Borough of Sanctuary Grants Programme

Since 2023, Islington has been recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary for our work welcoming refugees, people with experience of seeking asylum and migrants. We are proud that people feel that they belong and are accepted here.

When we became a Borough of Sanctuary, we committed to doing more including working in closer partnership with the voluntary and community sector and sharing decision-making power with people who have settled here. Find out more about our Borough of Sanctuary commitments.

The Borough of Sanctuary Grants Programme is one of our commitments giving people with experience of seeking sanctuary in Islington the opportunity to work with the council and decide how we spend £500,000 in funding.

Aims of the grant programme

The two main aims of the Borough of Sanctuary Grants Programme are integration and connection for refugees, migrants and people seeking asylum. This includes recent arrivals in the borough from Afghanistan and Ukraine.

The panel has defined what integration and connection means to them and all projects should meet at least one of these objectives. Read more in our guidance.

About the panel

“We are a group of 18 people with experience of migration and seeking sanctuary who live in Islington or have a strong connection to the borough. Together we represent a broad age range with panel members aged between 20 to 65+, 10 different nationalities and more than eight languages.

We have come together to make a difference for other refugees and people seeking asylum in Islington, to work with the council and use our knowledge and lived experience to help make sure that the grant funding can be used to support those who most need it.” 

Who your projects should be for

Projects must be open to all refugees and people with experience of seeking sanctuary, from all different countries and backgrounds, including Afghanistan and Ukraine.

If your organisation normally supports one demographic group, you will need to show the panel how the new project will be open to all and how you plan to promote it more widely, beyond the community you usually work with.

The panel’s priorities

The panel would like to see a range of projects and activities funded and would particularly like to see applications that address these issues.

• Advice and support - This could include legal, medical, housing or other advice, signposting and support to access services.
• Learning and upskilling - Including access to education and training, language courses and activities, and support to access employment.
• Bringing people together - Activities that bring different communities and ages together, including newly arrived and established communities, to share cultures, celebrations and festivals, build understanding and develop relationships.
• Creative connections - Creating opportunities for people to connect, learn and find joy. This could be anything from arts and cultural projects, community crafts, cooking and food, to gardening and connecting with nature, to sports and other opportunities to get active.
• Mental health and wellbeing – Including mental health and trauma support and therapy, as well as activities that support wellbeing.
• Community involvement – Support for people to access volunteering opportunities and get involved to support their community.
• Targeted support for groups with specific needs – For example, children, young people, women, families with young children, people experiencing social isolation or other groups with specific needs or challenges.

Who can apply

How much you can apply for depends on what sort of group you are.

One or more residents

If you are an individual or a group of residents with an idea for a project, you can:

• approach a charity to apply for you and hold the funding
• ask us (the council) to match you with a trusted charity.

You can apply for between £1,000 and £3,000. We can't give funding to you without a charity.

Registered charities and other non-profits

Registered charities and other non-profits, like schools and faith organisations, can apply for main grants of £5,000 to £50,000. These can be either joint or consortium bids.

How to apply

Applications open on 15 January 2025.

1. Read the guidance for the full eligibility list and criteria.
2. Fill in the application form (available on 15 January 2025)
3. Complete and send the application form and supporting documents to BOS@islington.gov.uk by Wednesday 26 February 2025.

We will aim to tell you the outcome of your application within three months of receiving it.