Sector Update: Budget Concerns and Rising Pressures
NICVA Chief Executive, Celine McStravick, shared a timely update on the sector’s response to the Draft Budget 2026–29/30, whih was recently out for public consultation by the Department of Finance - outlining the serious risks the budget as proposed poses for essential voluntary and community services and those they support.
MLA members heard how unprecedented financial pressures, falling allocations and rising levels of need are creating a “perfect storm” for organisations already stretched to capacity.
Celine emphasised NICVA’s key concerns about the draft budget, including the lack of transparency, strategic focus and equality impacts. She underlined the need for a preventative, outcomes‑focused approach to public spending, one that recognises the vital role the voluntary and community sector plays in early intervention and supporting people and communities most at risk.
Local Growth Fund: Cross-Party Support for Urgent Intervention
A significant part of the meeting focused on the escalating crisis around the Local Growth Fund (LGF). A 64% cut to funding for employability support programmes from 1 April following the introduction of the Fund, is set to threaten hundreds of sector jobs and dismantle essential support services for thousands of people each year.
Members discussed the continued stalemate around the proposed 70/30 capital-to-revenue split set out by the UK Government for the Fund - a model widely recognised as unworkable, alongside the lack of any viable plan to protect frontline delivery, amidst this unprecedented funding gap.
The consequences of losing this vital community infrastructure, built up over decades, were made clear by those sector representatives in attanedance : long-term social and economic impacts for individuals, communities, public services and our economy.
NICVA and sector representatives welcomed the strong cross-party commitment from the APG Chair and members present to write jointly to OFMDFM and NI Executive Ministers, urging for immediate action to:
- Redress the unworkable funding split
- Secure an urgent bridging arrangement whilst a more long-term funding solution is negotiated.
- Prevent the collapse of essential employability and inclusion support
- Protect the workforce, skills, and community infrastructure that underpin wider public services in Northern Ireland
This united cross party approach was recognised as an essential step in pushing for the leadership and urgency needed at Executive level to ensure this vital community infrastructure is not lost.
Learning from the Civic Threads Project
The meeting also heard from Dr James Greer of the Pivotal Policy Forum, who shared early learning from NICVA’s Civic Threads project. The project aims to strengthen East - West collaboration, build leadership capacity across the sector and support a stronger shared understanding of key UK-wide policy frameworks, including the Civil Society Covenant and the NI Partnership Agreement that aim to strengthen governments relationship with the sector.}
A key part of this project is creating a UK‑wide Toolkit that gives the voluntary and community sector an easy‑to‑use guide to government - sector partnership frameworks in place across the UK, including the NI Partnership Agreement and the UK Civil Society Covenant.
James highlighted emerging themes from this development such as fair funding approaches, the challenges created by different devolved arrangements and the value of learning across nations - particularly at a time when Northern Ireland is facing such acute funding pressures.
Looking Ahead
NICVA is grateful to those MLAs and sector colleagues who took part in last week’s constructive and solutions‑focused discussion. With voluntary and community organisations under sustained and increasing pressures, strong advocacy and support from our elected representatives is now more important than ever.
Upcoming APG Meetings
- Tuesday 2 June — 12:30pm–2:00pm (AGM included)
- Tuesday 6 October — 1:00pm–2:00pm
Both meetings will take place in the Senate Room, Parliament Buildings, Stormont.
Full Meeting Schedule for 2026
You can view details of the full schedule of planned APG meetings for 2026 here: All-Party Group on Voluntary and Community Sector – 2026 Meeting Dates Confirmed | NICVA
Join our All-Party Group Mailing List
To receive meeting notices and updates on the work of the All Party Group please contact Kathy Maguire, NICVA at [email protected] to join the APG mailing list.
What is the All Party Group on the Voluntary & Community Sector ?
All Party Groups (APGs) provide a forum by which MLAs and outside organisations and individuals can meet to discuss shared interests in a particular cause or subject. In this case, the wide range of issues facing the Voluntary and Community Sector – from funding through to recognition and collaboration.
The stated purpose of the All Party Group 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 voluntary and community organisations contributes to the wider well-being of people in Northern Ireland and that organisations are enabled to operate to their full potential.’
Chaired by Diane Forsythe MLA with NICVA as Secretariat, this APG provides a platform to advocate for the future role and sustainability of our sector and provide meaningful opportunities to engage directly with local MLAs on a collaborative basis.
The current Office bearers for the APG are as follows:
Chair: Diane Forsythe MLA
Vice Chair: Sian Mulholland MLA
Secretary : Brian Kingston MLA
