Minister Lyons delivers address at event to celebrate the work of the Halifax Foundation NI
Date published:
Minister Lyons has delivered an address at a Parliamentary reception, held in the Long Gallery in Parliament Buildings, to celebrate the ongoing work of the Halifax Foundation NI.
Minister Lyons said,
"I’m delighted to be here today to celebrate the great work of the Halifax Foundation and their long-standing relationship with Lloyd’s Banking Group.
"It’s fantastic to join so many of you in marking the impressive milestone that 2025 will bring and pay tribute to four decades of the Foundation’s work.
“The needs of our communities, whether they are economic, social or environmental, require collective action and innovative solutions. A strong partnership between government, other funders, charities, and voluntary and community organisations is an essential element of this.
“The connections between these groups, local communities and the individuals that live in them are key to targeting support at the right areas.
“It’s encouraging to see such a close alignment between the Halifax Foundation’s strategic objectives and my department’s own aim to support a sustainable, collaborative and innovative voluntary and community sector.
“The sector plays a vital role in shaping public policy, supporting service delivery and advocating for change.
“Today, I want to stress my commitment to championing and supporting the sector’s important work.
“Together, we are making progress on a Partnership Agreement and Fair Funding Principles to provide a solid foundation for ongoing collaboration between Executive departments and our voluntary and community sector partners.
“The Joint Forum, which is co-chaired by my department, will continue to provide a platform for strategic engagement between government and the sector. It will play a key role in delivering on the values and principles set out in the Partnership Agreement.
“A refresh of my department’s Infrastructure Support Programme and the People and Place Review are at an advanced stage. These changes will be progressed over the next number of months, with a focus on delivering shared outcomes, maximising impact and supporting the sector to thrive.
“Since becoming Communities Minister and throughout my time in politics, I have had the privilege of engaging with many organisations in the sector. I see first-hand the diverse and valuable work our voluntary and community organisations are involved in.
“The sector supports individuals, families and communities in ways that no other organisations can, addressing some of the most challenging issues we face as a society. I am well aware that they are continuing to deliver critical services in a tough environment and with increasing operating costs.
“That is why I gave a 5% uplift to the funding my department provides to the voluntary and community sector in this year’s budget.
“In recognition of the sector’s vital role, I will challenge colleagues within and outside of Government to work with me to take innovative approaches, collaborate effectively and apply the principles of fair funding.
“I feel strongly that we must make the best use of every pound we spend, investing in a way that delivers real results and has long-term impact.
“My department will continue to work collaboratively with the sector, and across government to deliver impactful, sustainable outcomes which meet the needs of our communities.
“I hope that during my time in office we will make significant progress towards achieving these goals.
“This is not something that I can do alone, so I look forward to working with you to make it a reality. By working together, we can maximise our impact and achieve more than the sum of our parts.
"To finish, I want to thank Halifax Foundation for inviting me here today and congratulate all involved for a very successful (almost) 40 years supporting our communities.”