Greater Manchester VCSE organisations urged to make sure they are accessing vital funding

VCSE organisations in Greater Manchester are being urged to make sure they are accessing some of the thousands of pounds of funding that could be available to support them through the coronavirus outbreak.

Voluntary, Charity and Social Enterprise organisations (VCSE) across the city-region can access various funding streams, available locally and those available to organisations in the sector across the country.

The VCSE sector is facing a wide range of challenges, including around cash flow and medium to long-term sustainability, as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, as well as an increase in demand for their services.

A range of packages are available to VCSE organisations in Greater Manchester to support them through the outbreak and help them to continue to deliver their vital services.

These include:

• Alongside its normal grants the National Lottery is giving out £310million of Government funding to support organisations through the coronavirus crisis. There are two types of funding to apply for via the National Lottery:
• The National Lottery Awards for All (opens new page) is offering grants of up to £10,000 to organisations, including those supporting people at high risk from COVID-19, those supporting people most likely to face increased demand and challenges as a result of the crisis and those which connect and support communities to work together in response to COVID-19.
• The National Lottery Reaching Communities England (opens new page) programme is offering between £10,000 and £100,000 of funding. This is for organisations supporting people affected by the crisis.
• A Greater Manchester Community Support Fund (opens new page) has been set up by Forever Manchester providing grants of up to £5,000, which are available to be applied for by small, often very local community groups. 
• Barclays' 100x100 UK COVID-19 Community Relief Programme (opens new page) is offering charities which are supporting coronavirus-related efforts to apply for a £100,000 grant to help them through this period. The deadline to apply for this grant is Friday, May 22.
• The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity previously had an open call for applications for up to £10,000 per organisation to support the Greater Manchester emergency homelessness COVID-response. While applications are currently closed, it is hoped these will reopen, so keep an eye on www.gmmayorscharity.co.uk (opens new page)
• The ESF Community Grant (opens new page) has launched a targeted programme in response to COVID-19. The round is called Re-Connect and seeks applications from a wide range of voluntary organisations which are ready to reach out by using approaches which tackle the new and emerging barriers arising from the impact of COVID-19. Grants of up to £20,000 are available across Greater Manchester to eligible organisations in the VCSE sector. Applications close on June 3.
• Big Society Capital (opens new page) has launched a £100million programme of loans and investments to help get much-needed emergency funding to social enterprises, charities and small businesses in disadvantaged areas affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Local funding

There is also specific local funding available to organisations in areas of Greater Manchester

• Stockport Local Fund (opens new page) is giving out grants of up to £1,000 to organisations supporting the COVID-19 response in Stockport.
• Salford Crisis Fund (opens new page) is offering up to £500 to VCSE organisations to help address immediate need arising from the coronavirus crisis.
• The Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Covid-19 Community Response Fund (opens new page) is now live. It is offering grants of up to £200 or up to £1,000.
• MACC (opens new page) is keeping track of funding available to organisations in Manchester
• Grants of up to £1,000 are available to groups and organisations in Bolton (opens new page) working to connect and increase their ability to reach more people as part of Bolton’s community response to Covid-19.
• Organisations in Bury (opens new page) can bid for a share of £10,000 to support them in the work they are doing to help people through the Covid-19 crisis. 

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) portfolio lead for Communities and Co-operatives, Councillor Allen Brett, said: “Now more than ever our charities are doing incredible work to support some of the most vulnerable members of society through the coronavirus pandemic.

“However, at the same time many of our charities are also struggling for funding to continue to provide their vital services. People across Greater Manchester rely on these organisations and need them to survive, this is why it is so important that charities are accessing as much funding as they possibly can.

“I would like to thank everyone working across the VCSE sector for all of their continued efforts in helping people and their communities in these challenging times.”

10GM (opens new page) supports the VCSE sector in Greater Manchester and has been working closely with GMCA during the outbreak to support organisations. 

Ben Gilchrist, Project Lead for 10GM said: “Many community groups, voluntary organisations and social enterprises are at the front line of supporting communities through the current crisis. It is vitally important that funding reaches these organisations so that they can continue to make a difference.

“However, many other charities and social enterprises are struggling to raise funds, sell goods or provide services, but don’t necessarily qualify for government support. As time goes on we need to protect these too so that they are still there supporting communities in the future.”

Updated information on the support available to VCSE organisations in Greater Manchester is available online.

Article Published: 19/05/2020 10:50 AM