News

We brought community groups, researchers and public sector partners together to explore how community reporting can flourish across Greater Manchester.

In this blog, Emma shares what we heard, what could help it grow, and why telling our own stories matters for shifting power closer to communities.

Over the past few months, we’ve brought partners, communities and local leaders together to start shaping a shared vision for Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection.

In this blog, Sarah tells you what we heard, and what happens next.

Young people are often told they are the future of our communities, but they must be given meaningful opportunities to shape the systems, funding decisions and business ecosystems – now.

Together with young people, social enterprises, funders, policymakers, community organisations and business leaders we explored a vital question:

How can we create better pathways for young people to build businesses, organisations and ideas that deliver positive change for their communities?

Together with Young Manchester, we co-designed 5 calls to action:

Upskill: Fund programmes for community wealth
Fund programmes on how to start and sustain a social enterprise or community business – making it a realistic and sustainable option for young people.

Fair representation on funding decisions
Include young people on panels that distribute funding.

Democratise the data
Data and market research made accessible to both youth entrepreneurs and social enterprises.

Space for connection
Create spaces for young people to connect, build networks and turn ideas into action – from people taking their first steps to people already growing an enterprise.

Meet young people and communicate where they are
Communicate and collaborate to meet young people where they are, in the places they feel safe and connected. Such as, in practical social enterprise education spaces online, in schools and in youth clubs. These resources should be shared in ways young people can access them.

You can find out more about the work we’re doing to support Greater Manchester’s Social Economy by reading our case studies.

The GM Walking and Wheeling Fund (GMWWF) Grants Programme is offering grants of up to £7,000 to VCSE organisations to deliver projects to get more people walking and wheeling in the chillier months.

The Trauma Responsive Greater Manchester (GM) Fund is awarding grants of £5,000 to £10,000 to voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations across Greater Manchester. The Fund is designed to support organisations to move beyond basic awareness of trauma and embed trauma-responsive environments within their services, systems, and settings.

In this blog, Kelly Duke, Projects and Partnerships Manager at 10GM, reflects on the joyful launch of the Spaces of Hope and Connection programme as part of the Live Well Spring Festival. She captures the energy, creativity and shared commitment in the room as VCSE organisations, communities and public sector partners came together to celebrate a bold investment in community‑led change across Greater Manchester.

A renewed Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord for 2026 – 2035 was signed by leaders across Greater Manchester’s public sector on 27 March, including the health and care system, and the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector (VCSE/VCFSE).

The Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord is a shared agreement between public services and the VCFSE sector, setting out how we will work together to improve outcomes for communities across Greater Manchester. It provides a framework for collaboration based on shared values, with a focus on involving communities, resourcing the VCFSE sector, and recognising its vital role in tackling inequalities.

As Accord Officers, 10GM supports delivery across a range of workstreams, including: Commissioning and Investment, Locality Engagement and Infrastructure, Supporting the Social Economy, Workforce, Data and Intelligence, Resilience, and more.

In 2023, 10GM invested in two VCSE infrastructure organisations in Greater Manchester to test out approaches that support Sport England and GM Moving’s ambition of ‘connecting communities’ to enable active lives for all.

This report highlights learning from investments in test and learn sites in Wigan and Bury from 2023 to 2025, exploring how community-based approaches can support people to move more. The report shares Bury VCFA and Groundwork Wigan’s project journeys, identifies enablers and blockers and discusses how integrating place-based and whole system approaches drives change.

Launching in April 2026, this is one of the largest investments in community-led development in England — shifting power so that communities shape what happens next. We’re thrilled to share that thanks to National Lottery players, 10GM, on behalf of Greater Manchester Live Well, will receive £16.5 million over four years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest community funder.

This investment in Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection will create a network of 100+ inclusive, community-led and owned spaces across Greater Manchester where people can meet, belong and find everyday support.

Prioritising communities facing the greatest inequalities, the investment will strengthen social infrastructure and grow community action, power and wealth. Powered by the Live Well movement, VCSE organisations, public services and residents will come together to share power, change systems and shape healthier, fairer, more connected places.

Across Greater Manchester, there are already hundreds of community-led spaces keeping the lights on — run by dedicated people, for the communities they love. This investment will help protect and grow them, and ensure that everyone has somewhere to belong.

This is a huge step towards a more connected, equitable Greater Manchester, launching in April 2026.

