Volunteering Story of the Work

Explore the stories behind our work to support volunteering across Greater Manchester

Resources and support

If you are interested in joining our Volunteering Community of Practice, please email our People and Leadership Lead, Emily Wilkins.

We’ve compiled a list of resources to support volunteers, organisations, clubs and groups. There is no one size fits all to meeting the needs of local people, so whether its champions training, community engagement or connecting with local networks, if you are looking for guidance on volunteering, or connecting with your local infrastructure organisation, you will find information to help you below.

To get involved in your community:

Visit 10GM and select your local opportunity provider from the borough links on this webpage.

For advice on where to find the right opportunity:

Visit NCVO’s I want to Volunteer page here.

Training and development:

For local training and development, visit your local community voluntary support organisation from 10GM’s borough list here.
Walk Leader Champions Training – find out more here.
Club Matters Training for your club or group – Club Matters
For sport- or activity-specific support, you can also contact your National Governing Body

Celebrating volunteers with Mental Health Football

In Oldham, volunteering is giving people an opportunity to get active, and communities a chance to reconnect.

Kiera’s volunteering journey

For Kiera, who has multiple learning disabilities, sport was the first place she was able to make friends after being bullied at school, and it was seeing her coaches helping others that inspired her to start her own journey. Volunteering and coaching people of all ages, as her mother Jacqui says, has been the making of her. People with learning disabilities are often told that they can’t do things, but can’t certainly isn’t in Kiera’s vocabulary.

Lindsey’s parkrun volunteering journey

Lindsey wanted to improve the health and wellbeing of her local community in Burnage, Manchester, by setting up a parkrun, but was worried about how much time she could commit to it. With work commitments and family responsibilities filling her plate, she was unsure how realistic taking on more would be for her. Despite her uncertainty, Lindsey decided that it’s important to make time for things that you value, after all, we’re all busy!

Read her story

Empowering communities with Diversity Matters volunteers

In Hyde, women are using movement as a way to learn from each other and boost their health. Volunteers have organised community programmes that enable and inspire, improving physical and mental health in their neighbourhoods.

Jen’s volunteering journey

Jen is a carer for her husband and felt guilty about being away from him and taking time for herself. However, she’s learned that as a carer she has to take time for herself to help her be the best support to her husband that she can be. Through volunteering with the ‘On Your Bike’ programme, she’s found something that she loves to do and an extra support network for herself, that she didn’t even realise she needed.

Katrina’s volunteering journey

Having a disability had meant Katrina had been verbally abused a lot of her life, causing her self confidence to be rock bottom, and meaning she only spoke to those in her close family. Whilst Breakthrough were supporting Katrina in finding employment, she started volunteering with the UK Cheerleading Association, which helped her to grow in confidence, gain lifelong friends, and find employment, doing a job which she loves.

Read her story