Watch our video which shows how our Spirit of Manchester Awards will work this year

This year we will have two elements to the awards:
Who do you want to thank?
We are offering the opportunity once again for you to thank organisations and individuals who you feel have demonstrated great work over the last 12 months. This is a non-competitive element with all submissions of thanks being mentioned on the night of the awards and also included on our website and in our Spirit of Manchester Awards brochure. These will be listed under three categories:
      •    PeopleofMcr
      •    Tackling inequalities
      •    Food and supplies

Win an Award
We have re-introduced a competitive element to three of the categories. So you can also submit your nomination to win a Spirit of Manchester Award. Films of the shortlisted nominees will be shown at the awards evening and voted on to determine the winner. We have three categories for you to nominate for an award:
      •    Showing leadership
      •    Creative community spirit
      •    Partnership and collaboration

Thank you certificates 
Register your volunteers or volunteer team to receive a certificate of recognition from Volunteer Centre Manchester, signed by the Lord Mayor of Manchester. Our certificate scheme is free and open to Manchester-based organisations.

Celebrate your volunteers' stories
We want to share all your amazing volunteer stories to inspire people to volunteer and celebrate the massive contribution volunteers make to our city. If you or your volunteers are happy to share their stories please fill in the form and we will write up a case study to be shared during Volunteers' week.

Virtual Volunteering Fairs
We are holding two fairs on 2 June, 6pm-8pm and 4 June, 10am-12pm. Our virtual fairs are a great opportunity for you to promote and reach out to lots of volunteers interested in your roles.

Volunteer Coordinators' Forum
We are hosting a special VCF to coincide with Volunteers' Week on 1 June, 11am-1pm. We will be sharing details of the agenda nearer the day.

Check out our Volunteers' Week microsite
You can find all the information above, as well as how we have celebrated in previous years, on our dedicated Volunteers' Week microsite. You can also find resources and ideas on how you may like to celebrate the event with your volunteers (adapting these in line with Covid-19 restrictions).

Staff and volunteers in the voluntary community and social enterprise sector have played a major role in the community response to Covid-19. We want to make sure all workers who directly provide frontline support AND who are working with people clinically vulnerable to Covid-19 across the city can work safely and access Covid-19 vaccinations as soon as possible, wherever they work, whoever they work for, whether as an employee or as a volunteer.

Rapid Covid testing is available in Manchester for anyone who can’t work from home and whose organisation or employer doesn’t have an asymptomatic testing system in place.

Sign up your organisation here
 

We want to make sure everyone has access to up to date information about the support available from local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) organisations in Manchester – and, for those wishing to help, how they can support the work of local community organisations to ensure nobody is left behind during these difficult times.
 
We have repurposed our online directory as a free, open resource for pulling all this information together in one place so that local people, public sector partners and businesses can use it. This means that individuals can find what is open and what kinds of support are available. It also helps us at Macc understand what organisations need and how we can support our amazing VCSE colleagues in their continuing response to Covid-19.
 
Update or register your organisation on our online directory here

> Finance Manager at Manchester Deaf Centre

   Salary: £26,999 per annum, pro rata | | Hours: 3 days per week | Deadline: 7 May, 12pm

> Children and Young People’s Champion at Reuben's Retreat

   Salary: £22,000 - £25,000 per annum | Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Deadline: 9 May

> Manager at Didsbury Good Neighbours

   Salary: £18,500 per annum | Hours: 21 hours per week | Deadline: 10 May, 12pm

> Bank Support Worker (Morning Star) at Caritas Diocese of Salford

   Salary: £11.20 per hour | Hours: Bank staff | Deadline: 11 May

> Level 3 Nursery Practitioner at Manchester Settlement

   Salary: £9.66 per hour | Hours: 30 hours per week | Deadline: 13 May, 9am

> Admin Assistant at Survivors Manchester

   Salary: £18,600 - £19,500 per annum | Hours: Full time | Deadline: 16 May

> Referrals Line Administrator at The Pankhurst Trust (Incorporating Manchester Women’s Aid)

   Salary: £18,434 per annum | Hours: 35 hours per week | Deadline: 17 May

> Reset Project Worker at Back on Track

   Salary: £19,171 per annum | Hours: 35 hours per week | Deadline: 24 May, 12pm

> Practitioner and Trainer MiDASS at The Pankhurst Trust (Incorporating Manchester Women’s Aid)

   Salary: £24,868 per annum | Hours: 35 hours per week | Deadline: 28 May

> Housekeeper at Reuben's Retreat

   Salary: Competitive – above National Living Wage | Hours: Approx. 15 hours per week | Deadline: 30 May

Search for more job opportunities here

Sign up to volunteer and help here

If you are a charity or community group which needs people to help sign up here

In order to support the sector during these unprecedented times access to our Funding Portal is currently open to all VCSE organisations in the city of Manchester. Special thanks to IDOX for allowing us to offer this. If you need any help with using the funding portal please email us: [email protected]

Greater Manchester Older People’s Network – Membership is open to all older people living in Greater Manchester sign up here

Volunteer Coordinator’s newsletters – Email updates and newsletters relevant to those who manage, coordinate or work with volunteers in Manchester sign up here

Keep up to date with the latest news from us on Twitter

@McrCommCentral   @VolunteeringMcr    @PolicyVoiceMacc   

@GMOPN1    @hour_manchester   @SkillGivers    @MikeWildMacc

> Information, factsheets and resources

> Online Directory of VCSE groups

> To sign up to become a member and much more

The aim of the Greater Manchester Older People's Network is to inform and influence Greater Manchester strategies that affect older people. Membership is open to all older people living in Greater Manchester.

Skill Givers

The Skill Givers project has expanded and is now able to offer support to ALL voluntary groups, community groups, charities and social enterprises across Salford and Manchester. Over the next six months we will be focusing on trying to support the voluntary sector with adapting to the new ways of working that have had to be in place due to Covid-19. We want to know how employee volunteers can really make a difference to your organisation – Get in touch and let us know! You can find out more and register for the project on the Skill Givers website or contact the Project Coordinator if you have any questions about how this may work for you organisation, tel: 0791 225 9255, email: [email protected]

Volunteer Centre Manchester provides information, support and training to Manchester residents who want to volunteer and to organisations who work with or involve volunteers.

The Capacity Building Team provides group development support to build the capacity and sustainability of Manchester's voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations. This is available through bespoke, one-to-one support and our training and we co-ordinate a training calendar of other relevant training opportunities from across the city.

Click here for resources on starting a group, governance, funding factsheets, managing / taking on a building, policy templates, a directory of VCSE organisations and much more.

The Policy and Influence Team promotes positive change in Manchester through bringing the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector together, enabling opportunities for constructive dialogue with the statutory and private sectors, encouraging creative solutions and informing the sector about policy and strategic developments.

To get in touch

Telephone information service: 0333 321 3021

• Support line open Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm
• Calls are charged at the same rate as a local call, whether made from a landline or mobile phone

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.manchestercommunitycentral.org