Over 18,000 Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise Organisation Operating in Greater Manchester, New Research Finds

The findings highlight the extraordinary reach and impact ofthe voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector across ourcity-region.

• 18,783 VCFSE organisations are operating in Greater Manchester.
• They provide 8.63 million instances of support each year.
• 483,252 volunteers contribute 52.6 million volunteer hours annually, with a replacement value of more than £700 million.
• The sector employs 40,228 full-time equivalent staff.
• The economic value provided by these staff each year is over £2billion.

These figures demonstrate just how essential the sector is to communities across Greater Manchester. The economic impact of our sector is clear, but it represents only part of the picture; behind these figures lies an even greater social impact, with organisations making a difference across every area including wellbeing, housing, social care, health and social belonging.

Volunteering has decreased since the previous report, representing a real drop in resource for many organisations. This is compounded with a lack of multi-year funding, increased operational costs, and a growing need for support among communities amidst the cost-of-living crisis. Yet while demand continues to rise, many organisations are supporting a growing number of people with growing uncertainty.

Meeting these challenges requires partnership, fairer funding, and a strong commitment to involving communities and the organisations that serve them in shaping decisions. This ambition is reflected in the renewed Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord, which sets out a shared commitment between the VCFSE sector and public sector partners to work together to address power and resource imbalances and improve outcomes for Greater Manchester residents, underpinned by trust, honesty, ambition and accountability.

A thriving, well-supported VCFSE sector that works in equal partnership with our public sector is fundamental to achieving better outcomes for people, communities and places across Greater Manchester.

You can explore the full GM findings via the online dashboard: gmstateofthesector.org/gm/dashboard