The Civil Society Covenant – What Could It Mean for Buckinghamshire?
Richard Sherry, Heart of Bucks Policy & Insight Manager
Last month the UK Government published its new Civil Society Covenant: a statement of intent and core expectations that sets out how government, public services and civil society should work together. National bodies have rightly welcomed it as a “reset” in the relationship between the state and the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. But what does it actually mean for local charities, grassroots groups and communities here in Buckinghamshire?
The Covenant is built around broad principles: recognition of civil society’s contribution, respect for its independence, and a commitment to partnership and transparency. These are hard to disagree with on paper, and the positive attitude towards the VCSE sector as the “eyes, ears and voice of the people” is welcome. Yet anyone who works in the sector will know that principles are not enough.
The real test will be whether local organisations (often small, under-resourced and operating at the very frontline) see any meaningful change in how they are engaged, funded, and valued. And with no extra funding allocation to support it, how can we ensure the Covenant doesn’t just become another dust-gathering document?
Why this matters for Bucks
Buckinghamshire’s VCSE sector is vibrant but stretched. Thousands of small charities and volunteers sustain everything from food provision to befriending schemes; arts groups to environmental action; youth clubs to dementia support. For these organisations, the Covenant could support in three key ways:
Voice and Influence
The Covenant recognises the right of civil society to advocate and to challenge. Locally, this could strengthen the case for charities to be at the table when decisions about services, funding or policy are made.
Partnerships and collaboration
National commitments are one thing, but local delivery depends on how councils, statutory bodies and funders interpret them. Will public services (not just local government, but bodies such as the NHS and criminal justice system) in Bucks embrace the spirit of co-production, or will charities still find themselves consulted late in the process?
Transparency and fairness
The Covenant calls for openness in funding, procurement and commissioning. For groups competing for scarce resources in Bucks, that could mean clearer criteria, more realistic timescales, and recognition of the value smaller organisations bring.
Measuring whether it makes a difference
One of the challenges with documents like the Civil Society Covenant is that they risk remaining aspirational. For charities in Buckinghamshire wanting to see action as well as words, the question will be: how do we know if it’s working? A few starting points could be:
- Tracking representation: Are Bucks charities more consistently included in local strategy discussions or partnership boards? And is their expertise listened to and valued?
- Monitoring funding practices: Do local commissioning processes become simpler, more proportionate, and more accessible to smaller groups?
- Assessing culture change: Are charities treated as equal partners by statutory services, or still as contractors and service providers?
These questions require local voices to speak out about their experiences (both positive and negative) and to share what is or isn’t working.
Heart of Bucks’ role
As the community foundation for Buckinghamshire, Heart of Bucks is well-placed to help ensure the Covenant does not just become another policy statement. We can create space for dialogue, bringing charities and decision-makers together to explore whether the Covenant’s commitments are being reflected locally. We could also gather insights from across the sector, building an evidence base of how organisations in Bucks experience partnership, funding and recognition. Finally, we can advocate on behalf of local civil society, highlighting where practice is falling short and showcasing examples of genuine collaboration.
The Civil Society Covenant offers an opportunity to reset how civil society and government interact. But its success will be judged not by what is written in Whitehall, but by what happens in communities across the UK.
For Buckinghamshire’s charities and community groups, the challenge now is to hold this Covenant up as both a shield and a mirror; a shield that protects their independence and right to be heard, and a mirror that reflects whether partnerships are genuinely changing. Heart of Bucks will continue to listen, convene and champion local voices, so that this Covenant brings not just words, but lasting impact for local communities.
