Small Charity Week is a national campaign to empower the UK’s small charities to have an even greater impact on society, and to address the challenges they face.
Small charities play a vital role in strengthening communities and they are experts at what they do. They are often led by people with lived experience and a deep understanding of local issues, and they closely reflect the diversity of their local communities through their staff and volunteers.
When small charities are stronger, the communities they support are stronger too so, this week, Action Together are sharing some of the amazing and inspiring stories from our community members along with features on funding, capacity building and training. Let's amplify their stories, share best practice and help them make an even bigger impact! Read on to find out more...
What is a small charity? A small charity is a voluntary organisation with a social or charitable purpose with an annual income of less than £1 million. Did you know that nationally, 96%* of voluntary organisations in the UK are small charities? Across Greater Manchester, 71% of voluntary and community organisations are classed as 'micro', with an annual income of under £10,000**.
Funding for micro and small organisations
Small charities are a trusted source of support, and being smaller means they are agile and can respond quickly to new and emerging needs. But it can also leave them more exposed to challenges. They are facing cost of living pressures, increasing demand for services, falling income and increased costs.
Find out more about some of the funds currently open with Action Together, and from other sources across Greater Manchester:
Training Support for micro and small organisations
Earlier this year, Action Together launched a new core and enhanced Training Offer for our members.
We are committed to supporting the growth and development of our member organisations, and believe that by investing in the skills and capacity of our workforce, we can create a stronger, more resilient sector that drives positive change and transforms lives.
Our flexible learning opportunities are delivered via a mix of in-person, online, and hybrid training sessions and workshops. You can find our Training Calendar on our website: actiontogether.org.uk/training-calendar-2024-25 but the link below will take you to some of the offers coming up in the few months that small VCSFE groups and organisations may find beneficial:
Capacity Building: Advice and support for groups and organisations from Action Together
Action Together offers a range of support to strengthen communities. We believe that by learning together, sharing skills and pooling resources we can get more done.
- We support people to get help, providing opportunities to get better connected to what is going on in their local community and find the support they need.
- We strengthen community and voluntary groups by providing support to run their group, find and secure resources and work together to do more.
- We encourage local people, businesses and the public sector to give their time, skills and resources to support local good causes.
Find out more about what our Community Development teams can support your group with:
Member groups soaring to success
Action Together is a membership organisation that supports community action in Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside. Our ambition is to work with all the organisations in the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector in our communities. At Action Together we know that people can make things happen because we see it everyday. Across Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside, there are thousands of people changing lives, improving neighbourhoods and contributing positively to our local area.
Here are some of the wonderful success stories from our member micro-organisations and community groups who have benefitted from support from our Action Together teams:
Show your support
To help charities make our communities stronger, Small Charity Week are calling on the public to pledge their support. They're asking people to show their LOVE for small charities:
L : Listen and Learn: I will learn what small charities do in my neighbourhood
O : Organise: I will get my community involved with small charities
V : Volunteer: I will support small charities with my time, voice and money
E : Engage: I will do a bit more to make my community better.
#LoveYourSmallCharity #SmallCharityWeek2024