NI children's sector calls for funding to be restored

An umbrella organisation for groups in the children's sector wrote an open letter to Health Minister Robin Swann

More than fifty community and voluntary groups have called on the health minister to urgently restore funding used to deliver front-line services in health.

The Core Grant Funding scheme opened in October 2022, with £3.6m of funding.

As part of savings, the scheme's budget for 2023/24 was cut in half, to £1.8m.

The Department of Health said there are "sadly many very desirable and commendable projects seeking funding that is simply not available".

It added that once the 2024/25 budget, which will potentially be agreed on Thursday, is known, Health Minister Robin Swann "will be in a position to consider the availability of funding for the Core Grant scheme".

It comes as Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI), the regional umbrella organisation for the children's sector, published an open letter to Mr Swann expressing "profound concern regarding the harm and uncertainty" caused by the previous cut to funding.

The scheme offers financial support to not-for-profit organisations that provide services which improve public health and social wellbeing.

What did the children's sector letter say?

The groups said they have experienced significant challenges since, and that the Department of Health has "failed to properly value the work that they do".

They say that the 50% cut in core funding in May 2023 "led to staff redundancies, reductions in services and some organisations no longer able to operate".

The groups argued that they cannot afford to "lose more experienced professionals, reduce support services or allow specialist organisations to disappear" as this will put pressure on statutory service.

They said this will result in "direct harm to children, disabled people, older people and other vulnerable groups including victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse".

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Sarah Mason, chief executive of Women's Aid Federation NI, said the impact of this funding cut on their work "will be major".

Sarah Mason from Women's Aid Federation NI

Gareth Mulvenna, from mental health charity Mindwise, said that "robust and sustainable interventions to be made on behalf of our children and young people" could not happen "in the context of funding being removed".

Meanwhile Thelma Abernethy, head of Cruse Bereavement Support in Northern Ireland, said it is "critical" the fund is reinstated to enable the sector to continue to deliver "vital safe services".

A spokesperson for the Department for Health said "the warnings issued by the minister and department about budgetary pressures are materialising on multiple fronts".

"Once the 2024/2025 budget is known, the minister will be in a position to consider the availability of funding for the Core Grant scheme," the spokesperson added.