Charities help poor who live alongside rich

Published: 10 September, 2010
by PETER GRUNER

ENTREPRENEUR Jack Morris – whose family founded the flagship Islington Business Design Centre – launched a passionate appeal on Monday night on behalf of the borough’s most needy and disadvantaged residents.

He urged a packed audience of Islington’s most influential figures, including Labour council leader Councillor Catherine West, to support a new coalition of charities, Islington Giving, which aims to tackle desperate problems of deprivation and social exclusion.

The project, which hopes to raise £3million over three years, already has the support of novelist Penelope Lively, Labour peer Lord Falconer and newspaper columnist Nick Cohen.

Mr Morris, speaking at the event hosted by the Guardian newspaper at Kings Place in King’s Cross, described the borough as a place of two extremes. “London’s richest and poorest residents exist side by side but live entirely different lives,” he said. “The borough is the eighth most deprived in England and the fourth most deprived in London. Our charity will raise awareness of the problems that result from this and begin to tackle them head on.

“At a time when the government is focusing on the Big Society, this is an example of local groups and individuals already doing it for themselves.”

Among the charity’s immediate plans will be an extension of the opening hours of under-used adventure playgrounds and the provision of more activities for young people at weekends. It will work with the Help on Your Doorstep group, which is providing personalised support for Islington’s poorest residents, helping them access essential local services.

And it aims to offer extra backing to those affected by loneliness and mental ill health by helping to provide mentoring, counselling and psychotherapy.

In partnership with locally-based national enterprise firm UnLtd, a £25,000 challenge has been launched to find inspirational ideas from anyone aged 11 upwards who wants to improve their community.

Journalist Nick Cohen, who lives in Canonbury, said that with all the cuts there was never a better time for this new charity. 

“There are tough times ahead and everyone should do their bit to help people who are struggling,” he added. “If people can give even in a small way then maybe it will become a lot more fashionable.”

Courtney Bailey, chairman of Finsbury Park Business Forum and a representative of  Richard Cloudesley’s Charity, which is part of the coalition, welcomed the new project. “This is a great idea and something that is desperately needed at this time of recession,” he said.

The founding members of Islington Giving are The Breadsticks Foundation, Cripplegate Foundation, The Morris Charitable Trust, Richard Cloudesley’s Charity, UnLtd and Voluntary Action Islington.

Islington Giving  can be contacted at 0207 014 5999 and www.islingtongiving.org.uk or by email at mail@islingtongiving.org.uk

Jobless – Homes where nobody works

TWO years ago Islington’s Cripplegate Foundation commissioned Invisible Islington, a report which exposed the issues that blight the lives of many people.

The report highlighted the importance of confronting issues surrounding debt and poverty, unemployment, social relationships and poor health – with particular emphasis on mental health.

It implied a fundamental need to address the widespread lack of opportunity, particularly the scope offered to young people to become better educated, better integrated and better prepared for the demands of the workplace.

The report confirmed that:

• Islington has the highest suicide rate for men in the country.
• Forty-five per cent of Islington children grow up in homes where nobody is employed.
• Thirty-two per cent of Islington people live in social housing. To get on the Islington property ladder you probably need to earn £65,000.
• Islington’s crime rates are double the national average.