Greater Manchester VCSE sector takes centre stage with mayoral candidates committing to support
Last week, the Greater Manchester Metro Mayor candidates were put to the test answering questions and debating key issues facing the VCSE sector at an event hosted by the GM Leadership Group.
The event was held on Tuesday 23rd April at Central Methodist Church in Manchester and was chaired by Ben Gilchrist. There were over 80 representatives in attendance from the VCSE sector and Metro Mayor candidates from three of the major parties:
Andy Burnham – Labour
Jake Austin – Liberal Democrats
Astrid Johnson (substitute for Hannah Spencer) – Green
The Chair of the GM VCSE Leadership Group, Warren Escadale, gave an introduction to the VCSE sector and, along with other Leadership Group colleagues, shared their ambitions on what they want to achieve over the next four years.
The Metro Mayor candidates were each asked to speak about their vision for Greater Manchester and how they see the VCSE sector supporting that vision.
Astrid Johnson on behalf of Hannah Spencer
Astrid Johnson speaking at the event
Astrid Johnson, spoke on behalf of the Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer. She advised that Hannah is very passionate about all Greater Manchester residents deserving to have access to a warm home and access to food, but acknowledged that it is not a reality for a lot of people in our city region. Astrid raised her concerns on key issues such as homelessness, the climate crisis, mental health and said that the “NHS is on its knees”. She confirmed that herself and Hannah both welcome the VCSE manifesto and support all six policy areas.
Speaking of the value of the VCSE sector, Astrid said: “The VCSE sector are doing a lot of heavy lifting where government isn’t, VCSE work is now more important than ever”.
Andy Burnham
Andy Burnham speaking into a microphone at the event
The current Labour Metro Mayor, Andy Burnham, spoke about how his vision remains the same as the one he set seven years ago, in that a good home, a good job, good health and life for all, with all Greater Manchester residents able to grow up and grow old.
Andy is proud that Greater Manchester is one of the most progressive places in the UK. He is keen on building solutions from the bottom up with place first, coming before party. Andy highlighted how he bought the VCSE sector into the Reform Board to help influence on big issues such as homelessness, issues where the VCSE sector can make a real difference. Andy asked for the sectors support on Thursday 2nd May.
On investment into the VCSE sector, Andy said he “Looks to further embed current principles and link the VCSE sector into the Single Settlement”.
Jake Austin
Jake Austin standing and speaking at the event counting with his fingers
The Liberal Democrats candidate, Jake Austin, began his speech by thanking and confirming his support for the VCSE sector. Jake highlighted that although the Liberal Democrats helps the VCSE sector across Greater Manchester, there is still room for improvement. He advised that his party is focussed on building investments, capacity, transport improvements and affordable housing.
On his vision for Greater Manchester, Jake said “I believe the VCSE sector will be empowered by the Liberal Democrats and I will fight for every resident in Greater Manchester”.
Answering your questions
Metro Mayor candidates participated in a Q&A session in which attendees from the VCSE sector were able to put forward questions to the candidates covering topics such as transport and young people.
At the end of the event, the Metro Mayor Candidates were each asked to provide a closing statement.
“Hannah is passionate about making homes more comfortable, cleaner air, better greener public transport and making streets safer for women and girls”
“The VCSE sector serves communities in different ways which should be cherished. I will continue to lead from prioritising issues Westminster neglects”
“I pledge to invest in the Voluntary, Community and Enterprise sector and lift you up. I am very keen on an investment-led approach in Greater Manchester”
The Chair closed the meeting and invited all three Metro Mayor candidates to sign the 2024-28 Greater Manchester VCSE Manifesto, showing their commitment to working closely in partnership with the VCSE sector over the next four years.
The Greater Manchester VCSE Leadership Group expresses its gratitude to the Metro Mayor candidates for their attendance at the event and wishes them the best of luck in their campaigning.
Metro Mayor elections are taking place on Thursday 2nd May 2024. Remember to take an ID with you. You can find acceptable forms of ID on The Electoral Commissions website.
Left to right: Ben Gilchrist the event chair; Jake Austin, Lib Dem; Astrid Johnson, Green; Andy Burnham, Labour.
