An event was held to mark 100 years since the formation of the Manchester and Salford Council of Social Service on July 22, co-organised by Salford CVS, Macc and charity Gaddum.
There were many guest speakers, including the City Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett and Leader of the Manchester City Council Sir Richard Leese.
The event celebrated the collective charitable histories of the organisations, looking at the past achievements while also looking to the future.
Salford CVS and Macc both originated from Manchester and Salford Council of Social Service with Henry Gaddum as its chair, explaining the link to the charity he created.
The Council of Social Service for the two cities has been a key institution for charity, social action, community work, volunteering, philanthropy, co-operatives and social enterprise.
“We very rarely tell our story. Today is us saying why we are here and why we think it matters – we’re part of the architecture,” CEO of Macc Mike Wild said during his speech.
The Council of Social Service for Salford and Manchester has been instrumental in the voluntary sector in the two cities since its inception 100 years ago.
We really enjoyed celebrating our century of social action with Macc & Gaddum last night.
Find out more about our histories:https://t.co/7u1TFxIUSIhttps://t.co/Gwgxv8REfg@McrCommCentral will be sharing the history timeline from the event soon so keep a look out! #100Years pic.twitter.com/y10wBGFCgj
— Salford CVS (@SalfordCVS) July 23, 2019
Organisations such as Salford CVS, Macc and Gaddum help to ensure that people in both cities have equal access to services and support, as well as trying to develop and support other local organisations in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors.
Sir Richard Leese explained at the event that £20,000 goes towards supporting local organisations in a non-bureaucratic way every year.
Leese, like the other speakers on the night, reinforced his commitment to supporting the voluntary sector, despite the “real visible impact of cuts on residents of our city.”
The voluntary sector is a key part of both cities identities. Mike Wild pointed out that the sector brings more money to the city of Manchester than football.
These groups will continue to tackle inequality and address all forms of poverty in the two cities while supporting the diverse communities within Manchester and Salford.
Sinéad O’Connor, manager of the Cheetham Hill Advice Centre, concluded: “It’s those connections and the history that we share that will not only help us to survive but thrive over the next 100 years.”
