The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Blog

It’s been four months since we launched our consultation on how Dormant Accounts funding should be delivered in Northern Ireland.

We met organisations – large and small – across the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector to hear how they thought this funding could have the biggest impact in communities across Northern Ireland.

We engaged with over 300 people at four major regional events in Newtownabbey, Craigavon, Derry-Londonderry and Enniskillen. We also hosted, facilitated and took part in 25 smaller roundtable discussions with communities across Belfast, Lisburn, Randalstown, Newry, Cookstown and Strabane.

We made a conscious effort to reach different parts of the sector engaging with people with disabilities, BME communities, rural groups, environmental organisations, sectoral leaders, other funders, the volunteering sector, organisations working with children and families and the arts and sports sectors.

Since October 2019 we’ve had over 700 face to face conversations, talking to people from more than 460 organisations.

We also dealt with over 500 enquiries and received 62 written submissions.

We used social media to tell people about the consultation and reached over 50,000 people on Twitter and 11,000 people on Facebook. Our update blogs were also read by over 1100 people.

We’re now reviewing this information and analysing the responses.

Emerging themes so far include core costs, collaboration, income generation, governance and strategic planning.

As well as this, there are some interesting insights into the overall funding environment, attitudes to long- and short-term funding, and a range of other issues facing individual sectors.

We are pulling together a report of everything we heard and will be sharing this by the end of February.

Our plans for the delivery of the programme will follow later in March.

We launched the consultation on Dormant Accounts funding in October and since then we’ve been out and about listening to the Northern Ireland Third Sector.

We hosted major regional events in Newtownabbey, Craigavon, Derry-Londonderry and Enniskillen with over 300 people across all 4 events.

We’ve hosted, facilitated or taken part in 25 roundtable discussions with over 350 VCSE representatives and have received 36 written submissions as well as hundreds of emails, phone calls and conversations.

As we’ve gone through the consultation, we’ve shared some of what we’ve been hearing in blogs – you can read the previous one here.  As we finish this phase of the consultation, we wanted to share a couple more reflections.

In our discussions, there has been lively debate about the balance between direct support for smaller organisations and the benefits of collective support.

People have been telling us that one size doesn’t fit all. The change each individual organisation would make to become more sustainable and fit for the future might look different. So, any fund should be flexible enough to accommodate that.

But people also really value what they learn from each other – they’d like to reduce competition and see collaboration enabled, not enforced.

Some would like to have collective resources or expertise to draw on which they might not necessarily be able to afford themselves e.g. professional financial, HR, legal or governance advice.

Many people have commented that support networks, particularly in rural areas, have faced cuts and are no longer able to provide this kind of support to smaller voluntary and community groups.

How could this funding help foster collaboration or connectedness while still supporting local groups on the ground?

We’ve also been talking about loans and other types of social finance.

We’ve heard some great examples of organisations which have benefited from existing loan funds which support VCSE organisations in Northern Ireland.  But a large proportion of the sector say they aren’t ready to access this type of social finance.

The main issues around loans or hybrid social finance models seem to be confidence and capacity. Some organisations say they don’t want to have to prioritise paying off a loan over their core purpose. Others say they don’t have the skills to understand the difference finance models which might help them realise their long-term goals.

Could the Dormant Accounts fund invest in organisations to build those skills, enabling them to leverage other, more sustainable investment or income?

We may have finished this stage of our consultation, but we still want to hear from the sector.  You can make written submissions over the Christmas break and up until January, or you can call or email.

Our office will be closed from lunchtime on Tuesday 24^th December until Thursday 2^nd January, but we will respond to any queries when we return in the new year.

We’ll be analysing our findings and working on programme design in January but we won’t turn down any chance to talk or discuss any of these issues once that process begins.

If you have any thoughts, ideas or views on any of this – send them to us at dormantaccountsni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk or you can comment on this blog, drop us a line on the phone or social media.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to be involved so far.

