This event combines a networking event for those involved in, supporting and interested in social enterprise and local community enterprise, plus a pitching event to showcase social ventures and help the community decide where to invest some cash. 

On the night 3-5 Social Ventures will pitch for cash and support on the night and we'll enjoy some fab food whilst we cast our votes! 

Money from all tickets sold will go directly into the pitch fund for this event. 

If you would like to pitch for cash and support email info@flourishtogether.org.uk 

Greater Manchester Law Centre, will be hosting a follow up to their Basic Employment rights even. This Further workshop with be delivered  with ACAS Northwest on Thursday 20 June, 1-2.30pm. Due to popular demand and based on much of the casework we see here at the Law Centre, this workshop will focus on discrimination and on disability discrimination in particular. This is free online event but booking is required.

Please follow the link for more information

A must-attend event for third sector and not-for-profit managers, leaders, and teams on how to meet future challenges for your organisation.

 Gaining the Edge is a complimentary one-day taster programme on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), leadership, data and AI, and digital marketing delivered by The University of Manchester leading academics and Executive Education team. At this event you will gain insights into both theory and practical solutions to these topics. This event is part of AMBS’ Festival of Business, a three day opportunity for learning, discussion, and inspiration from the best of AMBS and global business

Shared Future CIC director Jez Hall and programmes development officer Samuel Augustine is hosting a range of workshops, events and network building activities with and for the diverse, community based organisations throughout Manchester.

We invite you to join our first of three workshops that explores how Social Economy Organisations can use a Participatory Budgeting approach to build inclusion, governance and engagement.

This interactive two hour workshop is relevant to anyone planning to develop their social economy work, and interested in how Participatory Budgeting, and especially Participatory Grant Making has been, and could be used here to create stronger projects, engage community members and volunteers, and promote the aims of your organisation.

We welcome you to join this workshop from 1:45pm for a 2pm start. Register  to secure your space!

These workshops was made possible by grant funding received from the Manchester Social Economy Alliance (MSEA), and with support from  MACC.

For Refugee Week 2024, Macc is holding an event for the VCSE sector on the 20th June. Come along to learn more about recent policy developments, celebrate the great work happening in our communities to support asylum seekers and refugees, and discuss how we can best work together to support people seeking sanctuary in GM. Plant-based lunch and refreshments provided

Do you run or work in a: 

• social enterprise, 
• credit union, 
• trading charity, 
• co-operative, 
• community benefit society and community business?
• Are you planning to start a business which is working for good in Manchester? 

Manchester Social Entrepreneurs as part of the Manchester Social Economy Alliance programme activities are excited to invite you to the launch of our Social Enterprise Incubator Programme! 

Join Manchester Social Entrepreneur’s for an engaging virtual event that will outline support available for your social business. Delivered by Manchester Social Entrepreneurs, our incubator programme offers comprehensive development support for businesses at any stage, in areas such as business modelling, market strategy, and beyond. 

'Four years on from the launch of the Greater Manchester VCSE Commissioning Framework we looked at its impact via a survey'. 

Read the results and insights from GM VCSE Leadership Group below:

'New approaches to framing wealth inequality as a social problem could build political pressure for policy change'. Read the JRF's latest report which argues that reframing the narrative on wealth inequality in the UK may be effective in building public concern, political pressure and policy change. 

'In an era defined by economic uncertainty and social challenges, the importance of social value is clear: it offers a pathway to inclusive growth and community resilience, which is not contingent on new spending but, rather, is a way of generating positive outcomes from what we already have.

This report looks to the future of social value and provides a rallying call to action for place-based leaders to forge ahead in their pursuit of social value excellence.'

'A new joint report by the Boaz Trust and Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) has found that people in the city-region are forced into destitution for years, sometimes decades, as a result of their immigration status'. 

'This research includes in-depth interviews with Greater Manchester residents and a series of recommendations to national government. It also lays out what can be done to design destitution out of our city-region, building on positive regional developments in recent years'. 

'There is a distinct lack of homelessness services for women in Manchester.

When we talk about people affected by homelessness, we often immediately think about middle-aged men. Yet, homelessness affects women too and, often, by extension, their children. However, if the system expects those who are homeless to be men then the established support services will be male focused too. We know that homeless women and children have different needs compared to homeless men and the Women’s Homelessness Involvement Group (WHIG), which is part of the Manchester Homeless Partnership, aims to raise awareness of these challenges.

WHIG prioritises elevating the voices of those with lived experience. Through this approach, the group has identified key gaps in support for women experiencing homelessness in Manchester, which has informed their 2024 campaign Give The Mum A Chance. Comprised of three asks, the campaign aims to increase awareness and create system change.

The first ask of the campaign is for a safe, dedicated and inclusive space for women and children experiencing homelessness. This space would be in the form of a day centre, offering a social space, creche and support clinics surrounding housing, health and employment.

Secondly, the campaign advocates for more trauma-informed approaches across services, particularly around women who have had children removed. This ask calls for an increase in training focused on the trauma associated with child removal, as well as provisions for mothers who have experienced child removal. This support could be offered in the day centre, through advocacy workers and peer support sessions.

The third ask is to increase awareness of the gendered aspects of homelessness. Women experiencing homelessness often also face additional issues, which include but are not limited to: motherhood and child care, child removal, domestic abuse, safety concerns, and hygiene. The campaign aims to share this knowledge and create a network of likeminded people to challenge the current system which, due to its lack of specialist support for women, is setting them up to fail'. 

'It’s 2024, and we’re facing historic food bank need. More than 3.1 million emergency food parcels were provided by food banks in the Trussell Trust network to people facing hardship across the UK in the past 12 months – this is the most parcels the network has ever distributed in a single year.

Urgent reform of our social security system, which isn’t even providing enough support for people to afford the essentials, is critical.

That’s why, as we approach the next UK general election, we’re setting out our manifesto to end the need for food banks'. 

Read the Trussell Trust's calls to the next government to end food poverty in the UK: 

'Social housing gives us a solid foundation - and the chance to build happy, healthy lives. Those of us who were made in social housing have had long term security and genuine affordability. Things we desperately need now.

Add your name to the campaign to build more social housing: so a new generation can be proud to say “We are Made in Social Housing”.