WOW! Celebrating Three Years of Women of Wythenshawe (2022-2025)
Women of Wythenshawe were out in full swing on Saturday evening to celebrate three years of hard work, personal and relational development and social change. The project has brought together nine local women’s groups to identify their priorities and take action on gendered poverty in Wythenshawe:
- Better Things Ambassadors
- Bright Futures Friends
- Dandelion Savers
- Know Africa
- Lifted Carers
- Mums Mart
- SEND Together
- Well Women
- Wythenshawe Women’s Welfare Association
Members from across these groups initially engaged in a series of learning exchanges whereby the women leaders visited one another in their local community settings. Alongside storytelling workshops, learning exchanges, and a co-created skills-based training programme, and gradually sharing and recognising their common experiences, this has enabled women to build their confidence to work with each other, deepen their understanding of their common experiences, and develop strong solidarity relationships.
“Before participating in WoW I have never attended a meeting with lots of people. I was a shy person; and it increased my confidence. It helped me meet with other people without feeling nervous…I feel that individually I have really benefited from being part of the WOW Network, it has changed my life!” WoW Participant
WoW women formed action groups around three main priority issues for women living in poverty in Wythenshawe which they identified as requiring systems change; Domestic Abuse; the Housing crisis; and the system around Special Educational Needs support for children, parents and carers.
Domestic Abuse
The Domestic Abuse Action Group partnered with Wythenshawe Safespots, a survivor-led support charity based in Wythenshawe, and worked with On Our Radar to gather survivors’ experiences and create a series of videos for a specialist online training portal reflecting the diverse experiences of Wythenshawe women. The training portal covers ten different kinds of abuse and survivor testimonies reflecting on the support they received and what would have made a difference. The training is aimed at public sector workers across Wythenshawe, aiming to improve the support received by survivors and will be launched in September 2025.
SEND
Leaders from the SEND Action Group have been busy undertaking training in SEND Law, IPSEA Courses, Mental Health and SEND Awareness to develop their capacity and knowledge to support service-users within their local SEND support groups. Working with SENETA, they produced a series of ‘myth-busting’ videos aimed at parents and carers of SEND children to raise awareness and share knowledge across the Wythenshawe SEND community. They partnered with The Grange specialist school to undertake a Train the Trainer programme. Working through new and existing connections, leaders aim to deliver this training in Wythenshawe schools and raise awareness among teachers and staff members to increase appropriate levels of SEND provision.
“Learning about the current situation in schools and the experiences of people with disability, there are some similarities still to when I was going through the system and it is good to be working on trying to change it… I’d like to see more schools taking up the training we are working on from The Grange and also the Inclusion Quality Mark accreditation.” WoW Participant
Housing and Inclusive Development
Born out of the Housing Action group, the Wythenshawe Central Network is a constituted, neighbourhood forum currently with 20 organisational and 100 individuals across its membership. The network was formed amidst increasing local concerns about what was happening with the redevelopment of Wythenshawe’s Civic Centre. With support from urban design consultants, WoW leaders brought together local residents, community groups, civic and faith organisations through a series of community workshops and a neighbourhood walkabout with local councillors (header image) to map out their hopes, fears and priorities for Wythenshawe. The network has partnered with Churches Together Wythenshawe to advocate for a stronger local influence in decision-making processes and ensure the diverse needs of Wythenshawe’s community are reflected in plans to unfold.
“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.” (WCN Committee member and member of the WoW Housing Action Group)
WCN are a key ‘local area team’ within the wider Social Homes for Manchester coalition who have just contributed to an increase in social rent housing targets for the city of Manchester from 5% social or affordable rents to 21% social rent.
Women-led Enterprise
Some women leaders have partnered with Flourish Together CIC to develop their skills and capacity and establish their own social enterprises. Bright Futures Friends are running outdoor learning activities, and exploring becoming incorporated to do SEND awareness training consultancy. Well Women and Know Africa leaders are hoping to set up catering enterprises and we had the pleasure of having their delicious food at our celebration party on Saturday!
It has been an amazing three years of learning, skills-development, challenges, achievement and growth for WoW women. Leaders have worked extremely hard and are keen to continue advocating for systems change on gendered poverty by working closely in collaboration with local councillors, partner organisations, and most importantly each other.
“Someone once said that unity is strength and that is certainly true of the Women of Wythenshawe project. Having the opportunity to be part of a hugely varied and diverse group of women, sharing experiences from different perspectives and experiences only makes this incredible group of women stronger in their pursuit of systems and policy change and in support and understanding of each other.” Wow Partner
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A Big Step Forward
Savings, Spaces, and Solidarity: Community Savers in 2024
A Big Step Forward
Social Homes for Manchester are pleased to announce that Manchester City Council (MCC) passed a motion last Wednesday 16 July to increase social and affordable housing targets in the city.
Moving away from the 2012 policy where only 5% of new housing developments of 15 homes or above had to be social or affordable rents; MCC have now voted for a new set of targets under which 21% of new housing developments of 10 homes or above must be social rent.
