Celine McStravick NICVA Chief Executive said,
“The UK Government’s decision to slash annual revenue funding for economic inactivity from £25 million to £9.2 million following the introduction of the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland from April 2026 means people with complex health, wellbeing, and employability needs losing trusted support when they need it most.
“Organisations who support thousands of people into jobs each year, are being pushed to the brink with only weeks’ notice and no transition plan.
“Northern Ireland already lags behind the rest of the UK in access to key programmes and investment. That should alarm anyone who cares about fairness, prevention, and value for public money.”
The meeting today with Westminster MPs comes on the same day that all parties in the NI Executive issued an agreed statement of concern about Local Growth Funding stating that the plan will “decimate vital services which deliver economic growth and increased productivity”.
The joint statement adds: “We believe there is still time to protect the Community and Voluntary Sector and ensure that the highly valued organisations working in this sector continue to deliver interventions that support economic growth in the future. With one voice, we are urging the Minister [MP Steve Reed] to rectify the profile of the Local Growth Fund here with a more favourable Resource allocation immediately. We stand ready to engage constructively to achieve this outcome.”
David Babington Chief Executive Action Mental Health added:
“This is about protecting the infrastructure that underpins health, employability, and community stability. If these services fall, the cost will simply reappear elsewhere. At this critical moment, we need political courage to make long-term, responsible economic decisions that protect jobs and services now, and safeguard future employment opportunities.”
The Community and Voluntary sector are calling on the UK Government and the Executive to immediately:
- Reverse this unjust allocation model.
- Protect existing services through 2026/27 to allow proper planning and continuity for participants.
- Commit to genuinely co-designed and sustainable funding that reflects Northern Ireland's needs
The meeting with MPs followed last week’s hugely successful demonstration at Parliament Buildings at Stormont by hundreds of workers and service users who were joined by local elected representatives to highlight the impact of the planned cuts.
Celine McStravick concluded:
“We have asked the Committee Chair Tonia Antoniazzi and all committee members to work with Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to ensure they reverse this decision that is disastrous for Northern Irelands people, the businesses who rely on these services support and for our local economy. We are not asking for additional funding—simply for the current allocation to be corrected so that Northern Ireland’s needs are met.
“Now is not the time to be told that responsibility lies “elsewhere” or that processes “take time.” Different choices can be made, but the window is closing. Belfast and London need to work together now to resolve this shared challenge. This is not the time for words or platitudes. It is the time for action.”
