Savings, Spaces, and Solidarity: Community Savers in 2024

wp_gms | 16 Jun 2025

We have worked together with Nifty Sustainability CIC on an in depth look at what Community Savers affiliates and partnerships are achieving through our community action with a focus on 2024. Below is an abridged version of sections from Nifty’s excellent independent evaluation report – its a great read!

Download our 2024 Impact Evaluation here

Inputs

Community Savers members and leaders bring their time and expertise, life experience, willingness and enthusiasm to the alliance, and CLASS works hard to ensure these are valued and meaningful. CLASS supports Community Savers to develop capacity, knowledge and skills. CLASS nurtures community leaders and creates social and strategic spaces for reflection, learning and relationship building such as the annual retreat. The Community Savers–CLASS alliance is genuinely effective with transparent and authentic leadership and co-governance structures. CLASS also bring a helpful legitimacy to the groups, as well as technical support.

“CLASS come to you. There are other charities out there that support people, but you have to go to them. What’s happened with CLASS is that they meet on your patch, listen to what you need, don’t parachute in, and help you to see that you’ve got the skills amongst you, you’re the experts in the field and it’s just about bringing that voice out really.” Leader interview

Action

Community Savers and CLASS are leading on a variety of innovative activities. However, the building blocks remain the women-led and community-based savings clubs. These are an adaptation of a 30-year strong social movement called Shack/Slum Dwellers International. Stemming from and galvanised by the savings groups, there were no shortage of precedent-setting projects, partnerships, neighbourhood networks and campaigns to explore including Ageing Well in Place in Hulme, Miles Platting Community and Age-Friendly Network, Women of Wythenshawe, and Social Homes for Manchester. These are all underpinned by community priorities and participation and facilitated by CLASS and partners. In addition, community-led learning exchanges lead to knowledge sharing, capacity building and new relationships.

Outcomes

The alliance of Community Savers and CLASS, their approach and their activities are leading to a range of positive outcomes at the individual, neighbourhood, and city-regional scale, which would not otherwise be possible.

Members have more savings, less debt, more resilience to financial shocks

The number of affiliated Community Savers groups/neighbourhood networks remained at 8 in 2024 during a period when CLASS was also coordinating community action of nine member groups in the Women of Wythenshawe network. The numbers of individuals and leaders increased, as did savings turnover both in terms of deposits and withdrawals.

61% of members survey respondents said they would have spent the money they saved through the savings club on other things, and many of these said they would have wasted it on ‘rubbish’ and things they didn’t need and that the savers groups were valuable in reducing this. 52% of members survey respondents said that being a member of their savings group had changed the way they think about how to manage money.

“I’ve never saved before I joined the Dandelion Savers. For more than 2 yrs now, I’ve realised how you can save money. I have £1000 in savings now.”

Leaders have increased skills, employment and personal development opportunities

It is clear from the data that being involved in Community Savers and CLASS work is leading to positive impacts around knowledge and skills, and personal development opportunities. Throughout 2024, Community Savers and Women of Wythenshawe leaders engaged in ongoing skills development from the basics for running local groups like financial management and accounting; health and safety; first aid; and building an inclusive approach for people with diverse needs; to safeguarding, mental health and neurodiversity; and understanding incorporation.

Members have improved mental and physical health

These impacts were reportedly as a result of, for example, having somewhere to go, people to meet, speak to and share problems with, and feeling accepted as part of a community.

“I used to be a recluse and didn’t come out of my flat for 10 years and then I found out about this place and started coming here 7 months ago. If i don’t come here for a week, then come the week after, people say ‘where’ve you been?’ It’s nice to know you’ve been missed.” Savings club member

“I would like to say a massive thanks to Wow for giving us the opportunity to learn new skills that will help us grow and helping us believe that we can make a difference, and to empower us to encourage and inspire others to do the same. WoW is the best thing that has happened to Wythenshawe. Together we are stronger.” Women of Wythenshawe Leader

Increased access to community facilities

The importance of community spaces and facilities came through strongly and some important milestones were reached in 2024 around spaces that Community Savers and CLASS are involved with.

