Turning intent into action: the Covenant Council begins

While this wasn’t the main event, it was a valuable opportunity to build relationships, explore the issues we want to tackle, and agree how we’ll work together from the outset.

Based on the quality of the discussion, if this is the warm-up, we should all be excited about where this Council could take us.

We all know the relationship between government and civil society hasn’t always worked as it should. Trust on both sides can sometimes be low, and too often it feels like we’re speaking past each other rather than working together. But within this Council there is a real, shared appetite to change that – and ultimately put people and communities at the heart of decision-making, and to do it in genuine partnership.

There is no shortage of ambition. Each member brings deep and varied experience from across civil society, and there was a clear commitment to leave ‘day job’ perspectives at the door and act in the interests of the wider sector. Just as importantly, there was clarity about what this cannot become: a talking shop.

If this Council is going to succeed, it has to show progress quickly and tackle issues that have been years in the making. That means getting to the root causes, breaking down silos, and addressing the barriers that slow progress down.

We’ll share more detail on the Council’s discussions in the coming months. But this early conversation highlighted some consistent themes: the need to improve understanding of civil society’s value across government, to make it easier for organisations, especially smaller ones, to engage, and to work more effectively across departmental boundaries.

But creating this change isn’t just in the hands of government. All of us in the voluntary sector have a role to play in reshaping this relationship. Civil society has always been a driver of change. Now is the moment to step into that role with confidence, and to tell a clearer, stronger story about the difference we do and can make. At NCVO, we’ll be working with Council members and our wider membership to help shape that story and ensure it reflects the breadth and impact of the sector.

There’s still a lot to figure out. How do we bring in voices beyond those in the room? How do we stay open and accountable? How do we turn ambition into action? But one thing is for sure, this is a window of opportunity, and we need to seize it. And if this is going to work, it needs all of us. You can read more in my post about how we can all be part of making the Civil Society Covenant a success.

For now, as a group we move with pace, with pragmatism, and with a willingness to make some “good trouble”. Our first formal meeting at No.10 is in April. What’s clear from last week is that we’ll all be ready for another brilliant discussion.