Volunteers' Week 2026 takes place from 1–7 June, bringing together organisations and communities across the UK to celebrate the invaluable contribution volunteers make every day.

NICVA is delighted to be partnering with the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland to strengthen the impact of organisations working on the frontline of housing insecurity and homelessness.

Today’s UK Government–backed interim report on  Young people and Work, led by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn, warns that more than one million young people are already not in education, employment or training (NEET). It highlights the scale of the crisis, estimating a cost to the economy of £125 billion, while the long-term damage to the life chances of young people is almost incalculable.

His warning of a potential “lost generation” could not be more relevant to Northern Ireland, where recent cuts following the introduction of the Local Growth Fund are actively dismantling youth employability services delivered by the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector- stripping away support at the very moment it is needed most.

As part of the Digital Inclusion Action Plan The Department of Finance received funding to help address device poverty and to support community‑led digital inclusion projects. Eligible VCSE organisations with up to £100K income are invited to apply for a free laptop.

Lawrence O’Kane, founder and CEO of Prizefunder explains how this Northern Ireland community fundraising platform could help communities to work together, raise funds, strengthen local services and build lasting support for the causes they care about.