The Northern Ireland Executive is calling for urgent changes to
the Local Growth Fund to prioritise people and vital services
here. We understand the depth of anger and frustration across the
voluntary and community sector because these services are
lifelines for many individuals and communities locally and the
current position is neither sustainable nor fair.
We have been raising these concerns for many months, including
directly with the Prime Minister. We also wrote to the Secretary
of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, , urging him to act as a matter
of urgency to address the current funding constraints and provide
a more appropriate resource allocation. We made clear the serious
consequences these decisions are having. It is therefore deeply
disappointing that, to date, this has not been met with the level
of response or engagement required.
The Executive has discussed the worsening situation on multiple
occasions, including at our meeting on Thursday (26th March),
where Ministers again discussed the very grave situation still
facing the sector due to the current fiscal challenges. The
significantly reduced quantum of the Fund is compounding these
challenges and placing vital services at risk.
We continue to engage with the voluntary and community sector and
believe there is still time for the Secretary of State to protect
and ensure that the highly valued organisations within it can
continue to deliver interventions that support people and drive
economic growth.
With one voice, we continue to urge the Secretary of State to
ensure the Local Growth Fund receives a realistic resource
allocation immediately.
The Executive stands firmly with those calling for a fair and
sustainable funding position and we will continue to make that
case in the strongest possible terms.
