The group will be chaired by the DUP’s Diane Forsyth and NICVA will be taking on the role of Secretariat.
The group will have a membership drawn from across the political spectrum and its stated purpose is to ‘ensure issues affecting voluntary and community organisations are recognised and discussed throughout the workings of the Northern Ireland Assembly, in order to recognise the value of the sector and ensure that the relationship between government and the voluntary and community sector contributes to the wider well-being of people in Northern Ireland and that organisations are enabled to operate to their full potential.’
NICVA (Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action) hopes the APG can become a critical tool in advocating for the sector within and across the NI Assembly and provide meaningful opportunities for NICVA members to engage directly with local MLAs on a collaborative basis.
You can find out more information about the APG including its officers and members here.
The first meeting of the APG is taking place on Thursday 2 May 2024 at Parliament Buildings, Belfast .
The agenda for the first meeting will include a presentation and discussion on a forward work programme for the APG and a presentation from a number of voluntary and community sector organisations on ‘Building an Inclusive Labour Market’ with time for questions and discussion.
For further information on the All-Party Group please contact Kathy Maguire, at [email protected].