EU funds needed to fight poverty and exclusion

Press release: embargoed until 16.30 on Thursday 7 July 2005

Voluntary organisations throughout the UK want to step up the campaign to combat poverty and social exclusion.

The first meeting of European Ministers since the UK took over the European Union presidency takes place in Belfast, where Employment and Social Affairs Ministers are gathering to discuss budgets for the next seven years. Five national umbrella bodies are taking the opportunity to make a plea to preserve funding for the voluntary and community sector to help disadvantaged people.

The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) is holding a reception at its offices in Duncairn Gardens this afternoon (4.30pm on Thursday 7 July) to mark the Ministers' arrival and to launch Vision, a short statement on the future of EU structural funds. It has been agreed by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and Third Sector European Network (TSEN).

EU Structural and Cohesion Funds represent over 30% of the EU's budget and are an important means of combating social exclusion and creating cohesive and empowered communities. The reception will showcase how the sector is using the Funds to contribute to the goals of social inclusion and employment.

Lisa McElherron, Public Affairs Manager at NICVA, said: "The voluntary sector is actively contributing to the goals of employment and inclusion using structural funds and we are particularly good at reaching isolated individuals and communities. In Lisburn, for example, young people with mental health difficulties produced a CD and CD cover and gained a recognised qualification for their efforts on a project funded by the EU's EQUAL programme.

"Most schemes offering supported employment to help disabled people return to work in Northern Ireland are funded by European Social Fund money. We agree that Structural Funds should be focussed on the most disadvantaged member states in Eastern Europe, but there is still a huge job to do in places like the UK to create a fair and equal society.

Nolan Quigley, NCVO's EU and International Officer added: "The EU budget is up in the air at the moment and there is potentially still room for a shift in positions. We hope that EU leaders will not miss the opportunity to continue to support the sector through this invaluable funding stream, recognising the role civil society organisations play in engaging EU citizens in a socially inclusive Europe."

The joint position paper makes several recommendations:

1. the EU should promote the fight against poverty and social exclusion through all available policy and funding mechanisms
2. the EU should develop a compact-style agreement between its institutions and the voluntary sector
3. a strong Structural Fund policy is essential to make an impact on Europe's deeply embedded problems of inequality, discrimination and social exclusion.

Notes to Editors

1. For media enquiries, please contact Paul McGill at NICVA; 028 9087 7777; mobile: 0772 1746 805; paul.mcgill@nicva.org.
2. You are welcome to send a reporter or photographer to the reception at NICVA's offices, 61 Duncairn Gardens at 4.30pm on Thursday 7 July.
3. Towards a Vision for the Future of Structural Funds, is available from Lisa McElherron at Lisa.mcelherron@nicva.org.