Thursday 25th September 2014 13:00
Local voluntary and commuinty groups gather for city awards.
At the University of Manchester’s Barnes Wallis Building an invited audience will gather on the evening of Thursday 25th September for the Spirit of Manchester Awards. The Awards, which celebrate the voluntary and community sector in Manchester, are organised by Macc, the support organisation for the 3000+ groups within the city.
Guest of Honour is Councillor Sue Cooley, Lord Mayor of Manchester alongside representatives of Greater Manchester Police, the local NHS, Manchester City Council, local businesses and social enterprises and of course many volunteers and staff from voluntary and community groups across Manchester.
A panel of judges recently met to shortlist from over 70 nominations in a range of categories:
- Volunteer of the year
- Volunteer involving organisation
- Most innovative group
- Best service user involving organisation
- Most successful campaign
- Best partnership initiative
- Manchester youth volunteering award
- Wellbeing award
A team of volunteer Community Reporters has made a short film about each of the nominees. These films will be used at the Awards event where the audience will vote for the winner in each category. Each winner will receive a specially designed awards produced by This Is Pewter
Entertainment will be provided by X Factor star Misha B who is volunteering her time to show support for local community groups.
There will also be a raffle and auction in aid of the We Love Manchester charity, Lord Mayor’s charity. Prizes for the raffle have been donated by local businesses and sponsors and include items such as paintings, a limousine trip, tickets for Band on the Wall and a special mystery prize. A Manchester City football shirt signed by the team who won the Premiership last season will be auctioned.
Macc is encouraging people to use social media to interact with the event using the hashtag #SpiritofMcr14 Guests will be invited to share photos and spread the word about their support for Manchester’s voluntary and community sector. In a new development, the event will now be streamed live on the Manchester Community Central website:
https://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/watch-spirit-manchester-awards
Mike Wild, Chief Executive of Macc, who will host the evening said
“It’s important to celebrate and recognise the amazing work being done by hundreds of voluntary and community groups in these hard times. Manchester should be proud of its voluntary sector! We’re delighted to be working with the University of Manchester to make this year’s awards even bigger and better than last year’s. Through events like the awards and our week-long Festival, we hope to encourage people to find out about and get involved with the brilliant local organisations on their doorstep. One of the best things about my job is that I get to meet some amazing people who are working in groups all across Manchester. Tonight I have the huge honour to be able to share that with everyone. It’s going to be a fantastic night.”
Notes for Editors
- Macc is a charity which provides support to Manchester’s voluntary and community sector. The organisation provides support to local groups in finding funds, setting up and developing, working in partnership, campaigning. Macc also runs the Manchester Voluntary Sector Assembly and Volunteer Centre Manchester.
- Macc’s “State of the Sector” research published in 2013 revealed there are some 3093 voluntary and community sector organisations in the city of Manchester employing 12,400 staff alongside 94,300 volunteers.
- Proceeds from the evening’s event will go to the We Love Manchester Charity.
- This year’s awards will also be accompanied by a Festival of events organised by voluntary and community groups all across the city. Further details to be released shortly.
Further information
- Awards homepage: http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/spirit-manchester-awards
- Pictures from the 2013 Spirit of Manchester Awards can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/maccandmanchestercommunitycentral/sets/72157636050350214/
- Videos of 2013 Awards winners http://mymanchester.net/featured/spirit-manchester-awards-winners
- State of the Voluntary Sector report: http://www.manchestercommunitycentral.org/state-sector-2013
Contact
Mike Wild
Chief Executive, Macc
T: 0161 834 9823
E: [email protected]
Twitter: @MikeWildMacc
Macc, Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester M4 5JW
