Taking place on Tuesday 23 September and chaired by APG Chair Diane Forsythe, MLA– the meeting was well attended by a broad range of voluntary and community sector representatives and member MLAs.
A full agenda included:
- A briefing from Our Director of Policy and Insight Jonny Currie who provided an update on key policy issues affecting our sector and how NICVA is working, alongside sector organisations and government to highlight and address these both locally and nationally. Karen Smith, Disability Action, VCS Chair of the Government and Voluntary Sector Joint Forum also provided some reflections on the launch of the Partnership Agreement between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland and how the Joint Forum will work to raise awareness of the agreement across sectors and to support its implementation and monitoring.
- Kirsten Hogg SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations)'s Head of Policy and Research provided insight on the relationship between the VCS and the Scottish Government, highlighting many shared concerns and opportunities and giving an overview of some key developments including the Scottish Government Public Service Reform Strategy, 2025 and Guidance on Fair Funding for the Voluntary Sector
- We were also delighted to welcome Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir, MLA to the APG who addressed the group on key strategic priorities for his department, acknowledging the vital role of the VCS as well as the importance of cross departmental work with other NI Departments including Infrastructure and Health on issues like community transport. The Minister provided updates on a broad range of current priorities for his Department including: plans for a new Rural Policy, the Dilapidation Bill, the Lough Neagh Action Plan, the current public consultation on a draft Remediation Strategy for the Mobuoy Site, the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Framework and community transport in rural areas. A Q&A and discussion followed on specific policy areas relating to his department including civil contingencies, rural heritage, Lough Neagh, dereliction and cross-cutting issues such as anti-racism support, and the NI Partnership agreement between the VCS and Government.
Next All-Party Group Meeting - November 2025
The next meeting of the All-Party Group on the Voluntary and Community Sector is due to take place on Tuesday 18 November 1pm- 2pm, The Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont
Details of how to register for this meeting will be available on the NICVA website soon.
Full Meeting Schedule for 2025
You can view details of the full schedule of APG meetings for 2025 here: https://bit.ly/43K7NK3
You can read about the previous APG meeting held in May here: Economy Minister attends May Meeting of the APG on the Voluntary and Community Sector | 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
- Treasurer: Ciara Ferguson, MLA
