Spotlight on Manchester City Council’s Our Manchester Funds team

Manchester City Council’s Our Manchester Funds team was awarded with Outstanding Commissioner in the Local Authority category, at our Funding & Commissioning Awards 2024, celebrating their outstanding contribution to the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector across Manchester.

Our Funding & Commissioning Awards honour outstanding individuals and organisations driving excellence in funding and commissioning within the North West's VCFSE sector. Winners are nominated by the sector itself, celebrating their exceptional contributions.

Kieran Barnes and Seb Goodeson from the Our Manchester Funds team with Emma Newman our communications officer

What made them stand out

Nominated by Macc, the team stood out for their ability to listen, collaborate, and deliver funding programmes that truly reflect the needs of the city’s communities. Their work exemplifies what it means to combine strategic vision with a deep respect for the organisations they support.

The Our Manchester Funds team commitment to long-term sustainability has had a transformative impact. Through multi-year funding programmes, they’ve provided the stability organisations need to focus on making real change, from tackling inequalities to strengthening community connections.

One of their standout initiatives, ‘Conversation 2 Cash’, connects grassroots organisations with funding and development opportunities, helping smaller groups access the resources they need to grow. The team’s dedication to diversity has also ensured that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnicity-led organisations have equitable access to support, fostering inclusion and fairness across the sector.

Responds to real challenges

Their partnership first approach has allowed the Our Manchester Funds team to adapt and respond to challenges, such as the cost-of-living crisis, with programmes designed to sustain vital services and protect Manchester’s most vulnerable.

Yen Siang Tan, Operations Director at VSNW, said: "The Our Manchester Funds team shows what’s possible when local authorities invest in collaboration and community-led solutions. Their work is making Manchester’s VCFSE sector stronger, more inclusive, and better equipped to thrive in the long term."

Kieran Barnes, Policy and Programmes Manager (Communities & VCSE) at Manchester City Council, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to win this award! As a team, we're passionate and enthusiastic about what we do, so it's incredibly gratifying to have this recognised. We want to thank Macc for nominating us, it's a really positive reflection of the relationship we've built between our teams.

“We learn a lot from Macc and our other VCSE contacts, and always try to build on that, taking a sector-led approach to our work. The fact that this way of working and its outcomes have been recognised is quite humbling, but hugely reassuring and rewarding. We want to say a big thank you to our nominators, the panel and everyone at VSNW. You've made us really proud.”

Congratulations to Our Manchester Funds team for this well-deserved recognition!

Find out more about the team on Manchester City Council’s website.