VS6 Holds successful Metro Mayor Hustings for the VCFSE sector
On 26th March the VS6 Partnership hosted the first Metro Mayor Hustings event of the 2024 campaigning period in Liverpool City Region (LCR), focusing on key issues facing the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.
The event, held in Liverpool Cathedral and chaired by VS6 Partnership Chair Dr Ellen Loudon, was attended by over 70 representatives from the VCFSE sector and Metro Mayor candidates from all four major parties*:
Jade Marsden – Conservative
Tom Crone – Green
Steve Rotheram – Labour
Rob McAllister-Bell – Liberal Democrats
Metro Mayor candidates had the opportunity to provide opening and closing remarks, as well as participate in a “Q&A” session in which our VCFSE attendees were able to put forward 6 questions to candidates covering a broad range of topics concerning groups in the City Region. These questions included the cost of living crisis, climate change, VCFSE funding, equalities, social capital and children & young people.
In addition to the discussions, candidates were invited to sign the latest LCR VCFSE Manifesto which is due to be published in the coming weeks to show their commitment to working closely in partnership with the VCFSE sector in the next 4 years.
Jade Marsden (Conservatives) began her opening statement with a key message around fostering trust between the Metro Mayor office and communities by empowering local decision making, encouraging inward investment, and committing to transparency and accountability. Jade was passionate around making sure that LCR was the most accessible place in the country and was committed to supporting people with additional needs such as unpaid carers, people with both physical and learning disabilities, and children and young people. Jade also spoke about ringfenced investment for the VCFSE sector to improve equalities in the City Region. Building trust in politicians was a key priority for Jade, who emphasised that the VCFSE sector should be able to hold the Metro Mayor to account with the sector having a voice in decision-making.
Of the VCFSE Manifesto, Jade said “The manifesto shows a group of people that know their sector inside and out.”
Green Party candidate Tom Crone spoke highly of the important role that the VCFSE sector has in supporting communities in the City Region and his own experience of establishing groups in his current ward. Tom wanted to provide communities with the freedom to make their own improvements, with the VCFSE sectors understanding of the needs of communities being crucial to unlocking this potential. This also included policies around a 4 day working week, a citizens income (not means tested) with more free time for people to engage in volunteering. Tom’s vision of a cleaner and fairer City Region touched upon a number of different areas including greener, more accessible public transport, fuel poverty, and ensuring that young people who will face the burden of climate change in the future play an active role in our democracy.
Reflecting on the VCFSE Manifesto, Tom said “The VCFSE Manifesto matches closely with the Greens desire to create a fairer, greener City Region”.
Current Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram spoke of the work and progress to date that the Combined Authority has achieved since it’s inception, and highlighted the important working relationship that he has with developed with the VCFSE sector and other sectors including universities and businesses. In terms of funding for the sector, Steve reflected upon the pandemic highlighting how the VCFSE sector “propped up the country” and how the Combined Authority levelled the playing field for the sector by improving access to funding and grants, such as the #LCRCares funding. Steve discussed the potential for working closely with local authorities for targeted interventions for specific groups, such as carers, developing a mechanism for community transport officers to benefit from green transport funding, and adopting recommendations from the Cheshire & Merseyside State of the Sector report and our manifesto.
Steve was keen to continue working with the VCFSE sector if he was elected once more, stating that “Liverpool City Region has been on a very long journey – we are here now”.
Rob McAllister-Bell (Liberal Democrats) expressed his desire about wanting to do more to help support communities to be more involved in politics, citing statistics claiming that LCR is the lowest city region for numbers of people planning to vote. Rob talked about transformative change to unlock peoples potential, stressing how communities are facing “unbelievable” choices in the face of the cost of living crisis and the need to make sure that LCR receives its “fair share of funding” from central Government. Rob see’s working with the VCFSE sector as an important part of his vision for a Metro Mayor, including ensuring the VCFSE sector is “fit for purpose” with sufficient resources to avoid it becoming even more stretched. Putting equalities at the heart of policy was also a key priority for Rob, who wants LCR to become a disabled friendly City Region and to expand Liverpool Pride into every borough.
Steve was keen to continue working with the VCFSE sector if he was elected once more, stating that “Liverpool City Region has been on a very long journey – we are here now”.
