We are 

• A leading voice for grass roots consumers and consumer organisations
• Representing local consumers nationally
• Campaigning to improve consumer rights for everybody.

We support front line consumers with local issues acting as an umbrella where issues are repeated in different areas.

NCF Consumer Congress

We aim to run annual consumer congresses to enable a sharing of concerns about topical issues and to raise the consumer profile with government and regulators.

Consumer Congress Workshop 27th March 2012

Click here for details of our workshop entitled 

"Are Regulators failing the consumer"

Previous Congresses

Our most recent congress "What next for Consumerism" was held in March 2011 at the Queen  Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London SW1, in partnership with Citizens Advice. For details see  the Congress 2011 page.

In December 2009 we acted as an 'umbrella' for action on the

impact and response to the credit crunch. For full details see the Congress 2009 page.

NCF Consumer Manifesto

In response to the strongly held views expressed at our successful NCF Consumer Congress on the Credit Crunch on the10th December 2009 the NCF has produced a Consumer Manifesto in response to the financial crisis.

Fairness in Finance

As of January 2011 we are pleased with the publishing of our report "Fair enough"on the financial services regulation of the fair treatment of customers.

NCF Strategy

At the beginning of 2010 our President, Mary McAnally, stated “in the past year we have concentrated on the new website, infrastructure, and Consumer Congress. 2010- 2011 must be the year to concentrate on local consumer groups – to develop and re-establish consumer groups across the country”.  In recent months we have developed a strategy to achieve that vision.  

We do not believe the “Big Society Agenda” will be successfully achieved without some umbrella organisation(s), or coordinating body to support the local level and represent local interests at national level. One important NCF role is to represent grassroots interests at the national level, consulting with them when necessary to ensure that it is local interests that are being represented (and of course, on behalf of our groups we respond to government and EC papers).  Arnold Pindar gives more background and thoughts behind this in his Chairman’s Statement on page 8 of  the NCF Consumer News Issue 234. 

You will find where we are active on our groups page. We would urge you to join if you see something there that will help you. If we are missing something important to you then please let us know via our contacts page.  Perhaps we can help you get in touch with others to get a group going. News from our local groups can also be found in the Consumer News.

Most recently the NCF is working with the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative (CoST) in the period October-December 2010 to develop plans for the greater involvement of civil society in making use of transparency. 

We believe that the 21st Century will see the role of transparency in public engagement and accountability rise from infancy to maturity and we are pleased to be part of some of the first steps taken. See our press statement of 23rd September 2010.