Universal Credit (UC) is the government’s flagship welfare scheme which aims to simplify the benefits system for working age people by bringing together out of work and in work benefits, improve the transition to employment, and make work pay by removing disincentives to work.
In the newsletter Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) launch their third map showing the locations of accredited advisors and sources of information, guidance and help, your help is needed to develop it further. 
Greater Manchester Mental Health (GMMH) NHS Foundation Trust is holding a series of consultation meetings in Manchester for carers and staff of GMMH services to look at how they can further develop the Trust Family and Carers Strategy. This strategy currently has four priority areas following consultation across Bolton, Salford, Trafford and Specialist Services. Due to the formation of the new Trust, GMMH would like to ensure the priorities reflect those of carers and staff in Manchester.
The North, Central and South Safeguarding Children Fora are the connection between the strategic work of the Manchester Safeguarding Children’s Board (MSCB) and front-line practitioners from all agencies. Their main purpose is to ensure that there is a direct link between practice issues at a local level and the overall direction of the Board. 
Did you know that universities are keen to work with you?
Are you curious about building a new partnership to get some work done together? 
Community-university partnerships bring together two sets of expertise and knowledge to make a difference. Partners decide the focus and terms so that the benefits are shared and the relationships are worthwhile.
In the latest newsletter Greater Manchester Poverty Action(GMPA) are asking if your organisation might be interested in joining with their new Principal Partners to support the work of GMPA?
Our latest data sets on our work with voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and volunteers is now available on our website here: www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/policy-and-influence/open-data
Earlier today I read part of a new report by the King's Fund called ‘Re-imagining Community Services’. It analyses the progress made toward creating new models of community services and summarises some of the key principles that should guide the development. It’s illustrated by a number of case studies (some rather less convincing than others – Wigan as an exemplar of working with local assets – it doesn't even have an infrastructure provider since Wigan CVS collapsed a couple of years ago).
The End Child Poverty coalition has published figures providing a new child poverty map of the UK. The new figures reveal that there are now constituencies within the UK where more than half of children are growing up in poverty – compared to one in ten, in the areas with the lowest child poverty rates.
In Greater Manchester poverty Action’s first 2018 newsletter they are asking for your help. Could you support Greater Manchester Poverty Action? Could you or your organisation become a Supporter or Principal Partner?