We launched the consultation on Dormant Accounts funding in October and have been out and about ever since listening to the Northern Ireland Third Sector.

Since October, we have hosted three major events in Belfast, Enniskillen and Craigavon – 280 people attended to tell us what they think.

As well as this, we’ve hosted, facilitated or taken part in 16 roundtable discussions with over 200 people and have received 22 written submissions as well as hundreds of emails, phone calls and conversations.

We promised that we would share what we are hearing throughout the consultation so this blog highlights some of the key themes coming through the conversations. We would love to hear back from you on what you think of what we’re hearing so far.

It’s important to reiterate that Dormant Accounts funding is not the same as National Lottery funding.

The policy directions state that this funding ‘should benefit the third sector in Northern Ireland, through projects/work primarily delivered by Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations to increase capacity, grow resilience and encourage sustainability’.

This list isn’t exhaustive but gives a sense of some of the things we’re hearing throughout the consultation.

Strategic Planning 

Leaders across the sector are rarely funded and don’t have the time to lift their heads to think about and plan for the future.

Could Dormant Accounts funding help fill that gap and help to build a sustainable sector in the future?

Governance  

There is a need to strengthen boards, committees and governance structures, ensuring the right mix of skills and training, putting all the appropriate policies and procedures in place to support an organisations’ purpose and activities.

Again, this is rarely funded but could investing in this help develop a more resilient sector? 

Income generation 

Organisations should be supported to take time to consider options for diversifying their income and/or reducing reliance on public funding, ensuring all their work fits with their core purpose – rather than chasing project funding which can often lead to mission drift.

Would funding for this allow organisations to think longer term and be more sustainable?

Capacity building and Skills 

We should recognise that there is a lack of understanding of the different social investment and finance options out there, as well as the other skills needed to translate vision and good ideas into action.

How would building this kind of capacity within the sector lead to its sustainability?

Volunteers 

The sector needs to be supported to strengthen its volunteer bases, including attracting young people, providing pathways into leadership alongside appropriate training and recognised qualifications.

How could Dormant Accounts funding support this to help build sustainability and resilience within the sector? 

Connectedness

With our own funding, we have seen there is lots to learn from other organisations operating in the same area or working on the same issues, but a culture of competition hinders collaboration.

How could investing in activities that connect organisations, not collaboration for collaboration’s sake, help build up capacity in the sector? 

Digital skills and Communications 

We’re hearing there isn’t enough time to focus on providing staff and volunteers with appropriate digital tools and skills to make them fit for the future. Alongside this, there is no capacity for organisations to develop the communications skills needed to tell the story of the amazing work they do to a wider audience.

Could funding aimed at digital skills and communications help build a more resilient sector? 

We would love to hear what you think about these questions as well as any other thoughts you might have. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Join us at our last event in Derry-Londonderry on 12th December at 9.45am in the Guildhall – register your attendance by email

• Share your views, thoughts and comments – send them to us at dormantaccountsni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

We’re now half-way through our consultation on the Dormant Accounts Fund and are continuing to hear a wide range of views from people and organisations across Northern Ireland.

We promised to share what we’re hearing as we go along, not just at our events and roundtable discussions but via email, on the phone and in conversation. Being as open and transparent as we can is the best way to hear all the great ideas out there and make sure we this money has the biggest impact possible.

Below is a quick summary of what we’ve heard over the last week or so and what we’re planning to do in the coming weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Most of the queries we have received have been about our consultation events but we also got some other questions.

People have been asking about the closing date of the consultation which we have said is the end of December.

Our office is closed from Christmas Eve but people can still submit responses and ideas up until early January. However, our last external events will be 18^th December 2019.

We’re hearing questions about how this funding can support specific projects.

At this point we are still open to how the sector can define and interpret the guidelines set out by the Department of Finance – namely increase capacity, grow resilience and encourage sustainability.

We have updated our website with a new FAQs section which should help.

