Local communities across England are set to benefit from a new £11.59 million government fund designed to strengthen collaboration between civil society organisations and local authorities, helping deliver vital support services closer to home.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a competition to appoint grant recipient organisations to deliver the Local Covenant Partnerships Fund, which will support areas including mental health services, adult social care, women’s refuges and tackling child poverty.
The fund will be targeted at areas hardest hit by the cost‑of‑living pressures, ensuring people can more easily access support that eases everyday challenges. By investing in local networks of charities, voluntary organisations and community groups, the programme aims to provide more joined‑up, preventative and self‑directed care for individuals and families.
The initiative will strengthen collaboration between local authorities and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations, improving coordination and making services easier to navigate for those who need them most.
The LCP Fund will play a central role in delivering the government’s Civil Society Covenant, a new principles‑based framework for resetting the relationship between central government and civil society. The Covenant was launched by the Prime Minister in July 2025 to promote trust, partnership and shared responsibility in tackling community challenges.
Through the fund, 15 areas across England will be supported to develop new local covenant partnership agreements, helping strengthen relationships between public bodies and community organisations while driving better outcomes for residents.
The programme draws on proven models of collaborative working already delivering positive change in communities. Examples include:
- Sheffield, where the Synergy VCSE Alliance for Mental Health has embedded peer support workers across all 15 primary care networks, with services shaped by people with lived experience and delivered alongside more than 110 VCSE organisations.
- Greater Manchester, where the Violence Reduction Unit brings together government, police, health, education, youth justice services, local authorities and civil society to support young people and families through mentoring, emotional wellbeing and early intervention programmes.
Stephanie Peacock, Civil Society Minister, said:
“This £11.59 million investment is about much more than funding, it is about ensuring that whether you are a survivor of domestic abuse, a young person struggling with mental health, or a family facing poverty, you have a support system that is seamless and compassionate.
“By bridging the gap between local councils and the dedicated civil society organisations on the ground, we are turning the principles of our Civil Society Covenant into a daily reality, delivering preventative care that doesn’t just manage crises, but changes lives for the better.”
These approaches demonstrate how strong local partnerships can improve outcomes, prevent crisis and provide tailored support rooted in community need.
Civil society organisations with experience in building local partnerships, convening multiple stakeholders and driving investment in the VCSE sector are now invited to apply to deliver the fund.
Successful applicants will be expected to help areas establish effective local covenant partnerships, strengthen local infrastructure and ensure investment reaches communities where it can have the greatest impact.
Image credit: iStock
