight through our interactive workshops, because of the limited community facilities available to the person of Islington, which has impacted this ethnic community.

  • Logo - a red square with a white spiral, the text Highbury Counselling Centre to the right of this

    Highbury Counselling Centre

    WLM Highbury Counselling Centre offers an affordable Counselling and Psychotherapy service for adults, a confidential and non-judgemental space to speak with a trained professional.

    More specifically, the WLM HCC clinic offers longer-term (one year) Psychoanalytic/ Psychodynamic and Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling to people who are looking to speak about a wide range of emotional issues, such as anxiety, depression, loss, and other distressing life events.

  • Logo - the text 'healthwatch Islington' in blue letters, with the e and a in healthwatch represented as speech marks, pink and green respectively

    Healthwatch Islington

    We are the independent champion for people who use health and social care services in Islington. We’re here to make sure that those running services put people at the heart of care.

    Our purpose is to understand the needs, experiences, and concerns of people who use health and social care services and to speak out on their behalf.

    You can help services understand the issues affecting care for you and your loved ones by telling us. It's our job to listen to your experiences and share your views with those who can do something about it.

  • Logo - with the words Home Start in orange, the O and A represented as stick people holding hands. Beneath this are the words 'Camden & Islington' in purple text

    Home-Start

    Home-Start is a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times. We are there for parents when they need us the most because childhood can’t wait.

    Home-Start works with families in communities right across the UK. Starting in the home, our approach is as individual as the people we’re helping. No judgement, it is just compassionate, confidential help and expert support.

  • Logo - a black circle with two fists coming from left and right, towards a police helmet in the middle. The words Islington Copwatch above and below the helmet

    Islington Cop Watch

    Standing as a community against police violence and building alternatives to community safety.

    Copwatch groups are working across London, organising in local areas and training people to intervene when they see the police in their neighbourhood.

  • Logo - orange box, with the text 'Islington People's Theatre' in black, with a pink background

    Islington People's Theatre

    IPT works with adults and community groups throughout the borough, using applied theatre and drama processes, such as improvisation and devising, to co-create socially engaged work for change.

    IPT believes that these processes can offer a platform for those voices and communities who are not being heard, a way to re-connect with the self and others, reduce isolation, develop creativity and provide a space to explore and create alternatives.

  • Logo - the letters 'LAT arranged in a triangle, next to the text, Little Angel Theatre. All text in black on a white background

    Little Angel Theatre

    Little Angel Theatre (LAT) has used puppetry to create and share inspiring stories since opening its doors in 1961; igniting the imaginations of the youngest minds. The theatre’s success has been built upon a spirit of artistic innovation. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what puppetry can be, whilst preserving its heritage.

    Alongside our work on stage, our creative learning department delivers imaginative education and participatory activities in our venues, in schools and in community settings.

  • Logo - purple letters 'Roj' with lines continuing from the R and the J into two swirls. the words 'women's association to the right of the J, and 'Kurdish and Turkish women's rights' on the swirl from the R

    Roj Women

    Roj Women’s Association is a grass-root women organization, a non-profit charity that aims to support and empower Kurdish, Turkish, Cypriot Turkish, migrant, and refugee women living in London.

    Roj Women’s Association was established by a group of migrated Kurdish women from Turkey, in 2004, who realized how women within their communities were severely discriminated and disempowered because of gender discrimination and the invisibility of the minority ethnic groups.

  • Logo - the letters 'shp' in white with a colourful background, and the words 'Single Homeless Project' in red to the righthand side

    Single Homeless Project

    SHP Islington Support is here to help vulnerable residents in Islington with their housing related support needs.

    They work with individuals who are experiencing issues around their housing situation and/or at risk of homelessness. Support may include, but is not limited to; understanding housing options, applying and obtaining suitable accommodation, maintaining at risk tenancies, support to move to suitable accommodation, and advice and guidance on housing and benefits issues.

  • Logo - white background with the Arsenal badge, and the words 'Arsenal Community' to the right

    The Arsenal Hub

    Opened in 2015 to mark Arsenal in the Community’s 30th anniversary, The Arsenal Hub is the centre of our operations and designed to be a fully accessible space for our wider community.

    The Arsenal Hub comprises…

    • A state of the art Indoor 4G pitch with no rubber crumb

    • Meeting rooms

    • Islington Council Adult Learning Centre