Liz Windsor-Welsh, Director of 10GM, speaking on behalf of the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector in Greater Manchester, said: “We’re thrilled to have secured this major investment in Greater Manchester’s VCFSE sector. Across our 10 boroughs, there are already hundreds of spaces of hope and connection. They’re the lifeblood of our sector. But many are underfunded, overstretched and held up by just a few dedicated individuals fighting to keep the lights on. These leaders often face immense pressure, driven by a deep sense of responsibility to their communities. And too many people facing the most significant inequalities still do not have communal spaces to call their own. 

“This investment will help us change that. Prioritising the communities facing the greatest inequalities, it builds on the leadership and creativity already rooted in local communities. It will help strengthen social infrastructure and put real power, resources and decision-making into local hands. 

“Powered by the Live Well movement, we’ll work with our VCFSE organisations, public services, and residents to share power, change systems and shape healthier, fairer, more connected places, so that everyone can live a better life.”

Launching in April 2026, this is one of the largest investments in community-led development in England — shifting power so that communities shape what happens next.

In this guest blog, Jenny Rouse, VCFSE Accord Strategic Lead at Greater Manchester Combined Authority explores why genuine understanding between the public sector and Greater Manchester’s VCFSE organisations is crucial for effective partnership. She highlights how reliable data — particularly from the State of the Sector report — helps move beyond assumptions, challenge misconceptions, and reveal the true scale and diversity of the region’s 17,500 civil society organisations.

With the State of the Sector survey now live for people to complete, Jenny sets out why fresh evidence is vital for better decision‑making, stronger collaboration, and improving outcomes for communities.

Read Jenny’s blog to see how good data strengthens public–VCFSE partnerships.

The Greater Manchester VCSE Infrastructure Development Programme is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and aims to improve the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) locality infrastructure support for community activity, by building on the strengths of locality infrastructure, identifying gaps and best practice to accelerate developments where they are needed. The programme runs until March 2026, and is being delivered by the partnership of Local Infrastructure Organisations (and other organisations with reach) across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

This briefing will update you on the priority areas for each locality for the year 2025-2026.

We’re excited to share that Greater Manchester’s State of the Sector research begins this week. This project helps us build an up‑to‑date picture of the VCSE sector across all ten boroughs.

By taking part, your organisation helps shape:
– Funding decisions
– Local and GM-wide policy
– The support the sector receives
– A clearer understanding of our sector’s size, diversity and impact

LIO members: the survey will arrive directly in your inbox from: [email protected]
Subject line: “Take Part in Greater Manchester’s State of the Sector Survey”
(Please check your junk folder just in case!)

The project will produce a report for each GM borough with an interactive dashboard and a Greater Manchester-wide report. You can also receive a free Individualised Insight Report for your organisation.

Each organisation completing the State of the Sector Survey will be entered into a locality-based prize draw worth £250.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important research. Your input will help shape understanding of the sector and inform decisions that support VCSE organisations and the communities they serve across Greater Manchester.

We’re working with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity (GMCC) and NHS Greater Manchester to explore a long-term plan to drive investment into the sector through new philanthropic and corporate investment streams, to build a strong Live Well Communities Fund that tackles inequalities across Greater Manchester.

Did you know that at least 1 in 15 people in Greater Manchester experience gambling-related harm? These impacts are often hidden and felt most strongly in communities facing inequality.

On behalf of 10GM, Manchester Community Central is launching a new phase of Communities Addressing Gambling Harms, funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

VCSE organisations can apply for a one-off £2,500 grant, and applications from organisations supporting low-income households, racially minoritised communities, and people experiencing disadvantage are welcomed.

The deadline for expressions of interest is 12:00, Monday 2 March 2026.

The State of the Sector research is back for the first time in five years. Led by Greater Manchester’s LIOs with Nottingham Trent University, it maps the size, diversity and impact of our VCSE sector. Every organisation’s insight matters and helps shape policy, funding and support. Look out for the survey in January 2026.

Local Infrastructure Organisations have rapidly co-designed and tested innovative approaches to participatory grantmaking, with the aim of shifting power to communities and reducing inequalities. This document shares snapshots from each locality, highlighting new practices and innovations from the fund’s first phase.

We are deeply shocked and saddened by yesterday’s violent attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, Manchester.

Our thoughts are with the families affected, and we stand in solidarity with the affected worshippers, their families, and the wider Jewish community, who faced an unconscionable attack on Yom Kippur.

The voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector in Greater Manchester, as always, stands with our diverse communities and against violence, and we will continue to play an active part in the response, support our faith communities, and commit ourselves to standing against hate wherever it arises.

We are also deeply concerned about the ongoing increase in intolerance in our society, including prejudice on the basis of race, sexual orientation, religion, and other identities. We stand in solidarity with all who are affected.

The latest updates from Greater Manchester Police on yesterday’s incident are available on their website.

To the sector, who are often among the first port of call in a crisis, we hope your staff are safe and supported at this distressing time. Greater Manchester Resilience Hub provides a critical incident and trauma service to all VCFSE staff, as well as health and care staff.

The Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group
10GM is part of the Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group. We are a Leadership Group dedicated to promoting the role and involvement of the
Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Greater Manchester.
View the full list of our members.

It’s an exciting time to join 10GM as our Finance and Systems Lead. Working closely with our Directors and Senior Management Team, you will lead on finance, business systems, HR, and contracting to ensure the organisation runs smoothly and sustainably.

You’ll oversee robust financial management, maintain effective systems, and support compliance across the organisation. If you’re a skilled finance professional with a talent for systems and detail, and you want to help strengthen the VCSE sector in Greater Manchester, this role is for you.

Funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, The Inspire Fund is offering grants of £500–£2,000 to support freelance artists, musicians, performers & small organisations. The fund is designed to help people with the costs of things like new instruments, costume upgrades, or training to upskill.

This is the last round of this fund. Closes 31 October 2025.

In this guest blog, Anne Lythgoe, Director of the Social Audit Network, challenges the UK’s public procurement system for treating “good work”—fair pay, job security, and decent conditions—as a bonus rather than a baseline. Despite strong policy rhetoric and initiatives like the GM Good Employment Charter, she argues that current legislation and procurement practices fall short of embedding these principles into public contracts. While other countries boldly mandate employment standards in procurement, the UK lags behind, relying on weak social value scoring and voluntary commitments.

Read Anne’s blog to see why good work should be the rule, not the exception.

Over the past year, 10GM and partners have strengthened Greater Manchester’s social economy, building inclusive support, fostering connections, and prioritising wellbeing. Next, the focus is on reaching even more of our communities to reflect their full diversity.

This briefing highlights how local infrastructure organisations are driving and supporting the Live Well movement across Greater Manchester. Over the past year, localities have tested participatory grant making, begun developing flagship Live Well Centres, Spaces and Offers, learned from Accelerator Sites, and explored the Neighbourhood Model to join up services around communities. Alongside this, GM has been selected as an Economic Inactivity Trailblazer Site. Together, this work shows how local infrastructure and the wider VCSE sector are central to shaping the next phase of Live Well.

The GM Walking and Wheeling Fund (GMWWF) Grants Programme is offering grants of up to £7,000 to VCSE organisations to deliver projects to get more people walking and wheeling this autumn and winter.

The fund aims to improve the health and wellbeing of communities in Greater Manchester by encouraging people who are less active or inactive to walk or wheel regularly. By wheeling, we mean using a wheelchair, mobility aid or pushing a pram. Sorry, cycling is not included.

The GMWWF also hopes to increase awareness of and engagement with, GM Walking: a hub of information and resources that recognises the important role walking and wheeling can play in increasing physical activity levels.

The deadline to apply is 26 September 2025.

The GM Walking and Wheeling Fund is being managed by Salford CVS, on behalf of 10GM.

You can respond now to a consultation to shape how the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector and the public sector in Greater Manchester (GM) and work together to improve outcomes for communities and citizens.

There are multiple ways to share your thoughts and ideas, including an online survey, an online ‘mural’, or online and in-person workshops:

• Online workshop – Tuesday 30 September 2025, 10:00-12:00.
• In-person workshop (St Thomas Centre, Manchester) – Thursday 23 October 2025, 10:00-12:30.

We want you to know that 10GM stands in solidarity with you during what can be a difficult and uncertain time. We also want you to know that the people who show hostility are a minority – they do not speak for our
communities.

We are voluntary and community organisations based in Greater Manchester. We are writing to say that you are welcome here in our communities. We understand that you may not have chosen to come to Greater Manchester, but we hope that you will be able to feel safe and secure, and that this can feel like home. Across Greater Manchester, there are organisations and groups who will stand alongside you with care, solidarity and hope.

