Over £500,000 Awarded to Community Projects Supporting Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Islington
Twenty community-led projects in Islington have been awarded more than £500,000 in funding to support refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants, as part of the Borough of Sanctuary Grants Programme.
The grants – totalling £510,049 – were announced during a special event at Islington Assembly Hall on Wednesday (18 June) to mark Refugee Week. The funding will go towards a wide range of initiatives that promote integration, creative expression, skills development, trauma recovery, and community cohesion.
Crucially, the projects were selected by a panel made up of residents with lived experience of seeking sanctuary, ensuring the funding meets the real and immediate needs of the community.
Cllr Sheila Chapman, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Equalities, Communities and Inclusion, praised the initiative as an example of “community power in action.”
“By putting decision-making power in the hands of those with lived experience, we’ve ensured that the funding reflects the needs of the very people it’s designed to support,” she said. “This announcement, made during Refugee Week, exemplifies our ongoing commitment to making Islington a place of welcome and dignity for all.”
The funding includes 13 larger grants of up to £50,000 and seven smaller grants of up to £3,000, aimed at grassroots initiatives. Together, these projects are set to benefit hundreds of individuals seeking sanctuary in the borough.
Among the organisations awarded funding are:
- All Change, delivering creative storytelling and public exhibitions that give voice to refugee experiences
- North East London Gospel Mission, providing barista and English-language training through its Coffee BEAN programme, expected to support around 100 people
- Freedom from Torture, offering trauma-informed therapeutic services for survivors
- Women for Refugee Women, supporting over 800 women annually with legal advice, English classes, and leadership development
- Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants, delivering holistic, wraparound support
The smaller grassroots grants include projects led by sanctuary seekers themselves, such as Archway Upcycle, which offers woodworking and sewing workshops, and Cut Moose, which runs non-verbal animation workshops for individuals with limited English.
In total, the council received 98 applications for funding, highlighting both the demand for support and the vibrancy of Islington’s sanctuary movement.
The funding coincides with Refugee Week – the UK’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, resilience, and creativity of refugees. Islington Council is hosting a series of events throughout the week to honour and engage sanctuary seekers and the wider community.
The Borough of Sanctuary Grants Programme is part of Islington’s broader effort to build a more inclusive, compassionate, and connected borough. The funded projects will run over the next two years and are expected to have a lasting impact on the lives of those seeking safety and belonging.
