'No assurances' for groups with slashed funding

Peter May is running the Department of Health in the absence of a minister

Community groups and charities that have had core funding cut say they have no assurances about next year's grants.

In May more than 60 groups heard their core funding would end in September.

Stormont's Core Grant Funding Scheme offers financial support to not-for-profit organisations that provide services which improve public health and social wellbeing.

The money, from the Department of Health, was cut as part of budget savings in the 2023-24 financial year.

The department said, due to financial challenges, it did not expect to be in a position to reverse the cuts "in the absence of additional funding" but added that it would be kept under review.

On Wednesday, some of the community and voluntary organisations affected met the Department of Health permanent secretary Peter May.

Many of the groups provide support to people that eases some of the pressures on the health service.

'Mood was despondent'

The meeting, at Stormont, was requested by Children in NI (CiNI), an umbrella group which represents about 20 of the voluntary organisations impacted, including Childline and fostering and adoption organisations.

The group said the impact would be felt "in recruitment, reduced services, redundancies, and the possibility that some organisations will no longer operate here".

Women's Aid Federation, which has had its core funding halved, also attended the Stormont meeting.

Sarah Mason, from Women's Aid Federation NI, says the mood in the meeting was low

Sarah Mason, the its CEO, said: "The mood in the meeting was despondent, but it was a very good opportunity to sit in a room with MLAs [Stormont assembly members] and the permanent secretary and hear the commentary and get an opportunity to speak.

"There was no solution and there wasn't enough recognition of the impact that the loss of this money has had on the 62 agencies that receive the money.

"The impact for us is that that core funding gives us the leverage to keep going year on year.

"A lot of the work we do actually saves further impact on people having to go through health or judicial processes, this is early intervention.

"We are at a stalemate, my concern is that if no one comes back to work at Stormont nothing will be changed."

Ernest Purvis says no assurances were given from the department

Ernest Purvis from CiNI said said services would be reduced, some organisations would collapse and "our most vulnerable citizens will be the hardest hit".

"The department is obviously very concerned by the financial situation and they couldn't give any assurances about the budget next year," he said.

Joanne Barnes , the CEO of Nexus which supports people affected by sexual trauma and violence, said the charity had lost about 50% of its core funding.

"We haven't ruled out redundancies, if the core grant isn't reinstated next year that could have a material impact on my post as CEO for example," she said.

"Then who represents the organisation, set strategy, who is there to amplify the voices?"

"We can't be the voice for the people we work with if we don't have the funding, we can't raise awareness.

Budget challenges

The Department of Health said that "like all departments" it was facing "significant financial challenges" in 2023-24.

"This has meant taking a number of difficult decisions in line with the legislation and guidance currently in place," a spokesperson said.

"One of these has been the decision to reduce the Core Grant Scheme budget by 50% for 2023-24.

"The department does not expect to be in a position to reverse this decision in the absence of additional funding becoming available, but we will keep this under review."

"The decision to reduce Core Grant funding was made in light of the overall budgetary position.

"The department ensured six months of funding was set aside in order to provide sufficient time for organisations to prepare for the funding reduction.

"This is against a context where the department invests about £25m in direct service provision with the Voluntary and Community Sector and we have sought to protect this spending.

"It is also worth noting that 52 of the organisations which receive departmental core grant funding hold service delivery contracts with the wider HSC, totalling £53m each year."