Introducing The Phoenix Way North West in Cheshire and Merseyside
One Knowsley is supporting the Lancashire BME Network with The Phoenix Way North West. The Phoenix Way (TPW) is a collaborative racial justice movement that aims to address systemic barriers and inequalities faced by Black and racially minoritised communities in accessing funding in the UK. With a focus on Cheshire and Merseyside, the initiative works to establish community infrastructure, strengthen Black and racially minoritised communities, and increase access to funding through workshops and community grant making panels. You can learn more about The Phoenix Way North West and their work in Cheshire and Merseyside here.
Apply to be a VCFSE Representative on the NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Peoples Board
Part of the new NHS Health and Care Partnership, this senior board leads on health and care workforce issues. The Terms of Reference are here.
We are looking for sector representation. If you are interested in this role, please complete an application form and attach a copy of your CV and send to Amy Wood at amy.wood@vsnw.org.uk by 4th March 2024.
If you would like to discuss the role further, please contact Amy on the email address above.
Maximising VCFSE social value outcomes in Cheshire & Merseyside
Social value is about the good we can achieve within our communities related to environmental, economic and social wellbeing.
We have an incredible network of over 15,000 VCFSE organisations who are already tackling these issues head on, driving innovative solutions, enabling our public services and delivering compassionate support for people across Cheshire and Merseyside.
And it’s clear that the social value system, which requires our public sector to consider how it can use its purchasing power to build capabilities, strengths and assets within our communities, presents huge opportunities to go even further.
To realise this potential, over the next few months we will be convening a working group of system leaders to co-produce guidance that supports our system to maximise VCFSE social value outcomes.
Jointly sponsored by our public and VCFSE sectors, the project will provide an opportunity to build more inclusive public sector commissioning of social value, increase VCFSE capability in bidding for social value, including with the TOM System*, and better highlight pathways for collaboration between the sector and other public sector suppliers in delivery.
Whether or not you are involved through the Working Group, please do share any reflections or questions you have about this work. And we look forward to keeping you updated on our progress.
*The Local Government Association-endorsed Social Value TOM System is the most established and trusted method for measuring and recording Social Value today. It provides an evidence-led framework with clear, consistent guidance and a fully transparent methodology.
Flagship Cheshire and Merseyside State of the Sector 2023 report launched
VSNW is pleased to share the 2023 flagship Cheshire and Merseyside State of the Sector report for the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector (VCFSE) in partnership with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, the VS6 Partnership and Cheshire and Warrington Infrastructure Partnership.
VSNW CEO, Warren Escadale said, 'We are proud to support this vital piece of work, which enables effective representation for the sector. Partner engagement is at the heart of what we do. I would like to give thanks to Racheal Jones from One Knowsley; our VSNW Research and Policy Officer, Laura Tilston; and the Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership for their hard work on producing this report.'
The State of the Sector report highlights extraordinary statistics and insights into the VCFSE sector across Cheshire and Merseyside, alongside the notable impact made possible through the work carried out by the organisations and people in our sector.
Through analysis of findings from our region-wide state of the sector survey and external data, the report evidences the size, scale and scope of the VCFSE sector in Cheshire and Merseyside. Over 19,500 VCFSE organisations are working to support those in need, committed to building thriving neighbourhoods, communities, towns, and cities across C&M - these have been measured to show the immense size and scope of the sector. Alongside a combined workforce of over 36,000 employees and 352,000 volunteers, the VCFSE sector contributes over £896.6 million to the Cheshire and Merseyside economy each year.
The report identifies key opportunities to build upon to further unlock the potential of the VCFSE sector through effective partnership working within health and care systems, enabling the sector to be ambitious in tackling health inequalities and providing social justice across Cheshire and Merseyside.
You can explore the key findings for Cheshire and Merseyside and more information here.
Autumn Statement 2023: A Summary for the Voluntary Sector in the North West
Following the the Chancellor's Autumn Statement 2023 we have emphasised two key points that affect the voluntary sector in the North West in particular. Thank you to NAVCA, Big Issue and the Resolution Foundation for providing further insight into the broader ramifications for our communities - links below.
Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA): The government has announced plans to create a Lancashire Combined County Authority (CCA), without a Mayor. This new authority will have powers to make decisions on transport, planning, and economic development in the region.
Single Funding Settlement for Greater Manchester Combined Authority: The government has agreed to a single funding settlement for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which will be agreed in the next Spending Review. This means that the authority will have more certainty over its funding ahead of April 2025 and after the next election. Andy Burnham said of the new Memorandum of Understanding with the Treasury: “This moves our city-region towards a Welsh-style or Scottish-style funding arrangement with Whitehall and is a big vote of confidence in Greater Manchester.”
Further Insight:
Resolution Foundation Summary: For a more in-depth analysis of the Autumn Statement, the Resolution Foundation has published a summary that examines the impact of the announcements on the economy and public finances. Follow this link for the full summary.
Big Issue Article: The Big Issue has published an article that explores the potential impact of the Autumn Statement on benefit claimants, including those who are disabled or sick. Follow this link for the full article.
For further information about Lancashire’s Combined County Authority follow this link.
Download the NAVCA Briefing Document
UKSPF Digital Connectivity Grants (Round 3) – Online Briefing Sessions, w/c 13th November and 20th November
VOLA is launching Round 3 of its UKSPF Digital Connectivity for Community Facilities Grants programme on Monday 20th November. Grants of up to £10k will be awarded to successful applicants in February 2024.
Over the first two funding rounds, a total of £578k has been awarded to 82 Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector organisations across the Liverpool City Region. In this round, a further £297k is available, with specific funding allocations for each borough.
Watch this brief film to see if you think this grants programme could be for you.
In partnership with each boroughs’ local CVS, VOLA is running a number of online briefing sessions to explain the fund’s purpose, eligibility criteria, key requirements, application process and what can/ cannot be funded. These will take place week commencing 13th November.
Halton & St Helens – Wednesday 15th November, 11am–12 noon (hosted by Halton & St Helens VCA - book your place here)
Knowsley – Wednesday 15th November, 2-3pm (hosted by One Knowsley - book your place here)
Wirral – Thursday 16th November, 1-2pm (hosted by Wirral CVS - book your place here)
Liverpool – Friday 17th November, 12-1pm (hosted by LCVS - book your place here)
Sefton – no online session. Instead, VOLA will be promoting the fund at the Funder’s Marketplace at Sefton CVS’ annual conference on 28th November and through other networks.
While each of the briefings will have a local feel, the vast majority of the content will be the same, so people are invited to join whichever session is most convenient. You will receive the Zoom link when you’ve booked on.
An additional, extremely useful online briefing will be held on 20th November, 2-3pm, focusing on technical considerations when developing-public access computer facilities, with plenty of helpful hints and tips on what you need to do, things you will need to purchase, etc. To book your place, email andrew.coulson@volamerseyside.org.uk and he will send you the link.
If you are interested in applying for a grant, it is strongly recommended that you attend both sessions. Each will take no more than 1 hour of your time, will greatly increase your chances of success, ensure that the facilities you set up are fit-for-purpose, and will ultimately help you to avoid lots of potential pitfalls, saving you time/money in the long-run!
For further information on the fund, including FAQs and application guidance, please visit VOLA’s website.
Thriving Places: Scaling up the local VCFSE role in Community Regeneration
The Labour Party Conference once again visited the city of Liverpool this year, bringing together hundreds of politicians and organisations from across all sectors to discuss and explore a vision for a Labour Government.
In collaboration with the VS6 Partnership and Locality, VSNW held a fringe event titled “Thriving Places: Scaling up the local VCFSE role in Community Regeneration” at St Nicholas Church overlooking the River Mersey in Liverpool city centre. Our panel was made up of VCFSE sector leadership including Gill Bainbridge (Merseyside Youth Association and member of the VS6 Partnership), Tony Armstrong (Locality), Warren Escadale (VSNW) along with our event Chair Sally Yeoman, Vice Chair of VS6 and Chair of VSNW (Halton & St Helens VCA).
The purpose of our fringe event was to explore community regeneration under a Labour government, particularly the role of the VCFSE sector within building thriving and healthy communities.
