New Civil Society Covenant is based on the principles of transparency, recognition, participation and partnership
The UK Government has announced what it calls a “new era” in its relationship with the voluntary sector.
It launched a Civil Society Covenant at a meeting with charity leaders this week, promising to work closely to “tackle some of society’s most pressing issues”.
The covenant is based on the principles of transparency, recognition, participation and partnership.
It promises “trust and mutual respect” and the government hopes it will “act as a starting point for wider engagement across government, the public sector and civil society”.
The covenant will pledge to “turn the page” with voluntary, community and social enterprises and charities, recognise their knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced across villages, towns and cities, and make it easier for them to work with government to make positive contributions to help change lives for the better.
A Covenant Framework has been developed in consultation with key civil society bodies. The government said the inclusion of key representative organisations recognises the expertise civil society offers in tackling disadvantage, driving cohesion, supporting democracy and community voices — both at home and abroad.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy chaired a roundtable discussion with civil society leaders at 10 Downing Street to launch the framework, followed by a reception hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Anna Fowlie, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) was in attendance.
She said: “People and communities in Scotland are impacted by Westminster decision-making – on issues like immigration, social security, the economy and more. Time and again it is our sector that steps up to support them. A new era of partnership presents an opportunity for a new, more humane way of doing politics at Westminster. That is to be welcomed.
“In the era of devolution our sector has made a vital contribution, using new avenues to transform our society for the better. A new covenant that complements and builds upon this legacy is to be welcomed.
“We look forward to engaging with the detail of the covenant in the coming weeks and months.”
The idea behind the new covenant is to re-set relations between the Ulk Government and the charity sector. This is a relationship which has become increasingly strained, and often hostile, under previous Tory administrations.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “The covenant paves the way for a new era in the relationship between government and civil society — one that recognises the critical role the sector plays as a trusted partner in achieving shared goals for the benefit of communities across the UK.
“Voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises all understand the challenges being faced every day in our villages, towns and cities and the government wants to work hand-in-hand with them to help fix them — changing lives for the better.”
The initiative aims to improve the Government and civil society’s ability to tackle complex social and economic challenges by uniting the unique capabilities of the two to facilitate better outcomes for communities which would otherwise be impossible to achieve in isolation.
There will be a period of engagement throughout the autumn, with consideration given to ensuring broad representation is achieved across the full breadth of civil society, inclusive of organisations of all purposes, sizes, geographical locations and demographic focus.
This will culminate in the publication of a final co-created covenant to be published next year.
