IBAA was established in 2016 thanks to a grant from the London Borough of Islington. This met the costs of consultation with a wide range of community organisations and the formation of a fully inclusive BAMER lead charity.

Since then IBAA has gone from strength to strength. In 2019 we became a registered charity and it is now an established member of the Islington Advice Alliance with core funding from LB Islington. We maintained active partnership with other advice-providing agencies in Islington and represented the voice of the communities.

Islington BAMER Advice Alliance (IBAA) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and a consortium established by 6 specialist BAMER advice service providers (i.e. Islington Bangladesh Association, Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women Organisation, Islington Somali Community, Eritrean Community in the UK, IMECE Women’s Centre, and Evelyn Oldfield Unit) to improve the economic and social well-being of BAMER communities in Islington through effective, high quality and inclusive advice provision. IBAA have a small staff team of six part-time advice workers and one full time Advice Services Co- ordinator.

Annually, IBAA’s partners support 2,000+ people from BAMER (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic and Refugee communities) communities through a broad range of advice services which are client-tailored and culturally sensitive, providing advice and support in a vast range of languages, in areas such as welfare benefits, education, employment, immigration, debt, housing, training and immigration settlement issues. IBAA Advice services are provided in 10+ community languages to make the programme accessible to BAMER communities [32% of Islington].

We are thankful for our dedicated Advice Workers and Volunteers who are committed to providing the best advice services to the most marginalised and disadvantaged communities in society. IBAA Partners we attend and take part in groups and partnerships such as the Islington Strategic Advice Partnership, Islington Refugee and Migrant Forum, the Homelessness and Prevention and Rough Sleeping Forum, the Islington Health Watch Network and others to raise the issues of the  BAMER communities in Islington.