Home-Start is a well-known and highly respected national charity providing early help and support from trained volunteers to young families, through 300 locally managed projects in the UK. Each project is self-supporting financially and most are funded from a variety of sources including charitable trusts, statutory funding, donations and sponsorships. The Big Lottery is one of the significant funders of a large number of Home-Start projects. In order to more effectively address the funding challenges facing the voluntary sector at present, a number of Home-Start projects have started to operate as consortia, with the emphasis on more joint funding applications and shared business functions. The Greater Manchester Home-Start projects, which number seven in all, are currently moving towards this kind of arrangement. 
Within Manchester both Home-Start Manchester South and Home-Start Manchester North support approximately 160 families and 380 children with a combined network of 100 volunteers. Both Management Committees have agreed in principle to merge taking account of the wider changes in Home-Start in Greater Manchester referred to above.
The Home-Start Manchester South project is seeking to commission someone to work with us to develop a sustainable funding strategy beyond 2019, when their current sources of funding expire. Additionally they need help in assisting to plan for this effectively in a mutually acceptable way and to support with the creation of a clear plan for merger activity.
Home-Start Manchester South are inviting interested organisations and individuals with relevant experience and expertise to work with them on a commissioned basis in the above areas over the next 12 months. Home-Start Manchester South have obtained some additional ‘Building Capabilities’ funding from Big Lottery to enable them to do this.
Specifically, Home-Start Manchester South are looking for external assistance and expertise in the following areas:
• To help to develop and implement a timeline and effective process for merging with colleagues in Home-Start Manchester North, in a way which maximises the potential opportunities and minimises the risks
• Identifying and successfully applying for additional and alternative sources of funding for their work and enabling them to explore alternative ways of funding the kind of work they do in the future.
If you are interested in both (ideally) or possibly one of the above areas, Home-Start Manchester South would like to hear from you.
In order to apply, submit the following:
• A copy of your CV/background of your organisation
• Evidence of your achievement in one or both of the above areas in the last three years
• Outline of how you would set about delivering the area(s) of work you are applying for - in effect help Home-Start Manchester South understand the strategic approach you would take (bullet points are acceptable and a limit of 3 pages would be preferred.)
• Two referees who they can speak to about your work with them
An e-information pack containing the latest annual reports and financial statements are available by email from [email protected] and further information about Home-Start Manchester North and South can be found here: www.homestartinmanchester.org.uk
Completed applications should be emailed to: [email protected]
Preferred applicants will be invited to a meeting with Trustees in the weeks of 29 August 2016 or 05 September 2016.
Deadline: Monday 22 August 2016