Third Sector Podcast Bonus episode: What you need to know about the Civil Society Covenant
5 snips
Jul 23, 2025 Lucinda Rouse and Emily Harle dive into the newly launched Civil Society Covenant, a groundbreaking framework for collaboration between government and civil society. They discuss key insights from leaders like Prime Minister Keir Starmer, highlighting the commitment to inclusivity and equity. The conversation covers transparency and accountability in the charity sector, addressing the pressing financial challenges charities face. They also explore recent government reforms aimed at improving funding and fair compensation for services. It's a hopeful look at the future of charity-government relations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Core Principles of the Covenant
- The Civil Society Covenant is built on four principles: recognition and value, partnership and collaboration, participation and inclusion, and transparency and data.
- These principles aim to create a respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and accountable relationship between government and civil society.
Charities' Right to Protest Protected
- The covenant protects charities' rights to campaign, including the right to peaceful protest.
- However, existing anti-protest measures remain, raising questions about how this protection will hold.
Protection for Dissenting Charities
- The covenant commits not to treat charities that disagree with government policy less favorably.
- This addresses sector concerns about exclusion and funding risks for critical charities.