During a speech to the All-Party Group on the Sector at the NICVA offices in Belfast, the Minister outlined some of the ways his department is working to continue to support voluntary and community organisations, and outlined his vision for a thriving, empowered sector.
Minister Lyons said: “The work of the sector to provide support, meet need and empower individuals and communities reaches so many aspects of our society, from addressing poverty to promoting inclusion, and each and every organisation has a unique role to play in meeting the needs of the communities they serve.
“It is clear that the economic, social and environmental challenges we are currently facing have contributed to increased need in our communities. In these times, the role of our voluntary and community sector is more important than ever. Strong partnership between government, other funders and the voluntary and community sector is essential, and I am committed to strengthening partnership working moving forward.”
The Minister continued: “We all share an interest in making the relationship between government and the voluntary and community sector work. The Joint Forum between government and the sector, which is co-chaired by my department, is working hard to ensure effective engagement between the sectors in support of delivery against shared issues.”
“One of the budget decisions I made in support of the sector this year was to protect and uplift the funding my department makes to hundreds of voluntary and community organisations delivering in key areas. This is why I increased my department’s funding to the voluntary and community sector by 5% in 2024/25. I hope this gives an indication of the value that I place on work in these key areas.”
Minister Lyons concluded: “I want to reaffirm my commitment to championing and supporting the work of this sector. However, I do realise that this is not something that I can do alone. I am keen to continue working with colleagues and sector partners to support the voluntary and community sector to flourish and allow it to focus on what it does best: changing lives.”