Macc recently managed the latest Spirit of Manchester Fund round of grants which focused on organisations that support people with the cost of living crisis. We will be sharing one story a day in July to show the impact of these grants and the wide range of projects that they supported. Today, we have the story from King Foundation.
Through the Spirit of Manchester Fund, Barlow Moor Community Association (BMCA) have been able to support an increased number of people through the cost of living crisis. They have offered:
- Financial information advice and guidance appointments to support individuals to claim benefits they are entitled to;
- Let’s Cook sessions to provide even more people with essential skills to learn how to cook low cost meals;
Manchester City Council is offering a new package of support that aims to support residents through the cost of living crisis. £3,000 per ward is being made available to support food organisations. 
This is in addition to the £20k per ward Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) allocation.
Macc recently managed the latest Spirit of Manchester Fund round of grants which focused on organisations that support people with the cost of living crisis. We will be sharing one story a day in July to show the impact of these grants and the wide range of projects that they supported. Firstly, we have the story from The Men's Room.
A list has been complied of all the foodbank’s and pantries in Greater Manchester. There are 259 foodbanks / pantries listed covering all Greater Manchester.
Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES) are running training on how to support residents with the cost of living. Training sessions will run for 1 hour online. There is a fee of £200 for this training.
If you work in the voluntary and community sector, or for a smaller organisation, MAES may be able to waive the fee as long as all participants complete a short course enrolment form and there are at least 8 participants.
Local communities have stepped up in many ways to support their neighbours through the cost of living crisis. This includes groups with warm spaces, or those who are able to provide furnishings, 
activities, advice and support. Libraries and other local authority contacts are a useful first point of contact for these groups. Check out these resources to learn more on how to set up a Warm Space in your local community.
MAES know that many of residents are experiencing hardship and are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. In your work with residents, you may deal with difficult and sensitive issues and meet 
people who need further support with the cost-of-living crisis. MAES would like to gauge interest in running their one-hour digital training session.
This one-hour digital training session will look at:
The Government has announced a new Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) to run from 1 April 2023 for eligible non-domestic consumers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This replaces 
the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme for non-domestic customers, which comes to an end on 31 March 2023 and provided a reduction on wholesale gas and electricity prices.
Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) believes that responses to poverty should focus on getting more money into people’s pockets. That’s why one of their strategic priorities is to support local 
efforts to boost household income and financial resilience.
Foodbanks and pantries in Greater Manchester