September 2026

We’re a Leadership Group dedicated to promoting the role and involvement of the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Greater Manchester.

We represent the sector in the Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord - a collaboration agreement between the VCFSE sector and the public sector based in a relationship of honesty, accountability, ambition and trust. Watch the short explainer video.

Please share this ebulletin with others who may find the information useful, they can subscribe here.

How to use the resource:

• Designed for meetings, workshops and engagement activities, either as a complete presentation or adapted for specific audiences.
• Supports conversations about using the Accord to strengthen collaboration, accountability, community power, sustainable resourcing and the VCFSE sector’s role in Greater Manchester.
• Designed to help partners quickly understand the Accord’s purpose and the shared commitments of VCFSE organisations and public sector bodies.

The VCFSE Work and Skills Fund, funded by the UK Government, is a grant programme that has taken a person-centred, community-led approach to unemployment.

Delivered in the spirit of the Accord, it was based in effective and trusted relationships between the VCFSE sector and the local public sector, demonstrating how shared priorities, community insight and partnership working can drive positive system change at a local level.

Thursday 12 November, 9:30am - 4pm, Stretford Public Hall

We are delighted to share that the Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord has been nominated for the Black History Month Recognition Evening 2026 hosted by CAHN in the category VCFSE Collaboration of the Year.

Join the event Saturday 24th October 2026 at The Manchester Deansgate Hotel to celebrate Black excellence, heritage and achievement. 

VCFSE representation ensures that the voices of our sector are actively involved in shaping decisions across Greater Manchester. We support rep recruitment and provide support to reps to create a more connected and unified VCFSE sector. 

Please see below for details of recent appointments.

We are happy to share that Franky Procter, Project Manager for the Alternative Provider Collaborative, has been appointed to the GM Health & Care Digital Strategy Definition Steering Group as a VCFSE rep following a short recruitment process.

The Steering Group is providing strategic leadership, oversight and governance for the definition, development and endorsement of a refreshed Digital Strategy for the Greater Manchester Health and Care system.

Last month, Mayor Bev Craig announced plans to revitalise Greater Manchester’s high streets. 'Our High Streets' will run throughout her first mayoral term and will empower local communities to revitalise where they live, shop and socialise. It includes:

A £20m Good Growth High Streets Fund will be made available to local businesses, voluntary groups and community organisations across Greater Manchester to take forward ideas for improving their high street. The fund will launch later this year. 

A High Streets Taskforce, which will help design our ambitious plans and put them into practice across the city region. This aims to bring together local businesses and groups to help design these ambitious plans to bring empty shops back to life, to putting on vibrant events and boosting footfall. 

The Taskforce is now accepting expressions of interest. To get involved, email OurHighStreets@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

13 October, 12pm - 1pm, Online

The Greater Manchester Race Equality Panel brings together community leaders, practitioners, and lived-experience experts from across Greater Manchester's ethnically diverse communities to advise political leaders, policy-makers, and public bodies on race equality. 

Greater Manchester's readiness for prison releases (known across the UK as the Early Release Scheme) has been set out by Deputy Mayor of GM, Kate Green. The briefing linked below has been prepared by Kate for VCFSE partners.

Duncan Craig OBE, Co-chair of GM VCFSE Safer and Stronger Communities Leadership Group, said:

“The GM VCFSE Safer and Stronger Communities Leadership Group is maintaining contact with the Deputy Mayor as we navigate changes to prison releases as a whole system approach and will ensure that communication to all providers in GM is a priority.

The current situation with prisons is not a new issue but we are focussed on working with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to achieve what is best for victims and wider communities.”

Social Enterprise UK are collecting responses to a short survey on your response to recent changes announced to the way the government spends money on goods and services to create social value.

Responses will be used to form a set of recommendations for the UK government while the technical guidance is still being finalised.

This month’s update highlights major investment in Greater Manchester’s health and care system, expanded support for mental health and wellbeing, and new opportunities for residents to get involved in shaping services. 

This year’s Month of Hope will once again shine a light on suicide prevention by encouraging open, honest conversations and tackling the stigma that can surround suicide and mental health.

Running annually across Greater Manchester from 10 September (World Suicide Prevention Day) to 10 October (World Mental Health Day), the campaign brings people together to raise awareness, support one another, and promote meaningful conversations that can make a real difference.

Support the campaign by encouraging conversations, attending one of the events or sharing any Month of Hope social media posts – search #MonthOfHope. You can also access the free online training.

19 November, 10am - 4pm, The Imperial Hotel Blackpool

The North West is changing, and the VCFSE sector has an important part to play in shaping what comes next.

Future North West 2026 will bring together leaders from the VCFSE sector, public services and partners for a day of ideas, discussion and connection, focused on the practical question of how we move forward together.

30 September, 11.30am–2.30pm, Our Sale West Big Local

What does the right support look like when communities are given the space to lead?

Join Voluntary Sector North West, Local Trust and 10GM at Our Sale West Big Local for an in-person session exploring how the places, organisations, relationships and spaces that connect communities can create the foundations for community-led change.

We’ll visit Our Sale West to see how social infrastructure and support have developed over time and what this has meant for local residents in practice.

We’ll also hear from colleagues from 10GM and Live Well about the wider role of social infrastructure in helping communities design their own services and respond to local priorities.

If you didn’t receive this newsletter directly from VSNW, you can subscribe here to ensure you don’t miss future updates.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this ebulletin, what’s useful, what could be improved, and how we can make it more relevant to you and your work. Share your feedback with us at lucy.north@vsnw.org.uk

Thank you for your continued support and engagement.