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EnglishArabicBengaliBulgarianCatalanChinese (Traditional)CroatianCzechDanishDutchEstonianFilipinoFinnishFrenchGermanGreekHindiHungarianIgboItalianJapaneseKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)LatvianLithuanianMalayNepaliNorwegianPersianPolishPortuguesePunjabiRomanianRussianSerbianSlovenianSomaliSpanishSwahiliSwedishUkrainianUrduVietnameseYoruba1. In 2012/13 there were 3,093 community and voluntary organisations, co-operatives and social enterprises in Manchester
2. In 2012/13 the total income of the sector was £477 million
3. Medium and large organisations receive 95% of the total sector income
4. 1,987 organisations are micro (with an annual income under £10 thousand)
5. There are 94,300 volunteers in the sector
6. Volunteers give 370,000 hours each week
7. The contribution of volunteers in the sector is valued at £332 million each year
This morning I was in the happy position of being able to present our new research into the state of the voluntary sector in Manchester. It has been a long-held ambition of mine to be able to show the full extent of the enormous contribution which voluntary organisations, community groups, social enterprises and the community work of faith groups make to the city.
The Art Bus was created by the Creative Hands Foundation to travel all over Manchester providing free art and music performances and workshops for local communities inspired by the music and contemporary art of West Africa in the We Face Forward exhibition, 2012 (at Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, Gallery of Costume and Manchester Museum). From mid-May until September the Art Bus travelled across the city and beyond. It appeared at a huge range of venues in local communities from libraries to Café's to Schools. The bus promoted the exhibition and provided exciting music an
A new support group is being set up for South Asian Women affected by issues such as:
Contact Shabana for access to support and a safe place to talk on 07896939599.
A Seminar for staff who work with, support, advise and care for people affected by Parkinson’s - only available for organisations within the city of Manchester.
Through visiting the agencies centre’s, which are located throughout Manchester, people can find out information and receive support on Job Seekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, and Child Benefit.
The service will also offer information and support on:
• Tax Credits
• Housing
• Debt, Money and Income Maximisation
• Referral and signposting to other services
Different centres are open each day as shown on the enclosed calendar
The Manchester Black and Minority Ethnic Network (MBMEN) at its February networking event heard from speakers about the changes that are coming to the Welfare system. Participants expressed great concern about the need for more information and worried about the impact of the changes on families, friends, children and vulnerable communities.
The Government says it has instituted welfare reform to:
• save £19b or more on the country’s benefits bill
• simplify, streamline and reform the welfare system
• make it more beneficial to be in work
Climate change affects us all, especially the most vulnerable and it’s really important that we all engage with this issue; it’s not going away! The Manchester BME Network in partnership with its members, MC-UK, Creative Hands and Salford Refugee Network is undertaking a project looking at “Climate change and BME Communities “with a specific focus on two vulnerable communities; older people and refugees and asylum seekers. We hope to understand further the needs of the community and find solutions to help support the community better.
When the Work Programme was first introduced as part of the new Welfare to Work agenda the LSEN organised a number of meetings, seminars and events to inform voluntary organisations about the opportunities and risks of getting involved in the Programme as a sub-contractor.
It became clear, early on in these discussions, that the Programme did not recognise the difficulties many people at a distance from the labour market would find in re-engaging in sustained employment.
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