Paul Formosa has lived in Islington all his life and has volunteered, been an activist, and worked in the community for over 20 years. He has been a longstanding Trustee at the learning disabilities charity Centre 404, the Co-ordinator of the Mildmay Community Partnership at its inception, and he currently works at Culpeper Community Garden. He was for a long time a single parent carer to a severely disabled son (who is now an adult), and experienced the financial insecurity, mental ill-health and structural barriers and oppression that come with that for so many people. These experiences are the driving force behind him re-doubling his commitment to standing hand in hand with anyone on the back foot because of who they are or their personal circumstances. Paul also has a PhD, and he was awarded the Pat Haynes Memorial Award for Trustee of the Year in 2019 by Voluntary Action Islington.