The original motion was brought by the Lib Dems after a Green Party amendment to a motion in February 2025 endorsing Social Homes for Manchester’s ask for 30% social rent was not agreed by council.
The new city policy will require 30% of all new housing developments of ten homes or more to be ‘affordable housing’ of which 21% should be social rent homes, a further 3% is to be Manchester Living Rent (which means within the Local Housing Allowance threshold), and 6% is to be low-cost home ownership options.
The new targets were a key focus of discussion at the Manchester Social Housing Commission on Thursday when Community Commissioners from Miles Platting, Hulme, Moss Side, and Wythenshawe thanked Executive Member for Housing and Development Cllr Gavin White and all elected members for listening to community concerns on the housing crisis:
“Last year when I walked in this room, I just thought no, it’s just going to be a load of talk, and nothing is going to change. But listening to the discussion around this table now, I just can’t thank you enough for all the hard work that you all do. Thank you on behalf of all the residents, and all the communities.” Zoe Marlow, Wythenshawe Central Network.
Councillor Gavin White said:
“We were pleased to see the council giving unanimous support for our view that 30% of our housing delivery should be affordable with 70% of this being for social rent. We all want to see more social, council, and genuinely affordable housing in our city, to tackle the housing and homelessness we face.
It has been good to engage with and listen to the social housing commission over the last year and ensure that our ongoing response and strategy as a council is truly ambitious to meet the needs of our city.
We are pleased to see the recent announcements by the Labour government of £39bn for new social and affordable housing over the next 10 years, with 60% of that being for social rent – we are already in discussions with government about how we can help with the accelerated delivery of these new social and affordable homes in Manchester.”
Next steps
The local plan with these revised targets and policies will be subject to an 8-week public consultation from mid-September 2025. While recognising this big step forward for the city in addressing the housing crisis, for Community Commissioners and the Social Homes for Manchester coalition, concerns remain about what this will mean in practice.
1. The evidence tells us that 32% of new build homes must be for social rent to address the housing crisis across GM.
Robust research into the housing crisis across England provides clear evidence that we need to deliver 32% social rent across Greater Manchester.[i] The Commission’s own evidence highlights the cost savings social rent achieves for government and how social rent is the only tenure that can address the crisis of more than 4,500 children in Temporary Accommodation and nearly 20,000 households on the waiting list for a social home in Manchester.
2. There is a groundswell of political will to build higher levels of social rent, and this is reflected in large increases in national grant.
21% social rent is a big step forward that should be celebrated, but we know that what we really need in Manchester is a minimum target of at least 30% social rent. MCC have been making great progress towards building higher levels of social rent even before Rachel Reeves announcement of £39 billion for social and affordable housing, and Angela Raynor’s follow up call for 60% of the homes delivered to be for social rent.
One example is the development of 69 low carbon homes with 100% available for social rent. Another is the planned development on the former Boddingtons site which is set to include 60% affordable housing including 22% social rent with 55% of this funded through grant and 5% funded through Section 106 contributions.
With such a significant increase in national investment and so much political support for social rent delivery at national and city-regional level, why not aim higher?
3. Developers must pay their share
Increased grant rate should not be an excuse for private developers making millions of pounds in profit to avoid a fair contribution to public benefit in the city.
Our comparative table of a range of English cities shows that historically in Manchester developers have been given a free ride when it comes to making contributions for social rent delivery.
In addition to adopting a minimum requirement of social rent homes on all new housing developments of ten units or more, MCC have the power to set a percentage of social rent homes onsite of every new development, which then puts the onus on the developer to demonstrate through transparent viability if this is not possible. It also gives the local authority more weight in the decision.
This would help avoid viability loopholes that many local areas see when negotiating with big developers via Section 106/planning obligation agreements.
Developer contributions could also be used to retrofit existing poor quality/poorly insulated social homes on a case-by-case basis, which would, where implemented, mitigate damp and mould, bring down energy bills, and reduce carbon emissions.
4. Increased Planning capacity, transparency, and accountability
To maximise the delivery of ecologically sustainable social rent homes we need increased investment in funding for local authority planning departments and capacity building and training for local Planning Committees (something Oxford City Council have done to positive effect).
The Manchester Social Housing Commission are advocating in partnership with others across the country for the protection of community voice and the voice of elected members in planning decisions through the retention of powers of local Planning Committees.
These committees and our Planning Officers need training and capacity building to enable them to understand the complexity of planning issues; to hold developers to account for their obligations; and to implement and enforce planning conditions through to the end of a development process.
All too often developers negotiate their way out of the conditions placed on their planning applications citing a lack of profitability using ‘viability assessments’ compiled by expensive planning consultants.
This must end, and Commissioners continue to work with Lords and MPs to push Government to recognise that they must close the viability loophole and invest in local authority planning departments to ensure they have the expertise, time, and resources to hold developers to account.
