Community and Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Support - future plans

The Department is carrying out a programme of work aimed at refreshing the policy frameworks for our voluntary and community sector support. This includes agreeing with our partners on the outcomes that we should prioritise in future years. A review of sectoral needs will inform how we can better support the sector to deliver outcomes set out in any future Programme for Government.

Future plans

As part of this review, we have committed to engaging with a wide range of organisations in the sector, including those supported through our existing funding programmes as well as those that are not.  We are involving other departments, local government and independent funders.

We are also working with Reference Groups comprising a range of sectoral interests, through drawing on their lived experience, expertise and knowledge, and together exploring a range of insights and ideas in the design of new approaches. This reference group has met monthly since March 2023.

We are now keen to share what we have learned from our engagement sessions and to advise on our next steps and are inviting you to sign up for a virtual feedback event.

More information on the feedback event and how to register can be found on Eventbrite.

Engagement to date

As part of this review, we have carried out extensive engagement at different locations throughout NI over the past few months. We launched a survey to explore headline needs and priorities and hosted 4 roundtable events and 6 engagement workshops.

Each workshop involved up to 20 participants, working with the Department to develop our understanding of needs and priorities within the sector, as well as exploring the vision and desired outcomes for a thriving voluntary and community sector.

Engagement workshops events were open to all voluntary, Community and social enterprise organisations and included a roundtable discussion of key questions of interest.

We have also run some targeted sessions with different parts of the sector, and engaged with other departments, local government, and independent funders.

Workshop Events

When Where Eventbrite Booking Details
Monday 24 April
1:30pm - 4:30pm 
Rural Community Network
38A Oldown Street
Cookstown
BT80 8EF
Registration now closed
Thursday 27 April
9:30am - 1:00pm
NICVA
61 Duncairn Gardens
Belfast
BT15 2GB
Registration now closed
Friday 28 April
10:00am - 12:00pm
Virtual (Zoom) Registration now closed
Thursday 04 May
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Virtual (Zoom) Registration now closed
Tuesday 09 May
12:30pm - 3:30pm
Fermanagh House
Broadmeadow Place
Enniskillen
BT74 7HR
Registration now closed
Thursday 11 May
1:30pm - 4:30pm
Confederation of Community Groups
Ballybot House
28 Corn Market
Newry
BT33 8BG
Registration now closed

Additional workshops will be scheduled subject to demand.

Introductory roundtables

When Where Booking details
Thursday 30 March 2023
9:30am - 12:30pm
Clifton House, Belfast Registration now closed
Tuesday 04 April 2023
12:30pm - 3:30pm
Playhouse, Derry/Londonderry Registration now closed
Wednesday 05 April 2023
10:00am - 12:00pm
Virtual (Zoom) Registration now closed

Have your say

We launched a short survey (now closed) to explore headline needs and priorities and to give us valuable information on current capacity and support needs within the sector. 

If you require any further information, please contact cssp@communities-ni.gov.uk

Back to top