Health and Wellbeing in Manchester is one of the Policy and Influence Team’s policy priorities. Below you can find the work we are doing in this area, where you can find out more, and how to get involved.
Community Explorers
The Community Explorers forum, which sits with the Policy and Influence team at Macc, is designed to connect and uplift the voices of the VCSE sector in Manchester.
By bringing together frontline, grassroots, emerging and established organisations, we create opportunities for meaningful conversations about the successes and challenges you encounter in your work and in the communities you represent, allowing us to gather valuable insights and knowledge to advocate for the needs of the sector in decision-making arenas we are involved in and influencing policy development within Manchester and beyond.
The Community Explorers network not only links you with fellow VCSE groups in your area but also fosters cross-sector collaboration with key stakeholders, including the NHS, Manchester City Council and GMP. It also serves as a vital space to share information about your current activities, learn about the broader initiatives in your locality and explore opportunities for engagement.
This platform is particularly focused on connecting with grassroots and smaller organisations deeply embedded in diverse and underserved communities throughout Manchester, to ensure that their voices and priorities, things that matter to them, are reflected in our workstreams.
We hold monthly Zoom meetings separately for North, Central and South, as well as quarterly, themed events for all of Manchester.
Previous in-person meetings have explored themes such as mental health in the VCSE sector, the Real Living Wage, and Manchester's journey to becoming a Health Determinants Research Collaborative. We are looking forward to our next event in January 2025, where we will be exploring how to build safer communities through collaboration.
We are also planning the rest of our events for 2025 - please do send us your suggestions for themes you would like to explore!
Each group also has its own mailing list, which members can use to share and receive information and updates with the wider network in their area.
To find out more or how you can get involved, please email [email protected] from our Policy & Influence Team.
VCSE Health and Wellbeing Leaders
The VCSE Health and Wellbeing Leaders group is a meeting of people leading work on Health and Wellbeing in Manchester on behalf of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector.
The group is facillitated by Macc and meets every month. The ultimate aim is to provide Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise sector organisations with the opportunity to consider and engage with the work of key public sector bodies in Manchester. This work also involves acting as a critical friend to the wider health and care system across the city.
Speakers from the NHS and local authorities are regularly asked to attend to update the group and to explore ways of collaborating on programmes of work. The Manchester VCSE Health and Wellbeing Leaders Group has formal responsibilities, and focuses on:
- Progressing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Manchester Local Care Organisation and the local VCSE sector;
- Facilitating representation on key boards, steering groups and committees and ensuring there is regular feedback to and from the wider VCSE sector;
- Upholding good practice in sector representation and participation of the sector.
To find out more, or how you can get involved please email [email protected].