Key Highlights from the Meeting
The Joint Government and Voluntary & Community Sector Forum (Joint Forum) met on 18 June 2026 in the historic St Columb's Hall.
Chaired by Karen Smith, Disability Action, Joint Forum Joint Chair and Chair of the Voluntary and Community Sector Panel, the meeting brought together representatives from government, local government, and the voluntary and community sector. You can view the list of current Joint Forum representatives here: Joint Government and Voluntary Sector Forum (Joint Forum)
Hosted by North West Community Network, alongside its main agenda, it gave Joint Forum members the opportunity to connect directly with organisations working in the North West and learn more about their work.
Reflecting on the meeting, Karen highlighted the importance of the Forum meeting in communities and hearing directly from local organisations:
"It was wonderful for us all to meet in the inspiring venue of St Columb's Hall. It was a fabulous setting for us to meet together and hear from local community partners about their work across the North West."
Karen noted that the meeting marked an important stage in the Joint Forum's work programme, with positive progress being made across communications, evaluation and fair funding. She also welcomed discussions on the Real Living Wage and highlighted the vital contribution of the voluntary and community sector in tackling poverty, supporting local communities and helping to address wider social challenges.
Karen also reflected on remarks made by Joint Forum member Manus Maguire of the Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum, with regard to the recent public disorder. Manus condemned the intimidation and vandalism that occurred and acknowledged the dedication and support shown by local community organisations and services to affected individuals, families and communities. His remarks resonated strongly with all those present.
Joint Forum Joint Chair Raymond Caldwell, Department for Communities, Chair of the Public Sector Group, said the meeting reinforced the value of engaging beyond Belfast and of working collaboratively to address shared challenges, highlighting that the work of the Forum has never been more important in fostering constructive dialogue and strengthening partnership working.
"The venue, surroundings and meeting with local community groups offered a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience and innovation that exists within communities."
A key theme throughout the meeting was the deeply challenging financial environment, with regard to the budget for Northern Ireland, members discussed the impact of funding uncertainty, short-term funding arrangements and budget delays on organisational sustainability and service delivery across the voluntary and community sector.
Key discussions focused on progress across Joint Forum working groups, including efforts to raise awareness of the Partnership Agreement through new communications resources and engagement activity. Members also received an update from independent consultant Ruth Walker, who is supporting delivery of the Joint Forum workplan through the development of an evaluation framework, annual reporting arrangements and work examining funding approaches against the Partnership Agreement's Fair Funding Principles.
The meeting also heard from the Department of Finance on the ongoing budget situation and Local Growth Funding plans, with members highlighting the need for sustainable funding arrangements that can support effective service delivery and long-term planning across the voluntary and community sector.
Other agenda items included a presentation by Mary McManus from Living Wage NI on the growing Real Living Wage movement, an update from The Executive Office on the potential local impacts of rising global costs linked to conflict in the Middle East, and a report on the recent Joint Forum session at the NICVA Summit 2026. Members also received an update from the Public Health Agency's This Is Our Health conversation on wellbeing across Northern Ireland.
You can read more about the meeting in the full Joint Chairs Update, attached to this article.
Looking Ahead
The next Joint Forum meeting will take place on 22 October 2026. In the meantime, work will continue across the Forum's membership to promote the Partnership Agreement, advance its Fair Funding Principles and strengthen collaboration between government and the voluntary and community sector.
Find out more about the Joint Forum
Interested in learning more about the Joint Forum, its membership, and workplan? Visit NICVA’s Joint Forum Overview and Updates to explore the Forum’s current priorities and how you can contribute to strengthening collaboration across sectors.
You can also sign up to receive news and updates on the Partnership Agreement between Government and the Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) in NI here: Sign up for updates on Partnership Agreement between Government and the Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) in NI