As well as this, we’re planning a series of blogs on some of the issues arising from the consultation. If there is a theme or idea you’d like more detail or background on, get in touch.

Events

This week we held events in Lisburn, Newry and Inner South Belfast.

We have a busy week ahead with discussions and events all over Northern Ireland.

Our next main consultation event will be in Enniskillen at the Killyhevlin Hotel on Wednesday 27^th at 09:30.

As well as this, we’re hosting roundtable discussions with Social Enterprise NI, The IFA, Disability Action, Rural Community Network and in Strabane alongside Derry and Strabane District Council.

A lot of our events are at or near capacity but there are still some places available for our event in Derry at the Guildhall on 12^th December.

We know that while we want Dormant Accounts funding to meet the needs of a diverse sector, it cannot be all things to all people. So with that in mind we want to know what are the two or three main things Dormant Accounts funding could do that would have the greatest impact?

And if Dormant Account funding achieved its aims of increased resilience, capacity and sustainability, what would the third sector look like in five years’ time?

We would love to hear your feedback on these questions and those outlined in the consultation framework. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Review the framework and share your views, thoughts and comments – send them to us at dormantaccountsni@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

• Come along to one of our events – To book a place, email us at least one week before your preferred event. Please let us know if you have any specific access or dietary requirements. We still have space at the following events:
  • Enniskillen, Killyhevlin Hotel – 27^thNovember – 9.30-1.30
  • Craigavon, Civic Centre – 2^ndDecember – 12.30-4.30
  • Derry-Londonderry, Guildhall – 12^thDecember – 9.30-1.30
• If you want to bring people from your area or sector together then you can organise a roundtable event. Please let us know, and we can come along to facilitate this.

Get in touch if you’d like to attend or get involved.

For the past two years, The National Lottery Community Fund team in Northern Ireland have been out visiting groups across Northern Ireland more than ever before. We had the opportunity to

visit Newtownabbey Senior Citizens Forum (NSCF) earlier this year to join in with their celebrations for 25 years of the National Lottery.

NSCF received just under £250,000 funding, raised by National Lottery players, for their +Five-0 And On The Go project. The project reduces social isolation and improves mental health and wellbeing for people over the age of 50 in the Newtownabbey and Antrim area. They have various activities running weekly that range from bowling and boccia to walking clubs and line dancing.

To mark the quarter of a century celebrations, NSCF held a very special bowling tournament at Lilian Bland Pavilion in Glengormley. Joanie Arthurs, Mark Baine, Jerome Grace and Bronagh Diamond (otherwise known as team Crossed Fingers) from our office stopped by to join in.

40 people from seven different groups divided into seven teams to compete in a friendly (but competitive) games of bowls. Bronagh Diamond, Communications Officer for The National Lottery Community Fund, told us:

“There was a lovely celebratory atmosphere, and everyone was in great spirits. The sun was also shining which is a rarity for Northern Ireland. After the first matches were played, everyone got together for some tea and cake and a good chat. It was amazing to hear how much of a difference NSCF’s work has made to people’s lives.”

Telling us more about the project and the impact it has on people’s lives, Robert McQuiston, Project Coordinator, said;

“The funding we receive not only enables us to change lives but, in some cases, save them.

“The result of taking part in our project has not only had a positive effect on the physical health of our participants but also their self-esteem, social life and general wellbeing.

“We have also had feedback from family members and friends of our participants saying how it has been a great relief to them, removing the stress of worry and knowing that the project is having such a positive effect and seeing the changes it has made to their mother, father, friend etc.

“To celebrate the National Lottery’s 25th Anniversary we organised a Bowling Tournament in Lilian Bland Park Bowling Pavilion. The event was support by teams from Antrim, Randalstown, Newtownabbey and a representative team from The National Lottery Community Fund.

Big thanks from all of our participants to the National Lottery Players, without whom projects like ours would not be possible.”

If you are interested in finding out more about Newtownabbey Senior Citizens Forum and the +Five-0 And On The Go project visit their website.