A new £100,000 Engagement for Change Fund has been announced by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) to support women from Northern Ireland’s community and voluntary sector in influencing positive change and participating more actively in public decision-making. The three-year initiative aims to equip community leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively represent their communities and engage with policymakers in government.
The fund seeks to strengthen leadership and advocacy capacity among community representatives while placing particular emphasis on increasing women’s participation in public forums where key policy discussions and decisions take place. By supporting skill development and encouraging broader representation, the initiative aims to address the continued underrepresentation of women in public debate and policy engagement.
This initiative builds on the Northern Ireland Office’s ongoing efforts to support local communities and the voluntary sector. Previous programmes such as the Connect Fund and the Community Partnership Fund have already provided substantial financial support to community and voluntary organisations across Northern Ireland, helping to strengthen grassroots initiatives and empower local groups.
Under the programme, a single community organisation will be selected to deliver training and capacity-building activities over three years. The programme will help participants better understand Northern Ireland’s policy landscape while enhancing their communication, advocacy, networking, and media engagement skills. It will also focus on improving the ability of organisations to collect and use reliable data and evidence to support their advocacy efforts.
The initiative was announced by Baroness Ruth Anderson during a series of International Women’s Day engagements in Northern Ireland, where she interacted with students, community leaders, and women involved in community development and advocacy initiatives. The announcement highlights the importance of ensuring that women’s voices, experiences, and perspectives remain central to decision-making processes and community development efforts.
In the coming months, the Northern Ireland Office will collaborate with voluntary and community sector partners to further design and refine the Engagement for Change Fund to ensure it provides targeted and practical support. Later in the year, established voluntary sector organisations will be invited to apply to deliver the programme, which will include a dedicated component addressing the barriers that women face in accessing and participating in public forums.
Following a competitive selection process, £100,000 will be awarded to a qualified organisation to deliver the programme over the three-year period. The initiative aligns with the UK Government’s Civil Society Covenant commitments, which focus on promoting participation, inclusion, and stronger engagement between communities and decision-makers.
