VS6 partners have officially released their most recent manifesto for the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in the Liverpool City Region (LCR) for 2024-2028.
The manifesto is arranged across the following 6 key themes:
1. Policy – including climate change, cost of living, health inequalities, employment & skills, and equality, diversity & inclusion.
2. Community Empowerment
3. Commissioning & Contracts
4. Measuring Impact
5. VCFSE Investment
6. Workforce & Volunteering
Back In 2021, VS6 launched their previous VCFSE manifesto in LCR: “Building a Compassionate, Caring and Successful City Region” which featured over 30 actions under 12 themes including key asks of the Combined Authority and other public sector partners. Over the past 3 years of delivering against this manifesto in the face of many challenges, VS6 partners have realised considerable achievements against these manifesto objectives including (but not limited to):
- £370k funding from the Combined Authority to expand the #LCRCares small grants programme
- £6.64m investment secured for the VCFSE sector as part of LCRs Shared Prosperity Fund allocation.
- Launching the LCR Volunteering Hub: The single front door for volunteering and volunteer management.
- VS6’s “Sustainable and Affordable Food for Liverpool City Report” report providing recommendations for the Combined Authority to develop their food insecurity strategy
- Funding secured to deliver the Phoenix Way in Cheshire and Merseyside: A collaborative racial justice movement to address systematic barriers for racially minoritised communities and VCFSE organisations.
The latest manifesto reflects these achievements and learnings from the previous manifesto delivery, to further develop the sector’s strengths, reach and influence in LCR working alongside our public sector partners. We want LCR to be the home of social and voluntary entrepreneurship, and to further develop the position of the VCFSE sector as equal and essential partners in tackling health inequalities and improving social and economic opportunities for our communities.
The recently re-elected LCR Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, signed up to support us with the new manifesto, continuing the close relationship with the Combined Authority and the Metro Mayor’s office. VS6 Partners are now in the process of developing a delivery plan for the manifesto which will detail how they want to work with public sector partners and align strategic ambitions, and future engagement with the VCFSE sector; more details of this will follow. They would like to take the time to thank the VCFSE sector across the City Region for their continued hard work and dedication to supporting our communities.
The full manifesto, can be found by accessing the link below:
https://www.vs6partnership.org.uk/our-manifesto