Mums’ Mart finally signed the lease on a derelict caretakers flat in a local church enabling the renovation to get underway. The space was co-designed by local mums and will be free to use for local women’s groups for the next ten years. Miles Platting Community & Age-friendly Network have successfully registered a new CIO, in partnership with St Cuthberts C of E Parochial Church Council, called St Cuthberts Communities Together with a joint vision for a multipurpose faith and community hub. And in Hulme, One Manchester are renovating a 3-bedroom ground floor flat and a caretakers room into tenant-governed community spaces for residents of Hopton Court and Meredith Court tower blocks.

“This community has been stripped of all its assets – the swimming pool, the library, you name it, it’s gone. But now we’ve got so much hope that through St Cuthberts Communities Together we can have a space where we can socialise, worship, maybe space for the NHS, maybe some housing. Big plans! And CLASS helped support us with that” Leader interview – MPCAN

Women of Wythenshawe

The Women of Wythenshawe network is doing amazing work and being part of the network is having positive impacts on people’s confidence to act on their ideas. Groups and organisations are working together more which means signposting can be effective between groups and services. WoW have united around four priority areas for community action on gendered poverty – domestic abuse, women-led social enterprise, SEND education and social housing provision.

“CLASS have done something very unique I think. Because they have spoken to the local women about what the needs are. So, you know the big ones are housing, disability, domestic violence, and they’ve looked at those and it’s three separate groups because it’s three separate issues. However, they’re all interconnected but you almost can’t have this big umbrella of going ‘right let’s deal with them all’ because every one takes such a lot of knowledge, experience, time. So, by having the three and then pulling them together we can all help each other. So, the housing team are fighting for better housing and accommodation for disability but also for women fleeing DV… So we’re all working together” Partner interview

The work on housing was a catalyst for the development of Wythenshawe Central Network which has become the legacy structure for Women of Wythenshawe. Wythenshawe Central decided to affiliate with the wider Community Savers network in October 2024.

“I’m most proud of the connection we have made with so many women in Wythenshawe and the Wythenshawe Central Network that has come out of it. And now we are engaging the community in the development of the town centre. It feels like we are the bridge between the developers and the community and sharing all the information.” Leader interview

Social Homes for Manchester

The Social Homes for Manchester campaign coalition was catalysed by Community Savers mobilisation in 2023 and launched the Manchester Social Housing Commission chaired by the Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, in 2024. The Community Savers leadership felt they had reached a stage of development where they wanted to join their voices together across the city. Together with partners, they have made the following six requests of Manchester City Council:

  • At least 30% social homes included in all new developments of over 10 units to be enacted in local policy and enforced through the setting and enforcement of section 106 obligations.
  • Stronger public accountability and scrutiny for the setting and enforcement of developer obligations to build new social housing
  • Establish a Commission on SocialHousing for the City of Manchester.
  • Develop a practical strategy for thepromotion of Community Led Housing.
  • Develop a practical strategy for the renovation/transfer of empty homes into homes for social rent.
  • Ensure all new developments are climate and nature friendly

Community Commissioners are a core part of the process and include women of different ages from different parts of Manchester and those who have made Manchester their home from different backgrounds. They are the ones who have been organising in their local areas and encouraging people to talk about the issues that are affecting them, and they are shaping the agenda of the Commission for example by making sure housing provider accountability and scrutiny is included alongside increased numbers of social housing. They bring diverse experience and expertise into the room and add weight and legitimacy to the process.

