Celebrating 10 Years of the Greater Manchester VCFSE Leadership Group

Founded in 2015 in response to the growing momentum around Greater Manchester’s devolution agenda, the GM VCFSE Leadership Group is a coalition of 36 VCFSE leaders determined to ensure the voice of the VCFSE sector is heard in delivering a more equal city-region. Our members are linked to the 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, GM equalities networks, and the broad range of local VCFSE providers, enabling us to deliver change right across the city-region.

“Being part of the GM VCFSE Leadership Group has been a real privilege — it’s given Stockport’s voice a place at the table and ensured our local experiences contribute to Greater Manchester-wide change." Jo McGrath, CEO of Sector 3.

A Legacy of Leadership and Collaboration

From its inception, the GM VCFSE Leadership Group has played a pivotal role in aligning the VCFSE sector with public sector partners, particularly in health and social care. The Group is the first health alliance in the UK and our successful model has been rolled out nationwide, aligning the VCFSE sector with the NHS at a national level.

In 2017, the Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership to strengthen our relationship, followed by the signing of the first GM VCSE Accord later that year. The Accord was refreshed in 2021 and again in 2023, reflecting a shared commitment to tackling inequality and improving outcomes for citizens through collaborative working.

The Accord was recently presented as a case study of effective partnership working in the National Civil Society Covenant which set out how the UK government, local authorities and other public bodies will work as strategic partners with VCFSE organisations to achieve shared goals, demonstrating its significant impact.

Driving change

The formation of the Leadership Group created a space for intelligent conversation and allowed VCFSE Leaders to come together as a group with shared priorities and one voice, calling for the involvement and influence of the VCFSE sector.

Over the past decade, the Leadership Group has led transformative work, always championing equality, equity and prevention – concepts which we have seen become more mainstream across the last 10 years, in part due to the efforts of the Leadership Group and the GM VCFSE sectors continued efforts and campaigning.

Our work is delivered through a distributed model of leadership, meaning decision-making is taken by both the leadership group and working groups based on what’s important to the sector. Our members are well positioned to be catalysts and connectors for the sector, and we work to ensure VCFSE representation on boards and steering groups across GM, embedding VCFSE voice in decision-making at every level.

“The GM VCFSE Leadership has given me an opportunity to bring together knowledge collected in all the local, regional and national spaces I occupy; and share it with my peer VCFSE Leaders, in order for us to not only influence local elected and statutory leaders, but also better aid the strengthening of the VCFSE sector in GM.” Duncan Craig, Chief Executive Officer, We Are Survivors.

The impact of the GM VCFSE Leadership Group can be seen across a range of areas.

Our Commissioning and Investment Working Group are working to improve commissioning standards and practices to support the sustainability of our sector. In early 2025, we delivered a campaign, asking GM commissioners to work with us to tackle systemic issues, threatening the sustainability of the sector – the outcome of which was a meaningful response from our partners, including the development of NHS GM Commissioning Principles. This working group also supported the creation of the Alternative Provider Collaborative – a partnership of social enterprises and charities engaging with the GM Integrated Care System to improve service delivery for GM residents.

The Mental Health Leadership Group was setup in response to mental health being identified as a priority for GM’s communities. It has enabled system leadership and expertise right across the city-region to drive forward the mental health strategy as equal partners. During Covid-19, the Mental Health Leadership Group made a huge impact in how we provide support; our sector, still working on the ground, were able to provide evidence and drawdown national funding, putting more resources towards supporting the mental health of GM residents and tackling inequality.

The GM VCFSE Leadership Group also support significant coordinated efforts across a whole range of areas, including VCFSE representation, homelessness, faith, social action, community resilience, victims and justice, research engagement, the VCFSE ecosystem and localities, VCFSE data and intelligence and the VCFSE workforce. Find out more about our work.

A vision for a more equal Greater Manchester

In 2024, we brought together the Greater Manchester VCFSE Manifesto 2024-28 to set out a shared vision for the future, building on our existing success and championing the  change we need to see to address the issues faced by our communities.

As Greater Manchester continues to evolve and with delivery of the Integrated Settlement underway, the GM VCFSE Leadership Group remains committed to its founding ambition: eradicating inequality within a generation. With the next iteration of the GM VCFSE Accord set to launch in April 2026, we are actively consulting with partners and communities in shaping how the VCFSE sector and public sector in Greater Manchester will continue to work together for the benefit of the city-region’s citizens and communities – visit here to find out how you can have your say.

We recognise that there is still much to do, especially regarding inequality. Increased demand on services and increasingly reduced resources have significantly impacted the quality of life of many. Going forward, it will be important that we pull together as a sector in the face of huge financial pressures.

Marking 10 Years

To mark this milestone, we’re inviting partners and stakeholders to reflect on the journey so far and contribute to the future of collaborative working in Greater Manchester. Have your say in our consultation on the next iteration of the GM VCFSE Accord: www.vcfseleadershipgm.org.uk/news-and-events/accord-refresh

Here’s to a decade of impact, and to the next chapter of building a more equal, inclusive, and connected Greater Manchester.