Nexus, Northern Ireland’s leading organisation supporting individuals impacted by sexual abuse and abusive relationships, has today launched its Organisational Strategy 2026–2029, setting out a clear and ambitious roadmap for the next three years.
Titled “Highlighting the Uncomfortable: Delivering Change”, the strategy reaffirms Nexus’s commitment to enabling positive change for those impacted by sexual abuse and abusive relationships by supporting recovery, influencing society, informing policy and practice, engaging support, and advancing standards of excellence.
Every year in Northern Ireland, thousands of sexual abuse and abusive relationship offences are reported to police, with many more going unreported. Nexus’s new strategy has been shaped by extensive engagement with people with lived experience, staff, and the Board, ensuring it responds to both current and emerging needs while building on the organisation’s strengths.
Joanne Barnes, CEO of Nexus said, “This strategy reflects our determination to confront difficult issues, challenge harmful attitudes, and deliver meaningful change. By listening to those with lived experience and working collaboratively with partners, we are strengthening our ability to support recovery, prevent harm, and influence the systems that shape people’s lives.
Barnes continues, “A key feature of the strategy is its strong focus on engagement and continuous improvement. Alongside input from staff, stakeholders, and community partners, people with lived experience of abuse will play central roles in shaping and the actions that sit beneath each strategic priority.”
At the heart of the strategy is Nexus’s vision of a society free from sexual abuse and abusive relationships and its mission to enable positive change by supporting, informing, influencing and engaging society.
The strategy is underpinned by Nexus’s core values of empowerment, dignity, inclusion, integrity, advocacy and collaboration, which guide how the organisation works with individuals, partners and communities.
The Organisational Strategy 2026–2029 is structured around five strategic outcomes:
- Empower Recovery – supporting and empowering individuals impacted by sexual abuse and abusive relationships to recover and thrive through trauma‑informed, person‑centred services.
- Influence Society – challenging attitudes, myths and behaviours related to sexual abuse and abusive relationships through education, training and awareness campaigns.
- Inform Policy and Practice – using lived experience, professional expertise and research to shape policy, practice and service commissioning.
- Engage Support – communicating with clarity and purpose to build understanding, partnerships and financial sustainability.
- Advance Standards of Excellence – strengthening governance, investing in people, innovation and quality to ensure Nexus remains an effective, sustainable organisation.
The Organisational Strategy 2026 – 2029 can be viewed here.
