THE Fermanagh Trust is committed to being “the voice of the voluntary and community sector” in the county, having taken on valuable lessons from a recent visit to the Welsh Parliament.
Deputy Director of the Fermanagh Trust, Sonya Johnston, spent three days at the Senedd in Wales, as part of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action Civic Threads programme.
Established in 1995, the Fermanagh Trust is a registered charity which aims to support initiatives which will lead to social and community development in the county.
The local organisation feels it’s important to consider the role that laws and legislation passed in parliament can play in support
“One of the standout learnings was seeing how partnership with the third sector is embedded in law in Wales,” a statement from the Fermanagh Trust read.
“The Government of Wales Act 2006 requires the Welsh Government to have a statutory Third Sector Scheme.
“It sets out how it engages with and consults the voluntary and community sector on policies and decisions that affect them.
“Hearing directly from the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and senior officials and seeing this approach in practice, really highlighted the difference legislation can make.”
The local organisation, which operates from Fermanagh House in Enniskillen, feels that better decisions should be taken around ‘inclusive policy-making’ which affects Fermanagh residents.
“It has prompted important reflection for us on how much stronger and more inclusive policy-making can be when the voice of the voluntary and community sector is not optional, but built into the system,” they said.
Deputy Director of the Fermanagh Trust, Sonya Johnston, spent three days at the Senedd in Wales.