“The fact that we’ve got people from the communities sat on the coalition and the Commission – but particularly the Commission – alongside some incredibly influential individuals. I think that speaks for itself.” Partner interview

Join the mailing list and/or become a member of the coalition here

“I’ve learned where to go, and who to approach, and what to say to the people that we are asking things from, whereas two years ago I wouldn’t have had a clue about any of what we are doing now. I’ve learned how to understand the jargon, how to approach things, how to be in the room with so many highly qualified people, but feel that I belong there which is very important because people like me don’t usually feel they belong in that room.” Leader and Community Commissioner, Wythenshawe

In November, Community Commissioners Thirza of GM Tenants Union and Zoe of Wythenshawe Central and Dandelion Savers gave powerful testimonies in the House of Lords to launch the Commission’s five urgent national policy asks. And residents and community leaders from Hulme, Miles Platting, Moss Side, and Wythenshawe have drawn on several years of local organising as well as more recent community workshops September-December 2024 to draw together local priorities for housing and local development. They presented these priorities to senior officers in Manchester City Council’s Planning department in January 2025 in anticipation of the new Local Plan for Manchester in 2025.

“The booklets we’ve produced have been helpful for when I’m talking to our local members about things in their ward and when social housing projects come up… the Commission has articulated the evidence across the city… I work with all the Councillors to make the case for that. So I think the Social Housing Commission has helped with that evidence.” Commissioner, Manchester City Council

“When someone living in social housing expresses something related to whatever that topic of conversation is, people really switch on and listen because I think most, if not everyone else at the table doesn’t live in social housing and I think it’s important to kind of counterbalance this sort of abstractness of policy by having that real world perspective to ground us.” Commissioner interview

Learning and Next steps

CLASS and Community Savers have carried out extensive reflection and learning together throughout 2024 enabling them to develop a new three year strategic plan which is available for download. This sets out the current organising context they are negotiating and a series of strategic objectives and priorities for 2025-2028.

The Community Savers groups are having positive impacts at member, household and group levels around saving money and building financial resilience, as well as connecting members of the community, reducing isolation and supporting wellbeing. CLASS is meeting these groups ‘where they are’ and working with them to explore relevant opportunities for skills, knowledge and capacity building, which is developing confidence and encouraging members to develop local activities and interventions to make their communities better for those that live there. CLASS is also working hard to develop partnerships with organisations that have shared values around relevant issues such as social housing, domestic abuse and ageing well to focus on progressing these agendas together.

“CLASS have actually pulled together independent groups that were working in silos and brought them together as a unified group.” Partner interview

All the while, ensuring community voices are being meaningfully included in conversations and governance spaces, which is valued across the board.

“I think it’s important that there are groups that can help give a voice to people but also help organise so that in terms of the formal levels of governance locally and nationally there is a place round the table for everyone.” Partner interview

Positive feedback loops are developing whereby Community Leaders feel more confident and empowered through having their voices heard and their place at the table and so are creating and leading more ambitious agendas for change.

“…it’s genuinely innovative, and I genuinely believe that if more communities have this opportunity you could start to see a profound shift in the voice and power and democracy that communities have. But it’s more than that, because the way CLASS do it, they really engage with the council and other services and make these services listen to tenants and engage with tenants. I don’t think you could ever really capture the impact fully of how this approach influences the culture of the sector.” Partner interview

CLASS and Community Savers are delighted with Nifty Sustainability CIC’s evaluation of our work and impacts in 2024! With the chancellor’s announcement of £39 billion for social and affordable housing on 11th June it could be that the hard work of housing justice coalitions across the country may be about to pay off. But the devil will be in the detail. What is needed now are clear targets for what proportion of new build homes will be developed for social rent!

Community Commissioners call for urgent action on the housing crisis

wp_gms | 30 May 2025

The Manchester Social Housing Commission launched in July 2024 after Community Savers affiliates across the city called for urgent action to address the crisis where over 19,000 households are now on the waiting list for a social rented home in the city.

Today, the Commission launches its second policy brief: How to fund and deliver sustainable homes for social rent. The first policy brief and research report focused on an analysis of the housing crisis in Manchester and called for five urgent policy asks. This report sets out five key areas for reform that will make accelerated delivery possible.