• We know that living in a hotel for a long time can be a difficult and sometimes hostile experience. We understand that it may not feel like a home.

• We know that, unfortunately, there are some people who don’t like refugees and spread misinformation about asylum hotels. We understand that this can make you feel unsafe.

• We know that the asylum process can be scary. We understand that the way the Home Office communicates with you can feel hostile. We also understand how hard it is to find a solicitor to support you through the process.

We want you to know that we stand in solidarity with you during what can be a difficult and uncertain time.

We also want you to know that the people who show hostility are a minority – they do not speak for our communities.

You are welcome here as members of our communities. 

This paper by NHS GM updates Chief Officers on the challenges facing the VCFSE sector and its future sustainability. It proposes adopting clear commissioning principles to address these challenges and outlines a forward strategy beyond the current 5-year Accord. In its final year, the Accord will prioritise sector resilience by diversifying income, tackling contracting issues, strengthening the sector’s voice in strategy, building support infrastructure, and improving intelligence-sharing. The proposed direction builds on the last five years, aiming for deeper collaboration between NHS GM, GMCA and the VCFSE sector, positioning Greater Manchester as a trailblazer in partnership working.

The Greater Manchester VCSE Infrastructure Development Programme is funded through the The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and aims to improve the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) locality infrastructure support for community activity, by building on the strengths of locality infrastructure, identifying gaps and best practice to accelerate developments where they are needed. The programme runs until March 2025, and is being delivered by the partnership of Local Infrastructure Organisations (and other organisations with reach) across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

Priority areas of activity include Membership Models and Promotion, Website and Information Strategies, Social Enterprise and Social Investment, Voice and Influence, and Training and Development.

This briefing will update you on the impact this has had on the maturity of the VCSE infrastructure offer during 2024/5.

VCSE Local Infrastructure plays a crucial role in delivering against the GM VCSE Accord commitment to “Build the best VCSE Ecosystem in the country.”

This report outlines the vital leadership and delivery role played by the VCSE Local Infrastructure Organisations between April 2024 and March 2025 and the impact seen.

The Greater Manchester VCSE Infrastructure Development Programme is funded through the The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and aims to improve the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) locality infrastructure support for community activity, by building on the strengths of locality infrastructure, identifying gaps and best practice to accelerate developments where they are needed. The programme runs until March 2025, and is being delivered by the partnership of Local Infrastructure Organisations (and other organisations with reach) across al 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester.

Priority areas of activity include Membership Models and Promotion; Website and Information Strategies, Social Enterprise and Social Investment; Voice and Influence; and Training and Development.

This briefing wil update you on the activity that has taken place from January – March 2025.

In Sarah’s blog, she tells us about the VCSE Data Peer Learning Network: Greater Manchester’s VCSE sector’s approach to tackling data challenges through collaboration. Launched in response to sector-wide gaps in data skills and support, the network connects over 140 members to share knowledge, build confidence, and strengthen data use. With events focused on open data and storytelling and support from local organisations and the GMCA, it’s fostering a culture where data becomes a tool for impact, not a barrier.

In this blog, Susie provides a recap on another lively recent VCFSE Commissioning and Investment meeting, which discussed critical issues around unfair funding decisions, systemic barriers, and the gap between words of comfort and action. Discussions focused on disparities in uplift rates, delayed contracts, and the financial instability facing VCFSE organisations. Read on for more.

Almost all of us in the VCSE sector work with data every day. When we manage, analyse and use data better, we are able to target services more effectively, deliver them more efficiently, and influence key partners. The next VCSE Data and Intelligence Peer Learning Network meeting will be focused on how to approach data in smaller and less resourced VCSE organisations. Because we want the Network to be a collective space with shared ownership, we’d like to invite you to our codesign session on 17 April to develop and structure the June peer learning network meeting.

Strong local infrastructure enables communities to influence decision-making, builds partnerships and networks, and encourages volunteering opportunities. When this support is accessible locally, individuals and communities thrive. Check out our case study library to find out about the activities that have been taking place as part of the GM Infrastructure Development Programme.

These slides provide a quick overview of The Procurement Act, the roadmap for its implementation, and actions you should take now.

Read about the impact of the third round of the GMCA Inspire Fund.

We spoke to Anna Hughes on an average day at George House Trust about the work she does, and how George House Trust is playing its part in reducing health inequalities in Greater Manchester.