It starts with children and young people
Gill Bainbridge kicked off the event from a children and young people’s perspective, with a key message of the critical need for person centred approaches with long term investment to make positive generational change. Gill believes that in order to achieve this we need to start with young people and provided a background to how today’s “austerity generation” have been left exposed to the consequences of political decisions. Particularly, children growing up in the most deprived communities have been hit the hardest. The impacts on young people of cuts to funding and closures of key community youth services, alongside the diminishment of the Every Child Matters agenda, have been exacerbated by recent COVID and cost of living crises and has overwhelmed VCFSE organisations left to pick up the pieces.
European funding was key in filling this gap in supported and, despite its bureaucratic nature, it was essential in being able to direct support to those most in need. However, the UK-Shared Prosperity Fund, the post-Brexit replacement for EU funding, has been less successful with a 40% reduction in funding for Liverpool alone creating a perfect storm of less funding but increased demand.
Gill would like to see proper long-term investment in place that is not one size fits all but instead wraps around the needs of individuals and communities. Secure 10 year funding contracts would enable organisations to properly invest in their services and communities without barriers of short term contracts, allowing the retention of key staff and forward planning. Investing in our children and young people is where we will achieve the generational change that is needed to build thriving communities across Liverpool City Region, and without this we are at risk of going round in circles.
The community empowerment revolution
Tony Armstrong shared Locality’s vision for community regeneration through a lens of hope, optimism, and ambition at a local level. Building on Gill’s previous points, Tony talked about how “the system” is fundamentally broken and how as community organisations we have the skills and knowledge necessary to develop a more sustainable, community driven system that works for everyone, not just those at the top.
Tony put forward the idea of a community empowerment revolution in which we can build sustainable food systems, develop community owned energy, provide opportunities for children and young people and eradicate health inequalities. To do this, we need to build stronger local economies, provide great locally ran public services, and decision making made locally with genuine community conversations. Tony also echoed Gill’s point around 10 year contracts, going further to state that trusted local organisations shouldn’t need to have to go through a competitive tendering process alongside private sector organisations. We are values focused organisations; therefore, we should be seen as partners, not suppliers. Similarly, it should be easier for publicly owned buildings to be owned and ran by the community, for the community.
Key pillars outlined by Tony to achieve this vision include having good local funding streams and investment for the VCFSE sector, developing good partnerships within communities that decide how the investment is allocated, community ownership of buildings and energy, and ultimately the need for local decision making powers. The full community empowerment vision will be published by Locality very soon and will contain further details on how we can work over the next 12 months to make this vision a reality.
Building the right relationships
Warren Escadale reinforced the points already made on what is needed to regenerate our communities and explored how we can work with key partners and public sector organisations to develop a well organised VCFSE sector. To do this, Warren laid out five key proposals for achieving this:
Spend better – VCFSE organisations know what works in their communities, they understand their communities better than anyone and quite often are already providing services to meet these needs. Public sector organisations need to trust in our sector, and rather than reinvent the wheel when it comes to services they should focus on increasing capacity in what we know already works, with longer term investments.
Build capacity in communities – Double devolution needs to happen to give communities more opportunity and power to make decisions for themselves.
Deliver social value – There needs to be better, more focused ways of delivering social value in communities. A community levy on public sector contracts with dedicated investment into the VCFSE sector is a critical method of being able to deliver this effectively and sustainably.
One workforce – Our problems are not siloed, so why are our workforces siloed? We need to better integrate our public sector and VCFSE sector workforces to provide more efficient services for our communities and to be able to truly adopt a person-centred approach
Nurture the VCFSE ecosystem – Any investment into the VCFSE sector must nurture our ecosystem, help it grow healthy and sustainably for the future, both at a place level and also regionally
These five are early proposals getting ready for local, mayoral and national elections in the next 12 months, and forerunners for conversations at VSNW’s annual conference on 22nd November at the Village Hotel, Warrington. ‘To book your place to attend our conference, ‘Building Wealth in our Communities’, please click here
VSNW, VS6 and Locality would like to extend our thanks to those who attended our event. We hope you found it useful, inspiring, and hope that you are able to use the conversation had to help influence your politicians and counsellors locally.
For further information, please visit.