Who are we?
Founded in 1975, we are a membership organisation constituted as a charitable company with a voluntary board. Our focus is on social and economic inclusion across Greater Manchester, we are a social investor, distribute grants and carry out policy and research work. We also have a conference centre that operates as a social enterprise to help fund our work.
What do we do?
We work to create a fairer and more equal Greater Manchester and to strengthen the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector. We do this though:
Distributing funding – we provide investment to social businesses and award grants to voluntary and community groups to enable them to grow their social impact
Research – we gather and generate a range of evidence to understand the elements of, and barriers to social and economic inclusion
Influencing – we share evidence with decision makers and give communities a voice that influences policy
Partnership working – we bring individuals and organisations together across sectors to work towards common goals
Support – we work with others to understand the needs of VCFSE organisations and collectively find ways to deliver appropriate assistance
Find out more about what we do in our 2023 prospectus: