Health and Wellbeing

Give the gift only you can give this year - give blood

This year you could give someone the greatest gift they will ever receive, simply by rolling up your sleeves and giving blood. Blood transfusions are vital to patients in hospitals; whether as a support to a cancer patient, to stem blood loss in child birth, or to treat a blood disorder, and really do make a massive difference to the lives of others – not just the recipient, but their family and friends as well.

Manchester Carers’ Experience Survey

Are you an unpaid carer living in Manchester?

NHS North, Central and South Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups value the contribution carers make in helping some of the most vulnerable people in our communities live with dignity, independence and a quality of life.

Carers are recognised as expert care partners and the Clinical Commissioning Groups are seeking your views about how to provide carers with the best possible support.

This is your opportunity to give them your feedback in a short survey.

Manchester City Council consultation launched on 2015-17 budget options – deadline 18 Feb 2014

Manchester City Council has launched the main consultation on its 2015-17 budget options, along with a number of individual consultations on specific elements.

Options for consultation were agreed by the council’s Executive on Wednesday 26 November.

They aim to address an estimated funding shortfall of £59m in 2015/16, potentially rising to £90 million in 2016/17.

Today We Are Angry, Tomorrow We Must Talk

A lot of people in the local voluntary sector are going to be very angry today. They’re going to feel threatened, undervalued, rejected and hopeless. The Council’s budget proposals will make horrible reading for many people who’ve been working very hard for a long time to make a difference in the city. For some groups this will mean cuts to services and activities. For many it will mean many job losses – the sector is an employer too, after all. For some this may be the last straw and we may see the end of a number of organisations that have made a great contribution to the city.

Social and Security Social-café and activities

All activities take place at Birch Community Centre, Brighton Grove Rusholme, M14 5TJ and are free - donations welcome for refreshments.

Freshly brewed coffee and selection of teas are available.

7 November, 12.30pm-3.30pm - Café and crafts
21 November, 12.30pm-3.30pm - Café and crafts
28 November, 12.30pm-3.30pm - Café and soup-making workshops
5 November, 12.30pm-3.30pm - Café and crafts
12 December, 12.30pm-3.30pm - Café and crafts Christmas afternoon tea special
19 December, 12.30pm-3.30pm - Café and crafts Christmas afternoon tea special

FUNDED Greater Manchester Training for care providers and volunteers

Knowledge only units in Learning Disability / Dementia / Mental Health / and Physical Disability, available to your staff

Acacia Training have just won a new contract for the Greater Manchester area via the European Social Care Fund to fund some free Mental Health, Physical Disability, Learning Disability and Dementia training to your staff and any volunteers based within this area.

Please see attached a list of the units that they can fund to employed staff who are working a minimum of 8 hours per week and if they are aged 19 years old or over!

Men of Manchester unite for Breast Cancer Care

Around 350 men each year are diagnosed with breast cancer. However, as the general perception of breast cancer is that it only affects women, those men who are diagnosed are often left feeling isolated and do not know what help is available to them. To launch Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Pink Fridays, Breast Cancer Care have brought together the ‘Men of Manchester’ to dispel the myths of men and breast cancer and raise awareness of its affects.

Cabinet Office Social Action End of Life Support Programme 2014/15

The Cabinet Office Centre for Social Action and Hospice UK are launching a fund of up to £1 million to support existing projects that engage volunteers in social action to enable continued social interaction and to improve the experience for people at end of life and their families.

Support from this fund will enable existing projects to extend their reach, and to provide a robust evaluation of their impact.

The fund will be administered by Hospice UK, formerly known as Help the Hospices, on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

Central Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group - Community Engagement Events

There have been many changes to the NHS in recent years. One of those was the formation of Clinical Commissioning Groups, or CCGs in April 2013. CCGs are responsible for commissioning the best health services for the area they represent. This means that they plan, arrange and fund local health services.

Central Manchester CCG would like to invite you to attend one of their community engagement events taking place throughout October. You will be able to listen to their plans for the next 5 years and tell them how you would like to be involved in helping us to achieve these.