Charities helping vulnerable people may “cease to exist” after being denied financial support from Stormont, it has been warned as a call is made for an “urgent review” of the funding process.
The Coalition of Carers NI group, which represents community and voluntary organisations that support unpaid carers, said some groups were “facing a cliff edge” after being denied Core Grant Funding by the Department of Health (DoH).
To help plug a £732 million funding gap, the DoH in 2023 cut the annual available funding from £3.6m to just over £1.8m.
A total of 259 organisations applied for a share of the 2025/26 fund pot, but only 25 were successful, including Cancer Focus NI, Action Mental Health and the Children’s Law Centre.
Following the announcement of this year’s recipients, 16 charities who are under the umbrella of Coalition of Carers NI have signed a letter to health minister Mike Nesbitt, calling for him to meet them and review the process.
Charities signing the letter which were also rejected for the funding include Age NI, Carers NI and Mencap.
The groups said they are “bitterly disappointed” that over 230 organisations would miss out on vital financial support.
They said they represent the “most marginalised groups in society”.
“These include carers of children with learning disabilities, carers of older people, carers of individuals with complex neurological conditions, cancer organisations and carers of those with acute mental health conditions,” they said in the letter.
“The omission of a wide range of carers’ organisations from the Core Grants fund will have a detrimental impact at a time when carers are already struggling to get the support they and their loved ones need.
“Coupled with the loss of Community Foundation NI carer funds, administered on behalf of DoH which end in March 2025, some organisations are facing a cliff edge.”
The letter said that in the context of the north’s £8.4 billion health budget, the previous Core Grant Funding scheme was a “small investment of money that generates a huge return”.
They added: “Reduced funding will mean that organisations will have to dramatically scale back support for vulnerable people. Some groups may also cease to exist.”
“Without these groups, government would be unable to properly support those in need and Northern Ireland’s vulnerable and marginalised communities will not be supported to have their voices heard.”
The letter demanded an “urgent meeting and review of the Core Grant Funding scheme so that more support and appreciation of the sector can be brought forward”.
A DoH spokesperson said demand for the funding was “always going to outstrip supply”
“The general standard of applications was incredibly high, and the selection of 25 high-scoring applications to stage two of the assessment process was based solely on agreed scoring criteria, rather than a departmental determination of the value of the applicants,” they said.
“The Minister deeply values the work of all those organisations within the Community and Voluntary sector. They play an invaluable role in communities right across Northern Ireland. However, the financial constraints within which the Department is operating means there are sadly many very commendable organisations seeking funding that is simply not available.”
They added: “Officials will be in contact with all applicants to offer feedback, which will be of assistance in applying for future funding rounds. Indeed, those who have missed out this time will have another opportunity later this year to bid for funding in 2026/27.”
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