Tuesday, 12th August 14:15pm
Nominations have been announced for the Spirit of Manchester Awards, a series of awards celebrating Manchester’s voluntary and community sector. The Awards are organised by Macc, the support organisation for the 3000+ groups within the city.
A panel of judges recently met to shortlist from over 70 nominations. The panel included the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Sue Cooley alongside representatives of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Voluntary Sector North West, the Heroes and Sheroes Awards and the University of Manchester. The nominations are:
Volunteer of the year
- Ruby Box from Student Action Manchester
- Geoff Wood - Simply Cycling
- Emma Bailey - Factory Youth Zone
Volunteer involving organisation
- Levenshulme Inspire
- Albert Kennedy Trust
- Childline
Most innovative group
- NOISE Festival
- Mancunian Way
- Odd Arts
Best service user involving organisation
- Back on Track
- Inspiring change
- Wythenshawe FM
Most successful campaign
- Ancoats Dispensary Trust
- Macmillan Community Cancer Awareness project
- Survivors Manchester
Best partnership initiative
- S4B and Brunswick Parish Church
- Ladybarn Community Timebank
- EMERGE and FareShare Greater Manchester
Manchester youth volunteering award
- Luke Emery - Simply Cycling
- Hassan Ahmed - Community on Solid Ground
- Egle Peleckaite - Student Action Manchester
Wellbeing award
- Alzheimer Society
- Wythenshawe Good Neighbours
- Manchester Mind
There will also be a special award to an individual for Outstanding Contribution to the Sector.
A team of Community Reporters is now making a short film about each of the nominees. These films will be used at the Awards event on 25th September at the University of Manchester where an invited audience will vote for the winner in each category.
Mike Wild, Chief Executive of Macc, said
“It’s important to celebrate and recognise the amazing work being done by hundreds of voluntary and community groups in these hard times. Manchester should be proud of its voluntary sector!
We’re delighted to be working with the University of Manchester to make this year’s awards even bigger and better than last year’s. We hope to raise people’s awareness of local groups and encourage them to get involved with and support the organisations on their doorstep.”
Notes for Editors
1. Macc is a charity which provides support to Manchester’s voluntary and community sector. The organisation provides support to local groups in finding funds, setting up and developing, working in partnership, campaigning. Macc also runs the Manchester Voluntary Sector Assembly and Volunteer Centre Manchester.
2. Macc’s “State of the Sector” research published in 2013 revealed there are some 3093 voluntary and community sector organisations in the city of Manchester employing 12,400 staff alongside 94,300 volunteers.
3. Proceeds from the evening’s event will go to the We Love Manchester Charity.
4. This year’s awards will also be accompanied by a Festival of events organised by voluntary and community groups all across the city. Further details to be released shortly.
Further information
Awards homepage:
http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/spirit-manchester-awards
Videos of 2013 Awards winners:
http://mymanchester.net/featured/spirit-manchester-awards-winners
Hashtag for the awards is #SpiritofMcr14
State of the Voluntary Sector report:
http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/state-sector-2013
Contact
Mike Wild
Chief Executive, Macc
T: 0161 834 9823
E: [email protected]
Twitter: @MikeWildMacc
Miriam Belfield
Spirit of Manchester Awards and Festival Co-ordinator, Macc
T: 0161 834 9823
E: [email protected]
Twitter: @McrCommCentral
Macc, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JW
