Interlink - Services

Full membership

Full membership of the Interlink Foundation is open to Orthodox Jewish voluntary organisations operating in the UK.

Membership Fee

£35 per annum

Full members are entitled to:

Free information mailings
Free subscription to Charity Talk
Priority access to Consultancy and support from the Development Officers, at an hourly rate.
Free or low cost training opportunities
Free access to network meetings and events, including strategy groups with senior council officers.
Free use of resource library and computers for small groups needing these facilities
Right to stand for election to the Board of Trustees of the Interlink Foundation
Right to attend and vote at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings of the Interlink Foundation.

Associate Membership

Associate Membership of the Interlink Foundation is open to any organisation or individual over the age of 18 years, who is supportive of and wishes to be associated with the Interlink Foundation.

Membership Fee

£35 per annum

Associate members are entitled to:

Free information mailings
Free subscription to Charity Talk
Free or low cost training opportunities
Free access to network meetings and events, including strategy groups with senior council officers
Free use of resource library and computers for small groups needing these facilities
Access to consultancy services at an hourly rate
Right to attend, but not to vote, at Annual General Meetings and Extraordinary General Meetings of the Interlink Foundation.

Policy and Regeneration Unit

The Interlink Foundation has two dedicated Policy and Regeneration Officers who have made remarkable progress in this field over the last few years.

Our main areas of activity are:

Supporting and facilitating the involvement of Orthodox Jewish (Charedi) voluntary organisations in local partnerships/regeneration initiatives and ensuring that the concerns voiced by these organisations are fed into service planning and provision.
Informing and influencing policy-making processes affecting the Orthodox Jewish community sector through participating in key strategic networks and working parties and by representing the sector's concerns with statutory and voluntary agencies.
Developing and assisting in the development of voluntary sector initiatives to address unmet need within the Orthodox Jewish community.
Providing cultural awareness training about the Charedi community. We have produced a training package, including a DVD about the Charedi community, and have piloted training with Hackney social services. If your organisation would be interested in our cultural awareness training, please visit the Contact Us (as link) page.

Fiona MacTaggart PUS visiting the Beis Brucha Mother and Baby Home, North London

Just some of the achievements of our Policy and Regeneration Unit

Example A: Improved community relations in Woodberry Down/Stamford Hill

The Charedi community in Stamford Hill sits along the edge of the Woodberry Down Estate, where there are no Charedi residents. Although there has never been outright strife, resentment has simmered on the Estate, with perceptions of a wealthy neighbouring community with narrow self-interests. When an SRB6 regeneration programme came to the area, tenants and residents leaders were vocal about the importance of keeping the money for the Estate and not “for the Jews”.

This kind of talk is over. Interlink has led the willingness to work for improvements beyond historical boundaries. We have shown both the Charedi community and people on the Estate that working for the wider constituency does not threaten their immediate community’s welfare, but on the contrary adds strength to their cause. Where once improvements on the other side of the fence would have been viewed with hostility, they are now supported. And people have formed working relationships and friendships.

Example B: Jewish-Muslim relations in Stamford Hill defy expectations

Despite volatile times in the Middle East, Orthodox Jews and Muslims in Stamford Hill enjoy a very positive relationship. Contact between community leaders was first initiated by Interlink, in the course of regeneration activities. This contact, and the enduring friendships that have resulted, insulate the communities against international tensions spilling over.

An example of the benefits of this was when a young Jewish student in Stamford Hill was stabbed and critically wounding in a racially motivated attack by a Muslim, while sitting on a bus. A potentially explosive situation was defused by Muslim leaders who immediately communicated with their Jewish contacts, distancing themselves from the incident and expressing their deep sympathy. A spin-off of the contact that we have initiated has been the formation of the Jewish-Muslim forum in Stamford Hill which meets regularly and has the aim of preserving community relations and promoting the benefit of the local community.

Example C: Creating trust

When elections were recently held to the Sure Start New River management board (which covers the Woodberry Down Estate), every person present voted for the Interlink representative. This would have been unimaginable just three years ago.

Development and Information Unit

Our team of Development Officers are committed to giving organisations the skills and support they need to achieve their aspirations and conform to the law and good practice for the service they are offering. We offer one-to-one consultations with members, where we can assist in the legal aspects of setting up and running a charity and advice on funding opportunities. We also support organisations in managing their finances according to SORP, draw up annual accounts, submit their monitoring and evaluation reports, and have relevant policies and procedures in place.

The Interlink Foundation publishes a quarterly newsletter, Charity Talk, which has a readership of over 800 throughout the UK. It contains a plethora of information relevant to the voluntary sector. We also publish monthly mailings, keeping our members up to date on current funding and training opportunities.

Residents of the Schonfeld Square Residential Home for the Elderly

S. Pinter Youth Project, North London

S. Pinter Youth Project, North London

Musical Moments Club

Schonfeld Square Residential Home for the Elderly, North London