Guest blog: Evidence That Connects Us — What the State of the Sector Means for Public–VCFSE Collaboration
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.
Read Jenny’s blog to see how good data strengthens public–VCFSE partnerships.
In Greater Manchester, our public sector institutions and VCFSE (voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise) organisations have long been committed to working together for the benefit of our communities. We often play distinct but complementary roles, whether that is commissioning services, shaping policy, championing communities, or supporting people. None of these roles exists in isolation, they are all interrelated.
For partnerships to be effective, we need more than shared intent. Another critical ingredient is a genuine understanding of each other’s worlds: what challenges exist within the public sector, where decisions often require multiple layers of approval and oversight? And how are decisions constrained by financial pressures and statutory requirements? And what does it feel like to operate in civil society: navigating funding uncertainty, volunteer availability, and governance, all while staying close to the communities you exist to serve?
Building this mutual understanding is vital for shared empathy, which I see as critical to deep partnerships. However, this knowledge is also a practical necessity, because it is only when we understand what holds each other back that we can explore opportunities to remove those barriers, freeing every organisation to focus on its core purpose.
This is why reliable, quantitative data about the VCFSE sector is so important. Although attitudes have shifted, there remains a perception in some policy circles that people‑centred work is somehow “woolly” or hard to evidence. Quantitative data helps challenge that misconception. Knowing, for example, how many volunteer hours an organisation relies on to run vital activities, and whether those hours are rising or falling, offers critical insight for planning, funding, and collaboration.
The State of the Sector report provides exactly this kind of evidence. It helps us move beyond anecdotes to a shared understanding of the pressures, strengths, and dynamics shaping civil society across Greater Manchester.
It also offers something equally important: a clear picture of the shape of the sector. For those of us in the public sector whose day-to-day roles and responsibilities are focused on civil society, the diversity, functions, and forms of VCFSE organisations are familiar territory. However, many of my public sector colleagues approach this landscape from different perspectives, experiences, and expertise. Here, data on the number of organisations, income levels, trustee numbers, or organisational size provides an essential entry point into understanding the rich and vital diversity captured in the acronym “VCFSE”.
From the last State of the Sector report, one figure has stayed with me: an estimated 17,500 civil society organisations operating across Greater Manchester. I use it often because it conveys in clear quantitative terms the breadth and depth of the sector.
The forthcoming publication of State of the Sector is especially significant because the last edition was produced five years ago, and Greater Manchester has experienced a great deal since then, both good and deeply challenging. Updated data will help us understand how the sector has adapted, where new strengths have emerged, and where fresh challenges now lie.
I’m keen to see the updated evidence the new State of the Sector report will offer, and how it will inform our collective approach across Greater Manchester.
Thank you, Jenny!
Help us strengthen collaboration and champion the VCFSE sector by completing the State of the Sector survey. Together, we can shape better decisions for our communities.
Read more about State of the Sector
The State of the Sector Research
The State of the Sector is an ongoing research project led by Greater Manchester’s Local Infrastructure Organisations in collaboration with academic partners. It maps and analyses the size, scope, diversity and value of the VCSE sector across the ten boroughs, building a shared understanding of its role, contribution and needs.
“Why you should fill in the GM State of the VCSE Sector 2026 Survey” by Anne-Marie Marshall
Read Anne‑Marie Marshall’s blog on the State of the Sector and hear directly from Salford CVS about why your voice matters.