Funded by the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, four Greater Manchester VCSE organisations have been awarded grants of up to £25,000 for projects which will test practical interventions that may help improve early diagnosis rates as well as continue to learn about the barriers and challenges communities face.

In this blog, Susie provides a recap on the lively recent VCFSE Commissioning and Investment meeting where sector leaders tackled pressing challenges such as contract uncertainty, financial instability, and systemic scrutiny.

We are sad to learn of the decision by GMCVO’s trustees to close the organisation. We know that this will have come at the end of a long period of review, analysis and soul-searching before reaching this conclusion and its painful consequences.

GMCVO has been a pioneer in exploring ways to build resources in communities and we must not lose sight of the opportunity to transform our economy and communities in Greater Manchester. The voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector remains a vital part of this vision and we and our partners across Greater Manchester will continue to support this work.

This announcement comes during a tough economic environment for the sector, which is sustained by the hard work of local people in diverse communities all across Greater Manchester. Many organisations are vulnerable due to rising costs, funding pressures, and the ever-growing demand for services. We know this unexpected news has caused further anxiety for many in our sector.

In the recent press articles, the Administrators’ reference to “historic liabilities” underlines the importance of robust governance in our sector. Being agile whilst managing risks is essential for the work our organisations do, and there has to be good information, systems and oversight to navigate challenges effectively.

Local Infrastructure Organisations like our 10GM partners are here to help the VCFSE sector succeed, even in difficult times. This closure changes the landscape for support organisations, never-the-less, our purpose remains clear. We are working urgently with colleagues across Greater Manchester to take forward the resources and activities from GMCVO that we can, ensuring their value and legacy is not lost for communities.

For today, though, our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues at GMCVO who are directly affected by this sad situation.

In this guest blog, Anne Lythgoe, Director of the Social Audit Network, highlights how Greater Manchester’s VCFSE organisations embody ‘social value’ as their core purpose.

We spoke to Simon Merrills on an average day at Henshaws about the work he does, and how Henshaws is playing its part in reducing health inequalities in Greater Manchester.

The VCFSE Commissioning and Investment Group aims to influence how Social Value is thought of, measured and secured by commissioning and procurement colleagues. These are our key messages and asks to our partners working in these areas.

Explore how the new VCSE Data and Intelligence Peer Learning Network is helping organisations overcome challenges and barriers while advancing their data capabilities in Sarah’s latest blog.

The Procurement Act 2023 comes into force in Autumn 2024, bringing with it changes to how the public sector procures goods and services. This briefing from the VCFSE Commissioning and Investment Group outlines the main changes that we expect to see; provides links to more detailed briefings and training; and highlights actions that VCFSE sector organisations can take now and in the near future, to prepare for the Act coming into effect.

This briefing will update you on the activity that has taken place from April – June 2024, and outline some of the plans for the next 3 months.

Learn about the impact of the first round of our GM Cancer Alliance-funded grants programme and the communities it reached across Greater Manchester.

A huge thank you to everyone who completed our recent Pay and Conditions Survey to gather information about current pay scales, benefit packages, and broader opinions on HR and workforce in VCSE organisations in Greater Manchester. We received a total of 75 responses from organisations across the sector! Here’s a quick snapshot of who responded, and what they said…

This case study describes how Oldham is working collaboratively to connect up private and public sector offers of support with their local community, and the pivotal role that VCSE Local Infrastructure plays in this.

Find out about the recipients of the Cancer and Inequalities Fund Round Two, designed to support VCSE organisations to design and deliver projects that work towards achieving a permanent reduction in the inequalities and inequities faced by communities statistically more likely to present with cancer at later stages.

Take part in our Ongoing Commissioning and Investment Survey, read our case studies about Transparent Commissioning in Rochdale or Thinking Differently About Social Value in Bolton. Plus, get up to speed with recent developments around VCSE Commissioning and Investment by reading the June update.

This briefing will update you on the activity that has taken place from January-March 2024 and outlines some of the plans for the next 3 months.

This is the first of a series of blogs where Sarah, 10GM Project Manager (Population Health,) looks at the role of the VCSE sector as a champion of community-led prevention work in Greater Manchester.

We spoke to Kitty Short from Creative Confidence CIC to learn about her GM Cancer Awards-nominated project, funded by 10GM, and what equality means to her.