With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) set to end in March 2026, and no clear replacement plan in place, nearly 24,000 people - including those with disabilities, women, lone parents, carers, and young people - face losing access to life-changing support.
The #NICantWait campaign, led by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) and backed by the Economic Inactivity Coalition, is calling on the UK Government to urgently confirm arrangements for delivery of the Local Growth Fund in NI.
Without immediate clarity, organisations will be forced to begin winding down services and initiating redundancy proceedings as early as this month to meet their legal responsibilities as employers.
“This level of brinkmanship is intolerable,” Celine McStravick, Chief Executive of NICVA said.
“Behind every statistic is a real person. These programmes change lives. If they disappear, people will be left behind, families will suffer, and communities will lose out.
“Northern Ireland simply cannot afford to wait any longer and it is critical that the UK Government as well as Secretary of State Hillary Benn listens to us and the NI Executive, as this lack of clarity impacts all of the Stormont departments.”
Stormont MLAs have tabled a motion on the issue today (21 October) criticising the UK Government’s failure to provide clarity.
“There can be no misunderstanding about the severity of the situation,” Celine McStravick added.
“Vital services in our communities are on the brink of collapse. Local representatives quite rightly agree that our communities deserve better and a Local Growth Fund that meets our needs. We urgently need answers, clarity and autonomy on a regional project that is specifically shaped and framed to meet NI needs. Why do we have to wait?”
The lack of clarity carries major human costs. Between 2023-2025 nearly 24,000 (23,942) people were supported by UKSPF-funded programmes.
650 skilled jobs are impacted across 15 voluntary and community sector (VCS) projects, and 64 organisations are facing major future operational worries.
“We have solutions. What we need now is leadership,” said Celine McStravick. “The clock is ticking. Northern Ireland can’t wait.”
