In September 2019, Kristina Glenn will step down as Director of both Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving.
Kristina joined the Foundation in 1993 and, for 14 years before becoming Director, oversaw the awarding of millions of pounds of funding to local organisations addressing poverty and inequality. Kristina helped establish programmes that would end up reaching thousands of Islington residents. She worked with local partners to bring new arts opportunities to schools, launch a welfare rights advice service, and even roll out a Plus Bus Service to help people with mobility requirements get around the borough. You can still spot the yellow ‘812’ service serving residents today.
Since becoming Director in 2007, Kristina Glenn has pushed to extend the support available to residents. This has included a commitment to support the mental health and wellbeing of Islington residents.
Geoffrey Baruch, former Director of the Brandon Centre, which has offered progressive mental health services in the borough for over 50 years, said,
“Kristina's inspired leadership and support for young people's mental health services in Islington has been at the centre of their development over the last 25 years. As director of the Brandon Centre, I always found her unstinting and encouraging in her support of the Centre. She enabled us to help thousands of Islington young people over many years whose lives would otherwise would have continued to be blighted by mental health problems. We will always be grateful to her.”
In 2008, Cripplegate Foundation expanded to serve the entire borough of Islington. Soon after, it published Invisible Islington, a report that shone a light on the alarming levels of poverty and inequality in the borough. The findings of this report inspired the launch of Islington Giving in 2010, which brings local people, businesses and funders together to change lives in the community.
Islington Giving, alongside co-founders Macquarie, launched the BIG Alliance (Businesses for Islington Giving) in 2013. Now working in every secondary school in the borough, the BIG Alliance connects the skills of people working with some of Islington’s largest businesses with its schools, colleges, and voluntary organisations.
Between 2013-2015, Cripplegate Foundation coordinated the successful ‘Keep the Safety Net’ campaign backed by a coalition of over 120 organisations. This advocated for Government maintenance of Local Welfare Provision, and helped sustain the Islington Resident Support Scheme.
Kristina’s contribution to London’s voluntary sector was recognised in 2011, when she was elected chair of London Funders, and awarded the MBE. Further recognition followed in March 2019, when Kristina was one of 106 women to be awarded the Freedom of the City of London during the commemoration of a century of women’s suffrage. Across London, Kristina’s legacy will be seen in the 20 other London boroughs that have started their own ‘Giving’ schemes, inspired by Islington Giving.
Sarah Benioff will take over as Director of Cripplegate Foundation and Islington Giving in September. You can find a more complete list of Kristina’s local achievements on the Cripplegate Foundation website – www.cripplegate.org