Leaders of Manchester-based voluntary organisations have shared their experiences of the COVID-19 crisis and their thoughts for the future in a new report produced by Macc, Manchester’s local voluntary and community sector support organisation.
Titled No Going Back, the report brings together the experiences of 22 local voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector leaders who shine a light on the critical role that the sector has played during the response to the COVID-19 crisis. As well as reflecting on the lessons learned during the crisis, the leaders make the case for change going forward and highlight the unique opportunity society has to make things better in the future.
One contributor is Chris Dabbs, Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential, a social enterprise. He said: “The COVID-19 situation has exposed the severe inequalities that already existed in our society. The response of the VCSE sector has been inspiring, despite a sudden drop in income. We also need, however, to address the underlying causes of the social, economic and environmental problems that have been laid bare.”
Mike Wild, Chief Executive of Macc said: “There is a crucially important lesson to be drawn from the voluntary sector’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. That is that these organisations are part of the resilience of our communities and we need them to be there - and never more so than in a crisis. No Going Back tells their story. Manchester’s marvellously diverse vibrant, messy, gumption-filled, voluntary, community and social enterprise sector has risen to the challenge of the moment and we must build on this, invest in it or risk losing it altogether.”
No Going Back highlights the determination, passion and wealth of policy ideas from the voluntary sector. We hope that it will influence key decision makers and commissioners as they respond and shape policies in the post-COVID landscape.