Current and Future VCFSE Infrastructure Support

Overview

Trafford has a strong, committed and resourceful Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector built over many years. The sector supports communities and helps them to thrive, often supporting the most vulnerable in our society. It is critical to the success of the borough. Trafford’s new Corporate Plan, Our Trafford Our Future 2024-27, outlines how we as a Council, want to work together to develop a strong, dynamic and diverse sector as a key partner. 

To help do this, Trafford Council commissions Local Infrastructure Support. This is under a backdrop of increasing demand needs of organisations within the Sector, whilst public sector organisations face financial challenges now and in the immediate future.

Thrive Trafford currently deliver the Local Infrastructure support across Trafford on behalf of the Trafford Council. Currently, VCFSE Infrastructure support includes:

• Capacity Building Support for VCFSE organisations which includes legal, governance, HR advice; and support for funding opportunities and applications;
• Networking events for VCFSE organisations;
• Coordinating volunteering opportunities;
• Supporting programmes of work to ensure the VCFSE sector is considered;
• Sending out of tailored communications to the VCFSE sector; and
• Representing Trafford VCFSE organisations at a Greater Manchester level.

Why your views matter

Trafford Council is developing its plans for the future of VCFSE Infrastructure Support. As such, we want to hear the thoughts of our VCFSE organisations on how the VCFSE sector has changed over recent years, your experience of the infrastructure support service, and what the focus should be for the future. This information will be utilised to help shape thinking around the future direction of Infrastructure Support, as well as provide intelligence to the Council on how best to support the sector further.