Activities

MACC’s work is difficult to describe since we try to take a flexible approach in stimulating the development of local services..

Broadly, our main activity is to bring together groups from the local voluntary and community sector and support their influence on planning and decision-making. We provide an accountable structure for the voluntary and community sector and one which enables both large and small groups to participate as they feel appropriate.

Our staff team also acts as a policy and development unit for local groups, particularly those who do not have capacity to do this themselves. Here are examples of some of the things we do:

Information

• Maintain a website
• Produce a quarterly newsletter
• Produce information bulletins
• Prepare briefings on policy and planning
• Keep a database

Involvement and Campaigning

• Hold regular meetings for local organisations to discuss policy and practice developments.
• Work with groups to gather evidence of the real experiences of people using services and feed it in at the strategic level.
• Work with statutory organisations to encourage listening and dialogue with non-statutory groups.
• Link ideas and groups together and actively support and develop partnerships between different organisations
• Have a view across different areas of the health and wellbeing economy.
• Campaign, challenge and, where necessary, ask difficult questions of those planning and delivering services in all sectors.

Support

• Work with groups to respond to the needs and wishes of local people in developing services.
• Work with groups to create new models of services based on good practice developed within the sector.
• Contribute to the growth and development of the sector as a whole.
• Support improvement the quality and sustainability of groups.
• Stimulate collaboration between groups in delivering services.
• Brief the sector on the implications of policy & issues around nurturing and sustaining a thriving voluntary sector.
• Highlight the needs and benefits of a sustainable voluntary and community sector to funders.