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EnglishArabicBengaliBosnianBulgarianCatalanChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHindiHungarianIgboItalianJapaneseKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)LatvianLithuanianLuxembourgishMacedonianMalayMalteseNepaliNorwegianPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSerbianSlovakSlovenianSomaliSpanishSudaneseSwahiliSwedishThaiTurkishUkrainianUrduVietnameseWelshYorubaOn July 14th Macc is holding a voluntary sector assembly about social prescribing, where we will be helping the VCSE sector to write a manifesto about what we collectively want from social prescribing. This article is my personal take on some of the issues.
I’ve been involved in Greater Manchester Social Value Network since its beginning in 2015. I have been to dozens of meetings about social value, run many workshops, attended a fair few conferences and, despite the efforts of the network and other social value organisations, there is still a lot of basic misunderstanding about some aspects of a social value approach. One of the mistakes I come across frequently is the confusion of social value with “additional” or “on-top” value and that’s what this blog is about.
At meetings where people from statutory organisations are extolling the virtues and importance of the VCSE sector, I quite often feel like saying “SHOW ME THE MONEY” over and over again, just like Cuba Gooding Junior says at an increasing volume to a confused Tom Cruise in the film Jerry Maguire. He doesn’t want warm words - he wants cold cash. I can’t remember what happens after that but it all ends happily when he realises that the most important thing is love - “you had me at hello”. I love a happy ending.
I have just finished reading an autobiography of Jane Jacobs, one of the most well-known writers about urban planning and a lifelong community activist. Her most famous book is the The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Coincidentally, at the end of last week, I received an invitation, along with everyone else in Manchester, to consult on the Northern Gateway, a massive proposed redevelopment of parts of North Manchester close to Manchester City Centre.
The second meeting of the Macc Policy Network was held yesterday and it was absolutely fascinating. The range of issues that participants spoke about demonstrates again (as if it that was actually required), the richness, diversity and passion in the VCSE sector.
"Community development work is a huge force for good that could, if done well, transform the lives of people ,,,,,, if done poorly community development work can cause serious damage to communities."
Following the first publication by The Manchester Community Development Work Practice Group, "The Rise of CDW in Manchester", this blog tells the story of my journey into community development work and some of its key insights.
I like stats and I like stories and I like it even better when the two are put together, because that’s where real richness is found.
I went to Young Manchester’s Welcome Event a couple of evenings ago held at HOME. It was a positive and celebratory event with performances by a number of young people including beat boxing, singing and dancing, as well as the usual heartfelt speeches, the best of which (sorry to other speakers) was one by Saeed Atcha, founder of the magazine Xplode (an invitee to the royal wedding!). He is definitely one to watch.
This blog is going to seem really ungrateful but I know for sure I am not alone in this view.
I am a bit fed up of seeing another fund that gives out tiny grants.
I’ve just had a look at the Balfour Beatty, Laing O’Rourke and Sir Robert McAlpine Construction Fund which is £20,000 in all, and is giving out “small” grants of £500 and “large” grants of £2,000. £2,000 is not a large grant, it’s a tiny grant!
Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust is doing the same thing, though the overall pot is much larger, they are giving out lots and lots of tiny grants.
Earlier today I read part of a new report by the King's Fund called ‘Re-imagining Community Services’. It analyses the progress made toward creating new models of community services and summarises some of the key principles that should guide the development. It’s illustrated by a number of case studies (some rather less convincing than others – Wigan as an exemplar of working with local assets – it doesn't even have an infrastructure provider since Wigan CVS collapsed a couple of years ago).
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