The Joint Forum is made up of representatives from central and local government and the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland.
It was established in October 1998 with the purpose of promoting regular dialogue between the voluntary and community sector and Government departments.
The Joint Forum was established with the overarching aim of:
”develop[ing] and lead[ing] an effective working relationship between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland”.
Joint Forum Representatives
The Joint Forum is comprised of both Public Sector (PSG) and Voluntary and Community Sector representatives (VCS Panel).
The Public Sector Group (PSG) comprises representatives from across the public sector, who are nominated by their respective Department or agency, with support and coordination by the Voluntary and Community division in the Department for Communities (DfC) as Secretariat.
The Public Sector Group is currently chaired by Ray Caldwell, Director, Voluntary and Community Division, Department for Communities.
The Voluntary and Community Sector Panel (VCS Panel) currently comprises 20 representatives from across the voluntary and community sector who are appointed by a selection committee of the NICVA Executive following an open nomination process. NICVA retains a regular place on the panels membership but has no formal voting rights as a panel member and cannot serve as VCS Panel Chair or Vice Chair.
The VCS Panel is supported by NICVA as secretariat. NICVA Secretariat is Kathy Maguire, Policy & Insight Team, NICVA
The VCS Panel is chaired by a VCS panel member Chair and Vice Chair, who are nominated by panel members.
The current VCS Panel Chair is Karen Smith, Disability Action who was elected in November 2024.
These two groupings make up the Joint Forum and in partnership are charged with taking forward the Forums Work Plan and in helping establish its future direction.
Joint Forum Chairs & Secretariat
The Joint Forum is jointly chaired by the VCS Panel Chair and Public Sector Group Chair, also known as the JF Joint Chairs.
The current Joint Chairs are:
Karen Smith, Disability Action and;
Raymond Caldwell, Department for Communities, Voluntary and Community Division.
The Joint Forum's work is supported by NICVA and the Voluntary and Community Division in the Department for Communities (DfC) as joint secretariat.
Voluntary and Community Sector Panel
The role and purpose of the VCS Panel is:
''To represent the Voluntary and Community sector within the structures of the Joint Forum and to support the Forum in the delivery of mutually agreed key aims and objectives, including delivery of an associated Workplan.’
The VCS Panel comprises representatives from across the voluntary and community sector.
It is chaired by a VCS Panel member elected by panel representatives.
Voluntary and Community Sector Panel members are appointed for a period/term of three years and are entitled to seek re-nomination for a further three-year period.
No panel member can be appointed for a period of more than six consecutive years/two consecutive terms.
The current VCS Panel Members are:
Name | Role | Organisation
|
Colm McDaid* | Chief Executive
| Supporting Communities |
Charlie Fisher* | CEO
| Development Trusts NI |
Karen Smith* | (VCS Panel Chair/JF Joint Chair) Head of Inclusion
| Disability Action |
Judith Poucher* | Deputy CEO
| Clanrye Group |
Gareth Eannetta* | Programmes Manager
| NIACRO |
Stephen Dallas | (VCS Panel Vice Chair) CEO
| Bytes Project |
Frances Campbell | Director of Northern Ireland and Head of Research
| Community Transport Association UK |
Samantha Gallagher | Policy & Public Affairs Officer
| Rural Community Network |
Avery Bowser | Fostering Services Manager
| Action for Children |
Kathy Martin | Strategic Impact Manager | Community Development and Health Network
|
Manus Maguire | Manager | Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum
|
Paul Boylan | Director of Programmes and Strategy | Cooperation Ireland
|
Roisin McLaughlin | Manager | Northwest Community Network
|
| Anne McVicker | Director | Women's Resource & Development Agency |
Irene Sherry | Senior Leadership Team | Ashton Community Trust
|
Melissa Frame | Director of Services | Start 360
|
| Janet Schofield | CEO | CAN (Compass Advocacy Network)
|
| Michael Briggs | Executive Director | East Belfast Community Development Agency (EBCDA) |
Diane Ewart |
Network Manager
|
TADA Rural Support Network |
*These representatives are serving their second term as VCS Panel Members*
**Please note as per the current Terms of Reference for the VCS Panel, NICVA retain standing membership of the VCS Panel/Joint Forum.**
Public Sector Group
The PSG comprises representatives from across both central and local government, appointed by their Department or agency with coordination by the Voluntary and Community division in the Department for Communities (DfC) as secretariat.
Current Public Sector Group Members are as follows:
Name | Role in Organisation | Department / Organisation
|
Ray Caldwell | (PS Chair/ JF Joint Chair) Director, Voluntary and Community Division | Department for Communities (DfC) |
Nichola Creagh | Community Empowerment Division | Department for Communities (DfC) |
April Dalzell | Local Government policy - Community Planning & Local / Central Government Relations | Department for Communities (DfC)
|
| Ruth Jamison | Programme Engagement and Impact, Voluntary and Community Division. | Department for Communities (DfC) |
Laura McDonald
| Strategic Funding Division | Department of Finance (DoF) |
| William Peel | Public Spending Group | Department of Finance (DoF) |
| Karen Weir | Budget Sustainability Team | Department of Finance (DoF) |
Elaine Colgan | Economic Policy Group | Department for the Economy (DfE) |
Kiera Lloyd | Strategy & Performance | Department for Infrastructure (DfI) |
| Gavin Hamilton | Strategy & Performance | Department for Infrastructure (DfI) |
Glenda Davies | Special Education Team | Department of Education (DE) |
Chris Gardner | Good Relations and T:BUC | The Executive Office (TEO) |
Marc Bailie | Social Services Policy | Department of Health (DoH) |
Jason Foy | Rural Affairs | Department for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA) |
Maria Watson | Rehabilitation and Reducing Offending | Department of Justice (DoJ) |
Joanne Doherty | Strategic Partnerships | The Executive Programme on Paramilitarism & Organised Crime (EPPOC) |
Keith Forster | Economic Development, Belfast City Council | SOLACE NI (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives Northern Ireland)
|
| Interim Reps: Alison Allen/Antoinette Kennedy | Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) | |
Andrew Steenson | Regional Health Inequalities | HSCNI |
Lorraine Gallagher | Sectoral Policy and Engagement, Voluntary and Community Division
| Department for Communities (DfC) |
Joint Forum work plan 2024-27
In July 2025, the Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons launched the Partnership Agreement between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland which had been fully endorsed by the Executive.
The Partnership Agreement was developed and agreed via the Joint Forum
The Joint Forum has co-developed a three-year work plan to support implementation of the Partnership Agreement, including its Shared Values, Ways of Working and Fair Funding Principles.
The work plan establishes working groups with equal representation from the public sector and the Voluntary and Community Sector to advance these commitments and strengthen collaboration.
Joint Forum meetings
The most recent Joint Forum meeting took place at NICVA on Thursday 23 October 2025. You can read more about this Joint Forum meeting here: Government and Voluntary & Community Sector Joint Forum Meeting 23 October 2025 | NICVA
Date of next Joint Forum Meeting:
The next full Joint Forum meeting is to be held on Monday 23 March 2026, 11 am -2.00 pm, NICVA
For Queries or Information about the Joint Forum
If you have a query regarding the work of the VCS Panel or the Joint Forum, please contact NICVA secretariat Kathy Maguire via [email protected]. More Joint Forum news and updates can be viewed via the links below.
