In winter 2015 we launched our Development Partners programme to explore how we as a funder, together with some of our funded partners could work more closely together to make a deeper impact in improving lives for Islington residents.

The partnership of six (including the Foundation and Islington Council’s Homes and Communities team) spent time getting to know one another and our different areas of work. This was invaluable in building trust and understanding. It also meant we were quickly able to discover a common passion for improving the way people are treated by voluntary and public services so that individuals feel they matter and have a voice in the support they receive and decisions that affect them.

We wanted to co-develop an approach in which people matter

From this we defined a core purpose for the partnership – to explore what a “people matter” approach means in different contexts, how it can be supported and how it can improve people’s lives and experiences.

As we come to the end of the five years of working together, we have put together a website sharing our journey and learning as a free resource for anyone who believes it’s time to put quality relationships at the heart of our services.

Explore new website