Readout of the Civil Society Council: 15 October 2026

On Thursday 15 October, the Civil Society Council met at the King’s Trust in Manchester.  

The Prime Minister opened by recognising the vital contribution that civil society organisations make in our communities. He reflected that “if you start where people live, with organisations they trust, all kinds of things are possible”. He argued for a whole-government, whole-society approach to supporting people as they grow up and to tackle youth unemployment as part of the 10-year plan to be published later this year. 

The PM reflected on the power of partnership with civil society and the importance of coming together to deliver better outcomes. He reiterated the need “to face the same way and pull in the same direction. It’s about empowering people and places to find their own solutions and trusting them to do so.” He drew on the experience of Covid, and the particular contribution of faith communities during that time.   

The PM then spoke about Live Well in Greater Manchester where a joined-up, person-centred approach, with civil society as an equal partner, meant people could access the support they need. In this, he reflected that “civil society in all its many iterations is absolutely critical to the success of our country.” In response, the Council proposed a deep dive into the principles of Live Well and other community-led models. This will be taken forward by a coalition of partners with DHSC’s sponsorship, learning from and informing wider work on the transition to neighbourhood health.  

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy MP reflected that as civil society organisations are dealing with the realities of peoples live everyday across the country, they should be a respected and trusted partner of government at every level, with a critical role to play as devolution is accelerated.   

Sally Jameson MP, Minister for the No10 North Devolution strategy, then joined a session on rewiring the state. Minister Jameson set out more details of the Government’s vision for devolution and public service reform, and invited Council Members’ reflections on the structures, capability and incentives needed to shift power closer to communities.  

Finally, Vicky Foxcroft MP, Minister for Civil Society and Youth, joined Council Members to discuss opportunities for young people. This focused particularly on how government and civil society can work together in giving young people the confidence, skills and support they need as they transition into the world of work.   

The Council Chair, Kate Lee, closed the discussion by thanking Council Members for their contributions. She reflected on progress since the last Council Meeting, across civil service capability building, embedding public participation, changes to procurement processes and work underway on volunteering rates, and agreed actions to be taken forward ahead of the next meeting.