About Let's Talk

We set out our mission to create a more equal future in our 2021 strategy, Islington Together: For a More Equal Future. This continues what we began ten years ago with our pioneering Islington Fairness Commission.

However national and global events – austerity, Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the current cost-of-living crisis – mean that our challenges have only got bigger and more complex. We need fresh thinking to meet them.  
 
In autumn 2021, we launched our biggest ever community conversation, Let’s Talk Islington, aiming to collaborate with our communities to change the way we work to tackle inequality for the next decade.

What we did

From November 2021 to August 2022, we launched a survey, a series of discussions and participatory projects around the borough to understand residents’ perceptions and experiences of inequality and their priorities and aims for Islington. Most of the work took place before April 2022, when public attention to the cost-of-living crisis began to grow. 

• Over 6,000 people have given us feedback during that time and you can read some of that feedback in this Community Engagement Report.
• We appointed an Inequality Task Force of local and national experts - with varied views of different aspects of inequality - who have now produced an report of recommendations.  
• We produced an exhibition of creative work – words, art and film – generated by the programme.

How we got our results and who we engaged with

Over 6,000 people got involved with Let's Talk Islington. The Community Engagement Report presents evidence and insights from:

• an open survey (around 1,561 responses) - read more about what they said including the demographics of those that gave their feedback.
• student-facilitated discussions at 13 primary and secondary schools (around 640 young people involved) - find out more about these sessions and what was discussed.
• More than 3,000 people gave their thoughts including discussions through Public Health, Community Safety and Inclusive Economy colleagues.
• targeted engagement including:
  • 12 voluntary and community sector (VCS) workshops
  • puppetry workshops with students with special educational needs (SEN)
  • participatory mapping
  • a creative competition for young people
  • a survey of professionals working with children and young people.

We will use this wealth of insight to help build the council's Islington Together 2030 plan. 

We encourage anyone who reads this to use and cite any of the report's data and insights, including quotes from adults and young people. More data from our creative participatory projects is being looked at now and will be available to see soon.