Activities

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:

• Provide Information
  Through our website, printed newsletter, email bulletins and briefings on local policy and decision-making, we help the local voluntary and community sector stay in touch with the context in which they work, share good practice and find out about new opportunities.
  

• Engagement and Campaigning
  We hold regular meetings for local groups to get together to learn about and discuss policy and practice developments. This also allows groups to share the experiences of people using services so that MACC can feed it in at the strategic level.
  
  We also work with statutory organisations to encourage listening and dialogue with voluntary and community sector groups. We try to make connections between needs, ideas and people - bringing funders together with groups to create new services. We actively support and develop partnerships between different organisations.
  
  Because of our position between the sectors, we're able to have a view across different areas of the health and wellbeing economy. This means we can campaign, challenge and, where necessary, ask difficult questions of those planning and delivering services in all sectors .

• Support
  We seek to contribute to the growth and development of the voluntary and community sector as a whole - not as an end in itself but as a way for local people to be involved in meeting their own needs. This work involves us in supporting improvement the quality and sustainability of groups, encouraging collaboration between groups in delivering services. We also brief the sector on the implications of policy & issues around nurturing and sustaining a thriving voluntary sector and highlight the needs and benefits of a sustainable voluntary and community sector to funders. As the lead agency in Manchester Community Central, MACC now also plays a key role in ensuring information, guidance and in-depth development support are available to local voluntary and community sector organisations.