Insight and latest updates from our team

Following a difficult six months for the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland, the next year could see a further reduction in vital services, underlining the crucial need for ongoing and future support for the sector.

Between September 2020 and May 2021, NICVA worked with The Community Foundation for NI and Department for Communities to deliver the Accelerator Programme. 

The National Joint Council for Local Government Services pay agreement has been confirmed, with a cost of living increase of 2.75% from 01 April 2020.

NICVA recently hosted an Information webinar on the campaign to develop a regional Mutual Bank in Northern Ireland.

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) have published a summary of responses to their PEACEPLUS Stakeholder Engagement Survey which was undertaken earlier this year.

The Department for Communities has tasked NICVA to help charities who may be experiencing difficulty completing their annual monitoring return or struggling with compiling and uploading their required reports and accounts.

Resurgam Trust is a community owned and run community development trust which identifies and supports the needs of the local community through social enterprise, community projects and other initiatives.

Communities in Transition: Building Capacity opens second series of webinars and fundraising clinics for groups in East Belfast.  

The Transformative Leadership Programme will equip you will tools and skills aimed at enabling people to work together more effectively to make life better at interface areas in Belfast.

Local residents and people involved in community and voluntary organisations have taken part in the TLP since the beginning and they tell us it's been a very worthwhile experience. Find out here about their experiences on the programme.

Public sector colleagues have taken part in all 11 of our TLPs so far and feedback to date suggests that they're glad they did. Find out here about the experience of public sector colleagues on the programme.

Alex Hastings, NICVA's HR manager, gives us a few things to consider in terms of human resources as we return to premises and work. Below are 6 HR take-aways from the Return to Premises webinar on 22 July 2020.

On Wednesday 22 July 2020 NICVA hosted a webinar with speakers from Public Health Agency (PHA), Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Marsh Ltd on return to premises with 289 people attending.

Many boards will be faced with making difficult decisions in the near future so it is imperative that they are getting the right information to help achieve the best outcomes for their organisations.  

Tracey Crothers, Manager of the Maghaberry Community Centre, talked to NICVA’s Helen McLaughlin about their community’s response to COVID 19 and why a local resident sings them songs over the phone to say thank-you!

The PSNI has announced that street collections can recommence if collectors use a suitable object to adhere to the one metre social distancing rule. 

NICVA facilitated a webinar on 3 July 2020 on Finanical Planning.    Thanks to Rosemary Peters Gallagher OBE (Moore NI LLP) for delivering the session

On 7 July NICVA hosted a webinar with the Public Health Agency on Staying out of lockdown: test, trace and protect. We were joined by over 60 people to learn more about how we can protect our communities and keep the spread of COVID-19 at bay.

NICVA and partners haven't let COVID 19 stop the Transformative Leadership Programme. Support for leadership in interface areas has never been more important so we're all set to bring you Autumn courses online.