NICVA policy fora announced

NICVA now facilitates four policy fora – Women’s, Older People’s, Environmental and Voluntary and Community Arts. An update of the recent work of each is below.

For more information on any of the fora, contact Zoë Anderson on 028 9087 7777 or zoe.anderson@nicva.org

WOMEN’S POLICY FORUM

The Women’s Policy Forum’s next meeting will be held at 11.00am on 21 September in Windsor Women’s Centre, Belfast. The agenda will be based around ongoing funding issues and policy developments including the Gender Strategy, the Sexual Orientation Strategy which is out for consultation, and hopefully the Anti-Poverty Strategy.

OLDER PEOPLE’S POLICY FORUM

The next meeting of this Forum will take place on 7 September at 10.30am in NICVA. The majority of the meeting will be taken up by a facilitated discussion with the Equality Commission, who are consulting on the guidance for the new Age Regulations which become law at the beginning of October. Further details of the consultation can be found at www.equalityni.org – please have a look if you plan to attend.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FORUM

The Environmental Policy Forum will meet in early September in Belfast, and will comprise of a formal meeting and a field trip. Full details are yet to be confirmed but will be circulated to members and advertised widely as soon as the logistical arrangements are known.

VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ARTS POLICY FORUM

This Forum will meet on 14 September at 11.00am in NICVA. Following the discussion held in June on the Arts Council’s new five year strategy and the Forum’s submission to the initial consultation, this meeting will concentrate on developing a response to the public consultation on the strategy. Further details of the consultation can be found at www.artscouncil-ni.org – please have a look if you plan to attend.

The fora are always keen to attract new members, and by getting on the members’ mailing list, you will have access to agendas and minutes, any policy work done by the fora and any information circulated by other members.

To register for membership of any of the above, simply send your details to cathy.breslin@nicva.org or contact Cathy on 9087 7777.