DOWNLOAD HOW TO FUND AND DELIVER SUSTAINABLE HOMES FOR SOCIAL RENT

FIVE KEY AREAS FOR REFORM

1. Boost funding: A long-term government funding settlement for all social landlords through much higher levels of grant, access to cheaper government borrowing with longer repayment terms, and long-term rent settlement that is fair to both tenants and social providers.

2. Unlock land: Pursue options to unlock cheaper land for social housing delivery.

3. Reuse existing buildings: Make better use of existing residential and commercial buildings through the planning system to deliver social rent homes at pace.

4. Financial innovation: Support the development of alternative capital and revenue funding sources for social rent housing.

5. Transform supply chains: Invest in an alternative social housing supply chain to unblock the existing capacity barriers and reduce the cost of construction and retrofit.

Councillor Gavin White, Executive Member for Housing and Development at Manchester City Council and a lead member of the Commission said:

“Councils all over the UK want to spend more of their budgets on social housing, rather than temporary accommodation for those experiencing homelessness; this long-term and joined up financial investment in social housing is the way we will solve the housing and homelessness crisis and build the homes once again that our communities need.”

Zoe Marlow, Community Commissioner representing Wythenshawe Central Network was left with a 25% reduction in her housing benefit after her children moved out due to the bedroom tax. She has survived repeated evictions threats, court cases, and the stress of constant rent arrears despite actively wanting to downsize. Thankfully she has now been appropriately housed and continues to work hard to give voice to the experiences of tenants across the city through the Commission process including in Parliament in 2024. Zoe says:

“Throughout this time, I tried to move to a smaller home and free up my 3-bed to one of the thousands of families living in overcrowded housing, but I was not allowed to bid for another social home because I was in rent arrears. Thankfully, I’ve finally been able to move to a smaller home I can afford. A lot of people are going through this. And that’s why I’ve got involved in the Manchester Social Housing Commission to work with others to get the millions of homes for social rent we need and abolish the cruel bedroom tax. That is the only way to address under-occupancy and reduce over-crowding.”

Zoe calling for stronger resident voice within the redevelopment of Wythenshawe Civic Centre in April

The Manchester Social Housing Commission will continue to unpick the mutually reinforcing housing, cost of living, and climate crises and develop robust solutions for local, regional and national government through to December 2025. You can find all their publications here: https://www.socialhomes4mcr.org.uk/publications.

The Social Homes for Manchester Coalition will take forward the findings of the Commission over the next five years through to 2030. There are many ways to support these efforts. Please sign up to the mailing list or if you are a Manchester-based constituted group or registered organisation please consider joining the coalition.

The Untold Stories of Manchester’s Housing Crisis

wp_gms | 03 Mar 2025

Tenants need to join forces across Manchester neighbourhoods. This was the key message arising from SH4M’s first film screening and campaign workshop at St Cuthbert’s church in Miles Platting in February.

This was the first in a programme of events that will take place across the city throughout 2025.

What is the City but the People? is a short film co-created by two inspiring women leaders from Moss Side and Wythenshawe to raise awareness about the urgency of the housing crisis across the city.

MPCAN (Miles Platting Community and Age-friendly Network) were the first coalition to host the SH4M campaign to screen the documentary and raise awareness with their local community about easy and urgent actions they themselves can take to support the collective effort to get more social rent homes delivered across the city.

A key focus of the current work is the new Local Plan which will be published for an 8-week consultation in Summer 2025 by Manchester City Council.

Download our Local Plan Handbook here

Download our Campaign Information booklet here

Planning can be very technical and boring! But if you were ever going to engage in planning this is the policy to wake up to! The Local Plan will determine how much housing, what types of housing, and where housing will be developed across the city for at least the next ten years.

Councillors Carmine Grimshaw and June Hitchen were in attendance and promised to add their pledges in support of our headline campaign ask which is for 30% of all new housing developments of 10 homes or above to be homes for social rent. You can view the full list of which councillors have pledged their support here.

You can invite Social Homes for Manchester to come and fun a film screening and workshop in your local area – just email socialhomes4mcr@gmail.com.