Bosses from across Northern Ireland’s community and voluntary sector have called for an overhaul of the process that funds them, after hundreds of their “essential services” were denied any Stormont funding. One charity said that despite the fact its work has helped halve new HIV diagnoses in Northern Ireland year on year, they still had to “go on bended knee, cap in hand, looking for the scraps off the table”.
Valerie McConville, chief executive of CO3
Valerie McConville, chief of CO3 — a membership organisation for third sector leaders in NI — also said that the total £1.8m for core grant funding from the Department of Health this year “was very inadequate for the demand”.
Some 234 organisations here were denied the annual grant from the Department of Health last week.
Ms McConville has called on the First and Deputy First Minister to work with the Health Minister in order to look at securing and directing sufficient funding for the sector.
‘Charities cannot raise prices to cover rising costs, so they have nowhere to go.’
“The core grant is there to support the infrastructure of the organisation, but many services are also commissioned by the Department of Health or health trusts,” Valerie explained.
“Within those contracts there are also issues around sustainability because many of them don’t cover full cost recovery.
“Although they pay for the time of an individual to complete a service, there is no consideration of the cost of recruiting and training that person, or the management or administration costs involved, nor does it consider pensions and now the added cost of the National Insurance increase, which is coming in April.
“Charities cannot raise prices to cover rising costs, so they have nowhere to go.
“The Executive has the ability to raise additional revenue. Courageous decisions are required. We have a crisis, it needs to be properly managed and there needs to be significant leadership here in order to address the issue. It is not going to go away.
“Our health outcomes are worsening, in fact, they aren’t getting better.”
Jacquie Richardson is the chief executive of Positive Life, which supports people living with HIV in Northern Ireland.
She said that the third sector “responded overnight to the Covid pandemic for people living in vulnerable communities, and now coming out of it, as well as the cost of living crisis and increased National Insurance contributions, we are trying to respond in that context, and are constantly putting out fires”.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said his department’s 2025/26 budget allocation did not allow him to grant funding to all who applied, and in his statement noted: “Naturally, introducing competition meant that there would be winners and losers, but those who have missed out this time will have a further opportunity later this year to bid for funding in 2026/27.”
Jacquie Richardson, CEO, Positive Life NI
Jacquie, who has spent almost 40 years working in the third sector, said that Mr Nesbitt’s comments left a bad taste in her mouth.
“The minister described the sector applicants as winners and losers,” she told The Belfast Telegraph.
“I would like to ask him how he could call one of my service users a loser, when I spend every day of my life convincing them they aren’t losers — they are not dirty, they are a vital part of society.
“The stigma people living with HIV face on a day-to-day basis is completely unique to other long-term conditions. We’ve had to work really long to overcome that, we’ve worked with supportive MLAs, and within the stroke of a pen, all of that work is undone, because it’s a very negative message they’re sending to show they’re not supporting those people.
“On an annual basis we go on bended knee, cap in hand, looking for the scraps off the table.”
In 2023, faced with a £732m funding gap, the Department of Health halved the annual available core grant funding from £3.6m to just over £1.8m.
“I would ask any civil servant to show me any other piece of work that has had tier funding cut by 50%,” Jacquie added.
“We spend our lives propping up a failing health service — this is not indicative of a valued service or sector. It’s insulting. We need long-term investment, rather than crumbs from a table. It needs to be proactive and strategic
“From a Positive Life point of view, we know that one new diagnosis is going to cost around £360,000 just for drug care over a lifetime — and that’s not including the additional needs someone may experience.
“The minister talks about prevention — our work has contributed to a 50% reduction of new HIV diagnoses year on year. But how do we open the doors? How do we deliver if we don’t have money to answer the phones and keep the lights on?”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said: “The overall health and social care budget is facing a projected funding gap overall of £400m for 2025/26 and Trusts will be asked to deliver in the region of £200m in new savings for the second year running.
“The core grant scheme is in addition to tens of millions of pounds of health and social care funding which the community and voluntary sector receives for delivery of important services.”
The Executive Office has also been asked for a response.