Insight and latest updates from our team

The All Party on the Voluntary and Community Sector held its first meeting of 2025 in NICVA offices, with a packed house of voluntary and community sector representatives, MLAs and the Minister for Communities in attendance.

Future arrangements for the All-Party Group on the Voluntary and Community Sector meetings for 2025 have been confirmed.  

At USEL (Ulster Supported Employment Ltd), empowerment is the purpose. As Northern Ireland’s leading provider of employment support for people with health conditions and disabilities, USEL has been transforming lives for over 60 years. Their mission is simple: to provide access to employment, training, and support services to people who face barriers to work due to a health condition or disability.

Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership and Social Finance are working together to develop social investment in Northern Ireland with new community transformation funds.

Big Give, Global’s Make Some Noise and NCVO are championing small charities across the UK, through a seven-day online match funded campaign. Up to £10,000 match funding.

The Triangle Trust 1949 Fund, a UK-wide grant-giving Trust, is keen to receive more applications from Northern Ireland based organisations for their scheme opening in April 2025.

The unprecedented demand for the Department of Health's Core Grant funding scheme, with nearly 260 organisations applying and 25 successful grants, demonstrates the critical role and urgent needs of Northern Ireland's voluntary and community sector in health and social care delivery. The decision to maintain the 50% cut to this vital funding stream, reducing it from £3.6m to £1.8m, undermines the sector's ability to support the health system at a time of unprecedented pressure.

Celia Currie, Stakeholder and Policy Manager for Fundraising Regulator(FR) in NI gives an update on changes to the FR board and shares some useful resources for charities in NI.

This week we are highlighting the importance of networking in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector, with a spotlight on Social Enterprise Northern Ireland (SENI). 

We spoke to the newest member of the SENI Team, Audrey Keogan, Member Relationship Manager.

We are excited to announce the launch of a new Talent Growth Programme to support voluntary and community organisations across Northern Ireland. Thanks to funding from the Halifax Foundation for Northern Ireland, this initiative will provide organisations in our sector with practical resources, training, and tailored HR support to help them strengthen their workforce and plan for the future.

The NICVA ASCEND Programme aims to build connections with the groups that represent ethnically minoritised people, develop leadership and build capacity to help strengthen their organisations.

Oxford United Stars FC’s Planned Interventions project brings young people together from across the Derry City and Strabane District Council areas to play football.  

Recruitment and retention are growing challenges for the community and voluntary sector. Rising costs, including increased National Insurance Contributions (NIC), are making it harder for organisations to invest in their workforce. However, apprenticeships offer a sustainable solution, one that can avoid employers National Insurance contributions while creating opportunities for skilled, committed employees.

Have you ever considered taking on an apprentice? Would you like to find out more about it and how it could benefit your organisation

The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, Africa House, NICVA, and Social Change Initiative (SCI) held a major conference on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st January 2025 at Belfast Castle to address the rise of xenophobia, racism, and Islamophobia in Northern Ireland.

The Government and Voluntary Sector Joint Forum recently held its full first meeting of the new Joint Forum term (Dec 2024 – March 2027) on 23 January 2025.

Thirteen new voluntary and community sector appointments to the Joint Forum Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Panel for the 2024-27 term of the Joint Government and Voluntary Sector Forum have recently been confirmed.

NICVA in partnership with responsible business network Business in the Community (BITC),today hosted a half-day conference bringing businesses and the voluntary and community sector together to explore the pivotal role that effective partnerships play in addressing critical societal challenges.

Storm Éowyn has left over 63,000 homes across Northern Ireland without electricity. While local councils have established support centres providing essential services, and many organisations in our sector have opened their facilities where possible, there are still vulnerable individuals who cannot access these resources.

NICVA and CO3 are delighted to announce the launch of our programmes designed to support organisations representing ethnically minoritised people across Northern Ireland.