The BIG Alliance is a leading social regeneration charity in Islington. Our aim is to make community investment easier, more effective and more rewarding for business members; ensuring efforts are focused where they can make a meaningful difference.
External link for The BIG Alliance
444 Camden Road
London, England, GB
The BIG Alliance reposted this
So close! Congratulations to Rachel Engel and Macquarie Group for being shortlisted for the City AM Dragon Awards for Financial Institution of the year. Islington Giving are so pleased to partner with Macquarie Group alongside The BIG Alliance and East London Business Alliance- having true #socialimpact in #Islington. Thank you #CityAMDragonAwards - even if we didn’t come away with a (literally) heavy medal!
🎉 As ELBA celebrates its 35th anniversary, a shout out to Macquarie Group and The BIG Alliance. Macquarie has been shortlisted for the Bank/Financial Institution of the Year in the upcoming City AM Dragon Awards. [https://bit.ly/3ObsRQq]. The nomination recognises Macquarie’s partnership with The Big Alliance [https://bit.ly/3ZcNKRq] in Islington. The winner will be announced this evening. Good luck to all. 🙌
The BIG Alliance reposted this
Amazing to be celebrating that Islington Giving, and our partners in the coalition including Cripplegate Foundation have been working with local residents for seven years as part of our efforts to share decision making more equally; so far over 100 local people have awarded over £1million to 60 local organisations to deliver vital projects and services for the community!
🚀 Unleashing the power within our community! 🚀 A huge thank you to everyone who joined our funder roundtable and launch of our report on ‘People, Power and Place’, which is a summary evaluation of our Participatory Grant Making (PGM) programmes over the last 6 years. Yesterday's event brought together a fantastic mix of funders, residents, and community changemakers to explore our PGM journey and its transformative impact for our community, for our organisation and for the resident panellists. At the roundtable, we dove into key discussions on PGM's strengths and challenges, its relationship with traditional funding methods, and the growing appetite to embrace community-led approaches. We were also inspired by reflections from some of our brilliant resident panellists: ✨ “It gave us agency to make changes. I was around like-minded individuals who wanted social change. It was very, very interesting, and a rewarding role…” – Izzy, former Young Grant Maker and YGM lead ✨ “I needed a reason to get out of the house... My voice was heard and valued. I feel like the knowledge I had in the borough; I could use it to change it in some way. After the project, my life got better.” – Carly, former Family Panel member ✨ “What I liked about it was the positivity... I didn’t realise how many wonderful small charities and groups were doing incredible things in Islington. Another highlight was spending money – it’s the quickest (and only time) I’ve spent about £60k!” – Sarah Page, former Family Panel member Interested in seeing the full impact of PGM? Download our report and see how participatory approaches are empowering communities and driving change locally ⬇️ Link in the comments! ⬇️ The National Lottery Community Fund BBC Children in Need City Bridge Foundation Macquarie Group Business Design Centre The Blagrave Trust Peabody Cloudesley Paul Hamlyn Foundation Cripplegate Foundation The Mercers' Company Morris Charitable Trust Comic Relief Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Greenwood Place The Rayne Foundation Association of Charitable Foundations Trust for London Islington Council
🎉 Happy 35th anniversary ELBA!🎉
🎉 Celebrating 35 years of ELBA! Since 1989, ELBA has championed community-focused partnerships that go beyond donations, creating impactful models of corporate social responsibility (CSR) across London. From humble beginnings when CSR was new, we’ve helped shape its evolution into a powerful movement of corporate citizenship, social purpose, and inclusive growth. A heartfelt thanks to our partners and communities who share in our mission to reduce poverty and inequality. Together, we’ll continue building a brighter, more inclusive future for all. Check out the ELBA website for more reflections and celebrations! #ELBA35 #CSR #CorporateCitizenship #Socialimpact
The BIG Alliance reposted this
Thank you to everyone who joined us last week to explore the value - and challenges! - of place-based work. As we discussed at the event, the Young Grant Makers is part of Islington Giving’s ongoing work to shift power into the hands of local people. It gives young people the opportunity to actively shape youth services and activities in the borough. ✊🏼 For 2025, we plan to build on the programme’s success by pairing each Young Grant Maker with an inspiring mentor from a corporate sector partner, working with The BIG Alliance to facilitate. If you're interested in discussing how we can support you to better understand the needs of the local area, and work in partnership with the community - including shifting power into the hands of local people - please get in touch with Isobel Miller: Isobel.Miller@IslingtonGiving.org.uk and Lisa Robinson: Lisa.Robinson@IslingtonGiving.org.uk. 🎬Watch our video to learn more and get in touch today! Macquarie Group Linklaters East London Business Alliance Rachel Engel Saboohi Bukhari London Funders Luke Brown Matt Sparkes #CSR #LocalImpact #Philanthropy #PhilanthropyMatters #MentoringMatters #SocialValue #SocialImpact #YouthEmpowerment #ParticipatoryGrantmaking Islington Giving Alumni
The BIG Alliance reposted this
A great pleasure to host Islington Giving and The BIG Alliance for some fascinating insights into the Value of Local in CSR and Philanthropy. We were treated to an inspirational introduction from Saboohi Bukhari and then a thoroughly engaging discussion between the incredible Julie Hutchinson, Rachel Engel and Matt Sparkes. Also very exciting to hear about the new Young Grant Maker programme https://shorturl.at/zzk0y. A really innovative opportunity to deliver impact in local communities!
