Community development and funding

We're committed to supporting our communities to thrive. Our Community Investment team provides funding, support, and works in partnership with local organisations to help create inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable places where our customers and local residents can live well.

Support for customers

We can help anyone wanting to do more to support their local communities by providing you with support, advice, and resources to help you develop projects for the community's benefit.

This can take the form of: 

  • Advice, guidance, and access to training opportunities that can support your organisation's development
  • Signposting and linking you to local businesses and suppliers looking to provide additional social value within our communities
  • Supporting you to write strategic bids to secure funding that will benefit our neighborhoods and wider communities

Get in touch if you want to learn more or request this support

Young child with adult doing crafts

One Manchester Community Fund

In October, we opened the Community Fund for a second round. We were on the lookout for local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations to apply for funding to support their local residents to thrive. To help fund programmes that would support people to tackle the barriers our customers and other people face, we offered grants of between £3,000 and £10,000. These could be barriers to health, wellbeing, socialising, employment or living in a community which they feel is a safe and inclusive environment.

Applications for our One Manchester Community Fund are now closed. Stay tuned, we'll be announcing the successful recipients in December.

Read more
An artistic photograph of a woman gardening with leaves in the periphery.

Community partnerships

We partner with local organisations that share the same goals and values as us to help our communities thrive.

If you're interested in partnering with One Manchester, please complete our contact form. We’ll contact you within three working days of receiving your enquiry.

A mother and child doing crafts together at a local community event in Fallowfield

Activities for young people

We're keen to help the next generation get the best start possible. We deliver a range of activities, both educational and play, plus opportunities and connections across our communities.

Two colleagues talking

Support for care leavers

We offer a peer support service for customers leaving care to help people take their next steps. This takes the form of dedicated 1:1 and group sessions. We also connect you with our Employment and Skills service to help you with work or training. 

To access this, please complete our contact form. We’ll contact you within three working days of receiving your enquiry and schedule an appointment within two weeks.

Year-round community events

We put on a range of inclusive and free-entry events in One Manchester communities. Everyone is welcome at our events - they're accessible, affordable, and a great place to connect with others! You can always find the latest on our Events page. 

Coming soon, we have a series of Winter Warmth and Wellbeing sessions running from community locations. We'll share more details on the Events page from October.

Social Value reinvestment

We reinvest funding and hours secured through contractors that we work with back into One Manchester communities through things like funding or materials for local projects, volunteer hours for events, or expert advice for a school workshops or community groups.

Our social priorities

Our work focusses on creating

Stronger, more resilient communities

We support the capacity of local groups and individuals to enable them to continue to support their own communities.

Improved places, reduced environmental impact

We help to improve our local environment and act responsibly to reduce our global environmental impact.

Stronger, more resilient local economy

We help to improve our local environment and acting responsibly to reduce our global environmental impact.

Healthier and happier people in our communities

We provide and support activities and services that improve wellbeing and reduce social isolation.