Islington has awarded its highest honour – the Freedom of the Borough – to four exceptional recipients in recognition of their contributions to local life.

Honoured at last night’s special ceremony at Islington Town Hall were:

• Jennette Arnold OBE, former London Assembly Member and Islington councillor
• Yvonne Conolly CBE, the UK’s first Black female headteacher
• The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• The Whittington Health NHS Trust

Islington Council has begun its climate emergency festival - two weeks of free events open to local people and businesses - and has unveiled an innovative, world-first twin-pack retrofitted electric refuse collection vehicle that will help bring cleaner air to local people.  

Local people in Highbury West and Highbury Fields have enjoyed cleaner, greener, healthier streets since the introduction of people-friendly streets neighbourhoods there, monitoring data has revealed.    

Islington Council has helped more than 4,000 residents into decent jobs since April 2018, nine months ahead of its target and despite the economic downturn and huge disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Islington Council will set up a support payment scheme for people who suffered abuse while placed in the council’s children’s homes from 1966-1995.