Celebrating the value of local in CSR and philanthropy 💜 This morning we were delighted to celebrate and encourage fellow businesses to embrace the ‘value of local in CSR and Philanthropy strategies’. It was brilliant to welcome over 50 businesses and corporate foundations to Linklaters to explore how we can amplify local impact through collaboration. Our key insights from this morning’s energetic discussion are: 🚀 Collaborating with other businesses and local charity partners can help reduce risk while making life better for everyone in the communities where we live and work. 🚀 Place-based initiatives are easy to engage with and offer agile and knowledgeable opportunities for innovation, measurable results, and staff involvement. There are now 25 Giving Schemes and place-based initiatives in London. 🚀 There's huge potential to scale place-based impact, so even if you’re a national or global business, start local and scale what works. The best quote of the day was ‘We Know Our Place’ in a really good way, so we may be using that more often from now on! At Islington Giving, we believe in shifting power to the hands of local people. Our Young Grant Makers programme does just that, giving young people the chance to shape youth services in Islington. In 2025, Islington Giving and The BIG Alliance are taking this programme to a new level – each Young Grant Maker will be paired with a corporate mentor. If you’re interested, you can #Jointhemovement. Watch our short video and get in touch! 🎬 https://shorturl.at/zzk0y A huge thanks to Macquarie Group Linklaters The BIG Alliance East London Business Alliance Rachel Engel Saboohi Bukhari London Funders Lisa Robinson Isobel Miller @lukebrown @juliehutchinson @mattsparkes @KerryPetersTaylor 🎉 #CSR #LocalImpact #Philanthropy #PhilanthropyMatters #MentoringMatters #SocialValue #SocialImpact #Islington #YouthEmpowerment #ParticipatoryGrantmaking Islington Giving Alumni Cripplegate Foundation
Yesterday's 'Value of Local in CSR and Philanthropy' event was jam-packed with engaging discussions and valuable insights. We are very excited about the new #YoungGrantMakers programme in collaboration with Islington Giving, where each Young Grant Maker will have access to a corporate mentor. Learn more here: 🎬 https://shorturl.at/zzk0y Huge thanks to Jonathan Tait and Linklaters for being wonderful hosts, Lisa Robinson and Isobel Miller for all their planning, and Tamanna Ali for making the lovely video.
Celebrating the value of local in CSR and philanthropy 💜 This morning we were delighted to celebrate and encourage fellow businesses to embrace the ‘value of local in CSR and Philanthropy strategies’. It was brilliant to welcome over 50 businesses and corporate foundations to Linklaters to explore how we can amplify local impact through collaboration. Our key insights from this morning’s energetic discussion are: 🚀 Collaborating with other businesses and local charity partners can help reduce risk while making life better for everyone in the communities where we live and work. 🚀 Place-based initiatives are easy to engage with and offer agile and knowledgeable opportunities for innovation, measurable results, and staff involvement. There are now 25 Giving Schemes and place-based initiatives in London. 🚀 There's huge potential to scale place-based impact, so even if you’re a national or global business, start local and scale what works. The best quote of the day was ‘We Know Our Place’ in a really good way, so we may be using that more often from now on! At Islington Giving, we believe in shifting power to the hands of local people. Our Young Grant Makers programme does just that, giving young people the chance to shape youth services in Islington. In 2025, Islington Giving and The BIG Alliance are taking this programme to a new level – each Young Grant Maker will be paired with a corporate mentor. If you’re interested, you can #Jointhemovement. Watch our short video and get in touch! 🎬 https://shorturl.at/zzk0y A huge thanks to Macquarie Group Linklaters The BIG Alliance East London Business Alliance Rachel Engel Saboohi Bukhari London Funders Lisa Robinson Isobel Miller @lukebrown @juliehutchinson @mattsparkes @KerryPetersTaylor 🎉 #CSR #LocalImpact #Philanthropy #PhilanthropyMatters #MentoringMatters #SocialValue #SocialImpact #Islington #YouthEmpowerment #ParticipatoryGrantmaking Islington Giving Alumni Cripplegate Foundation
It's a busy day for BIG Alliance, attending MUFG's Season of Giving launch event and running one of our Conversational English sessions for #Islington asylum seekers, in partnership with Union Chapel UK. Meeting, seeing and speaking to #CSR champions, returning and prospective #volunteers and our community partners is what keeps us motivated! These interactions remind us of the positive impact we can achieve together and encourage us to continue fostering strong connections between businesses and Islington's community organisations.
Last Thursday, BIG Alliance partnered up with Expedia Group as part of Expedia’s #monthofcaring campaign to offer a meaningful Social Hub experience for The Stuart Low Trust (SLT) service users. SLT is a charity that fosters connection, creativity and wellbeing through a range of community events. Throughout the event, attendees from Expedia and SLT engaged in lively conversations while decorating cupcakes and painting canvases, creating a warm atmosphere filled with laughter. The competitive spirit came alive at the board game area, adding an exciting edge to the day and bringing everyone together. This event was a really lovely bonding session. It was wonderful to see everyone interacting and sharing stories about their life experiences and interests, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of human connection! #communitybuilding #wellbeing #inclusion
🌱 ELBA & BIG Alliance Teamwork in Action! 🌱 Yesterday, the ELBA & BIG Alliance team took on an inspiring team challenge, living the values that fuel our mission. Partnering with the amazing Teesdale and Hollybush TRA, we rolled up our sleeves to optimise and beautify their green spaces! 🌿🌼 Through sunshine and rain, we transformed two areas into vibrant, welcoming spaces that the entire community can enjoy. This is the kind of positive, lasting impact ELBA & BIG Alliance is all about! 🙌✨ #CommunityImpact #GreenSpaces #TeamChallenge #PositiveChange #ELBAInAction #BIGAllianceInAction #VolunteerPower #SustainableFuture #LoveeastLondon 🌍💚