Member's statement: Community and Voluntary Sector: Funding
Member's statement by Mrs Ciara Ferguson on .
- MLA
- Mrs Ciara Ferguson
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 20 October 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Community and Voluntary Sector: Funding
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5188267
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I rise to speak on the urgent need to invest in our community and voluntary (C&V) sector. If we do not invest in our community and voluntary sector, the truth is that we will lose not only the vital services that each of us know are critical to strengthening and supporting local people on the ground but the very fabric that I think holds our communities and people together.
As someone from the north-west who has worked in the community and voluntary sector for over 20 years, I know only too well the invaluable power of sustainable investment in community development and community infrastructure in strengthening community relations; helping to tackle inequality and disadvantage; empowering and building the capacity of local people who become active participants in shaping their future and the future of their communities; improving health and well-being; and building strong resilient communities where everyone can thrive. Community development increases participation in local community life, and it strengthens social networks and civic engagement, which are the cornerstones of a resilient community. Likewise, our social enterprises are a significant part of the economy. They employ thousands and generate substantial revenue. Investing in their capacity helps scale and diversify the sector, particularly in deprived areas. There is the community wealth-building approach: on Wednesday, we had a local conference in the city, led by Development Trusts NI. It was fantastic to see a packed hall with great ambition. That approach redirects wealth back into the local economy and keeps it circulating in local areas, which provides economic stability and growth. That is where we need to invest — our social enterprises and community development organisations — to help build strong, resilient communities. As we are well aware, there have been serious and ongoing cuts since 2009 in our C&V sector. It is critical, now, when looking into the long term, that all Departments, be that Health, Education or Communities, focus on core community development and our social enterprises and invest for the long tem to build, support and strengthen our communities and build resilience.
343 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.92).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.92 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.80 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.14 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.03 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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