Manchester doubles core funding for community organisations

Manchester more than doubles core funding for 80 voluntary and community organisations

Manchester’s main voluntary-sector fund has risen from £2.4m to £5.5m a year, with £16.5m allocated across three years to 80 organisations.

Community volunteers in Manchester Image: Manchester City Council via I Love MCROriginal source

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Manchester has more than doubled the annual budget of its main voluntary and community-sector fund, committing £16.5 million over three years to 80 organisations.

The Our Manchester Voluntary and Community Sector fund has increased from £2.4 million to £5.5 million a year for the 2026–29 period.

The supported organisations work across neighbourhood services, disability, racial equality, health, advice, community activity and other local needs. Manchester has more than 3,800 voluntary, community, faith and social-enterprise organisations in total.

Three-year funding matters differently from a one-off cheque. It gives organisations some room to plan staff, services and rent without rebuilding the financial floor every few months.