Macc’s purpose is to encourage, support and develop voluntary and community groups and individuals to have a real influence over the places and communities in which they live. So for that reason alone, we’re supporting the People’s Plan as a non-partisan, citizen-led movement bringing new and seldom-heard voices into the conversation about the future of Greater Manchester.
Spirit Story was a week-long campaign held in September 2016 to document the extraordinary everyday stories of our sector. VCSE organisations were asked to choose one day during the week of 19-23 September and tell us about an activity that took place which included food distribution, advice sessions, support groups and a sporting memories session.
We gathered 32 stories which are now in a dedicated place on the Macc website - https://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/spirit-story-0
We streamed our Spirit of Manchester Awards live, on Thursday 6 October.
You can watch our awards ceremony below.
International Women's Day recognises women's achievements and highlights the continued struggle for equal rights and equality for women. As the birthplace of women's suffrage in the UK, Manchester has always been at the heart of the women's movement. We've been celebrating International Women's Day for more than 25 years. 
Watch our Chief Executive, Mike Wild talk about our upcoming Spirit of Manchester Awards on That's Manchester TV
Chris and Max are two volunteers at The Proud Trust who are busy in the Sydney Street Café right now as part of Freshers Week. At 3pm today, around 25 students were in the café finding out more about The Proud Trust and how they can get involved.
Chris said that “A lot of students are new to the city and can feel very isolated. These sessions are an introduction to The Proud Trust and it’s a great place to meet other LGBT young people. It’s really important to them and to me as a volunteer as it’s a safe space where you can be yourself and not feel judged”
When Irene was told by her consultant that she’d have to take things easy after an operation, the first thing she told him was there was no way she was giving up her role as a volunteer at the Food Bank at the Pankhurst Centre. “The volunteers have become my family, the Food Bank is more than making sure people have food to put into their mouths, it’s about putting a smile on their faces”, said Irene.
The work of the Proud Trust is life saving and life enhancing for young LGBT people. Some of whom are out and others who will come out soon as well as those who will never want to come out. They have run a community café for the last 3½ years on Sidney Street in Manchester. It is open to everyone, supports young LGBT people, and is an example of the clear inclusiveness of the organisation and helps to demystify common perceptions. The café serves both vegetarian and vegan food as well as offering outside catering services.
Our State of the Sector Survey in 2013 found that there were 3,093 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Manchester, with an estimated income of £477 million. The sector employed the equivalent of 12,400 full time staff and 94,300 volunteers gave 370,000 hours, with an estimated value of £332 million. Decision makers took note of the survey results, we know it increased their understanding of the sector. Some of the key facts (3093 organisations, 94,300 volunteers) are now widely quoted by colleagues in the Council, the NHS and other bodies such as Big Lottery Fund.
Voting is now open to vote for the Best Community Space Spirit of Manchester Award 2016. 
Award criteria
A community space can be a piece of land or a building available for use by the community. Organisations needed to show:
• Best use of a community space
• How the space is seen as central within the community
• The impact it has within the local community