The government is consulting on a new Civil Society Covenant, resetting  and improving the relationship it has with the VCSE sector.

The Covenant aims to:

• support collaboration between civil society organisations and government
• ensure respect for the different roles we play, and protect our independence
• support all public bodies and civil society organisations
• build on and support existing agreements in place at a local level
• complement other arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The CEO of NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action), Maddy Desforges, contributed to a roundtable and subsequent reception at No. 10 to launch the work. Both the Secretary of State, Lisa Nandy, and Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, recognised the importance of close work with the VCSE sector, and the common goals and ambition it has with government.

They spoke of respect for the VCSE sector, recognising its unique contribution to society. They were clear that the Covenant needs to be with all levels of government – local authorities, NHS, and each government department.

This is an important and unique opportunity to influence government and emphasise the importance of local infrastructure and local charities and community groups.

Get involved 

The government is keen to hear from small, local organisations, and the NAVCA network is key to that.

NAVCA will submit a response on behalf of the network – join them on 13 November, 1-2pm, to share your ideas and develop a collective response that highlights the role of local infrastructure. You can sign up for the meeting via the NAVCA website here. If you can’t make this meeting, please add your thoughts to the NAVCA discussion forum here, and the team will include these in their response.

Please share the survey with your local networks. NAVCA will co-create a set of common messages for members to draw from.

You can view the Covenant framework here, with more information on the NCVO (The National Council for Voluntary Organisations) website here. The deadline for survey submissions is midday on 12 December.