Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved (subject to call-in)
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
The Cabinet Member for Communities and Inclusion presented a report regarding Bury’s commitment to the Greater Manchester VCFSE Accord and recognition that the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector is integral to the fabric of the Borough of Bury. Our LET’S Do It! strategy sets out the vital importance of the sector as a core component in delivering improved outcomes for local people.
Decision:
Cabinet:
1. Confirmed Bury’s commitment to the Accord and champion through the Team Bury network through the local Memorandum of Understanding with the sector; and
2. Agreed the revised Service Level Agreement with Bury Voluntary and Community Faith Alliance, as the local infrastructure organisation for Bury, and its funding from 1st April 2026 on a 2+1 year basis.
Reasons for the decision:
Bury has committed to the refreshed Accord through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority governance given the value the Borough places on developing the VCFSE sector, as set out in LET’s Do It! The funding of infrastructure provision in the Borough provides a clear commitment to the importance of the voluntary and community sector. The agreement allows for a clear focus of activity to develop Bury’s VCFSE ecosystem in a tailored manner to best meet local needs, in turn delivering on LET’S Do It! and GM VCFSE Accord commitments. By refreshing the Service Level Agreement the report seeks to strengthen the recognition of the sector as key partner in improving outcomes for local people and the role infrastructure support plays in ensuring this is robust, recognised and representative.
Alternative options considered and rejected:
· To not fund, or make a reduction in funding would significantly risk the loss of infrastructure support in the Borough, destabilising the wider VCFSE sector and jeopardise the positive progress made in recent years. Whilst recognising the financial pressures that the Council itself is under, investment in the infrastructure support to the VCFSE sector supports steps to increase the resilience of the sector itself, including supporting groups to attract inward investment into the Borough and diversity income generation streams.
· To not update the specification would fail to capitalise on progress made in recent years but more importantly miss the opportunity to further tailor and target the focus of infrastructure support provision to be an enabler and facilitator of a sector contributing in a pivotal way to realising the Borough’s LETS vision. As such to not update the specification would have risked there not been the appropriate local focus on ensuring a sustainable VCFSE ecosystem, best positioned and supported to enhance and enable local outcomes at place.
Publication date: 13/03/2026
Date of decision: 11/03/2026
Decided at meeting: 11/03/2026 - Cabinet
Accompanying Documents: