GM Devolution

Greater Manchester is leading the way on the devolution of powers and budgets from national government. The aim of devolution is to enable more local decision making, which will lead to greater benefits for people and communities. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority website has further information on the structures and the priorities of the Greater Manchester Devolution agenda.

In partnership with other voluntary, community and social enterprise sector leaders, 10GM is a founding member of the Greater Manchester VCSE Leadership Group. This group came together from a range of conversations during 2015 to enable the involvement of the VCSE sector in Greater Manchester’s new structures as they were beginning to evolve – particularly with the Mayor of Greater Manchester, the GM Combined Authority and the GM Health and Social Care Partnership. The GM VCSE Leadership Group stated from the start that its ambition for devolution is “eradicating inequality within a generation” and agreed a number of objectives:

 

Champion VCSE engagement in devolution across Greater Manchester by promoting the vital role the sector plays in working towards a more equal society

 

Act as a point of contact for those working within Greater Manchester devolution and Greater Manchester’s VCSE sector

 

Share information and opportunities, operate transparently and think beyond individual organisations

 

Promote positive change and collaboration within the VCSE sector through devolution

 

Create a social movement for change that empowers the communities of Greater Manchester

The secretariat for the group is Voluntary Sector North West.

The Leadership Group considers all aspects of devolution and has contributed to discussions and policy work on topics such as transport, inclusive economic growth, leadership and the broad public service reform agenda. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the health and social care agenda was the focus of a great deal of the Group’s attention at first, not least because so much of the VCSE sector’s work is relevant to health and wellbeing. However, the Group is also committed to influencing work to build an inclusive economy (and economic policy) in Greater Manchester and now has work on this as well as other related themes.