The fifth meeting of the Islington Fairness Commission will take place today, Tuesday 11 January at Highbury Grove School, from 6.30 to 9pm. The theme of the meeting is "Hidden Voices", and will look at how agencies in Islington can help vulnerable and isolated people in the borough.

Presentations given at this meeting, which is the fifth of seven, will look at how the needs

and views of everyone in Islington can be heard and acted upon. The meeting will also discuss what can be done to give everyone a voice in community life, including both older and younger people, residents whose first language is not English, some BME and faith communities and homeless people, who often feel disenfranchised. All are welcome to attend.

The Islington Fairness Commission has been meeting since July 2010 to discuss a range of topics all targetted at tackling inequality in the borough. The last meeting looked at the impact of budget cuts in Islington, and the commission produced an interim report of its findings last month which can be downloaded here.

Emeritus Professor Richard Wilkinson, chair of the commission, says, "As public services are cut, fairness matters more than ever: the need for public services – for police, health care, drug rehabilitation, prisons and social services - is powerfully determined by how fair or unfair our society is."

Cllr Andy Hull, vice-chair of the Commission, adds, "Despite its rich image, Islington is a very poor borough with many vulnerable residents. We want to make sure that 'hidden voices' are listened to  - not just

those who shout the loudest - so we can improve the lives of the

everyone in Islington, including those that too often go unheard."

Highbury Grove School is on the Number 19, Number 4 and Number 236 bus

route and close to Highbury and Islington station on the Victoria line.

The Commission was established by Islington Council in order to

identify radical, practical and local ways of reducing inequality in

Islington. A final report by the commission will be produced in April this year. For more information about the commission please visit www.islington.gov.uk/fairness.

Image courtesy of Islington Council