Development Trusts NI Seminar

Across the UK, the work of community development organisations delivering key public services, regenerating city neighbourhoods, towns and villages and delivering social and economic equality is underpinned by legislation. The rights of communities have been legislated for. Communities have the right to buy, to own and to challenge the delivery of public services for example.

Communities in Scotland and in England are recognised as a rich source of energy, creativity and talent and a central resource in building a more equal and prosperous society. To support communities to undertake these functions the legislative environment across the UK has changed; but not in Northern Ireland. In England, there is the Localism Act and in Scotland the Community Empowerment Act. These legislative tools play a vital role in advancing the work of the third sector.

This seminar discussion and workshop will ask:

• does Northern Ireland need a Community Rights Framework? 
• do we need to legislate to provide real and lasting social and economic change and to change the conditions in which a more sustainable 3rd sector will emerge to deliver that change

 The seminar is a joint initiative between the Building Change Trust and Development Trusts NI. For BCT this is part of a series of conversations looking at solutions to deliver change in the VCSE sector. For DTNI it is about exploring the value of introducing legislation to underpin a more efficient and effective VSCE to respond to social and economic development for those on the margins and to deliver social and economic equality.

Delegates will be fully informed about the approaches to community empowerment and rights advanced elsewhere across the UK and the potential such an approach might bring to sustainable social development in NI. Delegates will be asked to consider:

•  What specific actions could the VCSE sector take?
• What specific actions could policy makers take?
• What specific actions could funders take?