Joint Forum

The Joint Forum is made up of representatives from central and local Government (Public Sector Group) and the Voluntary and Community Sector (Voluntary and Community Group), and provides a mechanism to facilitate open discussion of key issues which shape the relationship between the voluntary and community and the public sectors.

Joint Forum chairs

Joint Government Voluntary and Community Sector Forum

The Joint Chairs are Arthur Scott, the Director of Voluntary and Community Division, and Anne O’Reilly, NI Rural Women’s Network. The Forum meets three times a year.

Elaine Downey, Head of Public Sector Engagement in the Voluntary and Community Division, leads the Public Sector Group, and Anne O’Reilly, leads the Voluntary and Community Group.

Joint Forum memberships

Public Sector Group

Department	Member	Alternate	CC only
DAERA	Niall Heaney	Pauline Keegan
DfC			Anne Rogers
DfE	Alan Russell	Bobby Clulow
DE	David Savage
DFP	Gavin Quinn	Deirdre McMullan (cc)
DoH	Pamela Mallon	Paul Skillen
DoJ	Louise Cooper
DfI	Gabrielle Kerr	Bernard McClure
NILGA	Alison McCullagh	Karen Smyth (cc)
TEO	Grainne Killen	Jamie Warnock
SOLACE	Cate Taggart	Clare Mullen (CC)

Voluntary Sector Group

Member	Organisation	Website
Anne McVicker	Womens Resource & Development	www.wrda.net
Anne O'Reilly	NI Rural Women's Network	www.nirwn.org.uk
Chris Quinn	NI Youth Forum	www.niyf.org
Colin Devine	North West Community Network	www.nwcn.org
Duane Farrell	Age NI	www.ageuk.org/northern-ireland
Eddie McDowell	Churches Community Work Alliance	www.ccwa-ni.org.uk
Fergus Cooper	Save the Children NI	www.savethechildren.org.uk
Geraldine Hanna	Victim Support NI	www.victimsupportni.co.uk
Glenda Davies	Sandy Row Community Forum	www.sandyrow.co.uk
Helen Ferguson	Carers NI	www.carersuk.org/northernireland
Jonny Currie	East Belfast Partnership	www.ebcda.org
Kevin Doherty	Disability Action NI	www.disabilityaction.org
Kevin Murphy	Voluntary Arts Ireland	www.voluntaryarts.org
Lisa McElherron	NICVA	www.nicva.org
Marie Cavanagh	Gingerbread NI	www.gingerbreadni.org
Seamus McAleavey	NICVA	www.nicva.org

Joint Forum terms of reference

The following are the terms of reference for the Joint Forum, the Public Sector Group and the Voluntary and Community Sector Group:

Joint Forum record of meetings

Following are records of the most recent meetings:

The Concordat

The Concordat is a framework which underpins a shared vision between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector to work together as social partners to build a participative, peaceful, equitable and inclusive community in Northern Ireland. The shared values and principles of the Forum are set out in the Concordat between the voluntary and community sector and the NI government.

Through collaboration the Forum seek to fulfil a number of key commitments outlined in the concordat that will open up opportunities which will benefit society.

You can read Annual Reports on the Concordat between the Voluntary and Community Sector and the Northern Ireland Government:

Commitment Action Teams

Commitment Action Teams take forward key issues set out in the Concordat. Each team is made up of Joint Forum representatives from both the public and voluntary and community sectors and where appropriate, external representation is sought when particular expertise is required.

Current projects

outcome-focused approach to funding
concordat compliance monitoring
communications
addressing bureaucracy

Completed projects

influence and examine the impact of government policy

Contact

For general enquiries please contact the Joint Forum Secretariat Voluntary and Community Engagement Team.