Locally, Social Homes for Manchester are asking MCC for a new set of Planning Transparency pages on their website to enable communities to search by ward and at city-scale for local area data on housing need; active planning applications; and levels of social rent requested and delivered through both Section 106 and other forms of investment.
Manchester residents: please sign up to join the SH4M mailing list here.
Ward councillors: please make your pledge to demonstrate your support for a target of 30% social rent on all new developments of ten homes or more.
Manchester-based organisations: please demonstrate your organisation’s support for the six asks of the SH4M coalition – join the coalition here.
Our six asks:
- At least 30% social rent in all new developments of over 10 units.
- Stronger scrutiny and public accountability for the setting and enforcement of Section 106 developer obligations and to focus these contributions on the delivery of ecologically sustainable homes for social rent.
- Establish a Commission on social rent housing for Manchester.
- Develop a practical strategy for how to increase delivery of Community Led Housing and other community-led facilities including from donations of council-owned land.
- Develop a practical strategy for the renovation and transfer of empty homes into sustainable homes for social rent.
- Ensure all new build homes of any type or tenure are ecologically sustainable.
The Commission referred to under (3.) already exists and Commissioners are working hard to explore the evidence base and develop recommendations. You can read more about this at: https://www.socialhomes4mcr.org.uk/commission.
[i] Bramley, G. (2024: p.69), Housing Requirements in England Revisited. Heriott-Watt University https://pure.hw.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/113960635/Bramley_G._HOUSING_REQUIREMENTS_IN_ENGLAND_REVISITED.pdf
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Savings, Spaces, and Solidarity: Community Savers in 2024
Savings, Spaces, and Solidarity: Community Savers in 2024
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!
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A Big Step Forward
What does Reeves’ announcement mean for Manchester’s homeless and overcrowded families?
The Manchester Social Housing Commission welcomes Rachel Reeves’ announcement of £39 billion for social and affordable housing, but questions remain on social rent..
Residents from some of Manchester’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods today broadly welcomed the Chancellor’s promises of increased funding for new and existing social and affordable housing but deep concerns remain about the cost of living crisis.
Zoe Marlow, Manager of Dandelion Foodbank in Wythenshawe and Community Commissioner said:
“It’s great to hear that the government has nearly doubled investment in affordable and social housing, but I am really worried about the proposed 10 years of above inflation rent increases they have announced in combination with all the welfare cuts.
Here in Wythenshawe, there is a lot of disability – I myself have a long term condition – so a lot of people can’t work – if they are putting up rents, they also need to make sure people have enough to live on. I see mums every week at the food bank who can’t afford to feed their children because of the cost of living crisis so how are they supposed to find even more rent with no additional income for food?”
The Manchester Social Housing Commission was launched in July 2024 in partnership with Manchester City Council, housing and climate justice charities and other social landlords in the city. Commissioners have been producing evidence about the need for a massive boost in long-term investment in sustainable homes for social rent and certainty over rent increases to help social housing providers build more homes and refurbish their existing stock.
Bishop of Manchester, Dr David Walker, who chairs the Commission said:
“We are delighted to see that Government is listening to the many and diverse communities, charities, local authorities, and providers across the country who have been raising their voices for so long on the need for urgent action on the housing crisis.
£39 billion is certainly going to help. But the government needs to go further and commit the majority of that funding to building new homes for social rent with clear and enforceable targets.
Otherwise, we fear that this investment will mainly go towards so-called Affordable Rent, which is usually 80% of market rent and will not help clear the 19,000 households on Manchester’s housing waiting list or the 3000 households living in temporary accommodation.”
The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) contained a number of other positive announcements on housing, including protecting spending on homelessness and rough sleeping, more money for early interventions to prevent homelessness and to support local authorities in England to increase the supply of good quality temporary accommodation and drive down the costs of private provision.
The Warm Homes Plan will also help to cut bills by hundreds of pounds per year for families across the country by upgrading homes through insulation, heating and solar panels.
It comes however in the same week that MPs have been debating the Planning & Infrastructure Bill which is currently a missed opportunity to ensure that these funds for new homes will meet requirements for social rent and sustainability, including a failure to ensure national targets for the number of social rent homes required.
Dr James Vanderventer from Manchester Metropolitan University who also sits on the Commission said:
“There is a lot of good news in the CSR, but building new homes for social rent at scale needs more than just capital and rental income. The government should look at our proposals for changing existing rules on grant funding to enable more flexibility, how to unlock cheaper land for social housebuilding, increase local authority capacity to build, re-use existing empty homes and use the tax system in more innovative ways to incentivise building and retrofitting, and create new revenue streams to help fund it.”
The Manchester Social Housing Commission launched their second policy brief – How to fund and deliver sustainable homes for social rent – ahead of Reeves’ announcement setting out a range of innovative measures through which investments could be made into homes for social rent together with the cost savings that are achieved through social rent delivery.
The Commission’s first policy brief was launched by Community Savers representative for Wythenshawe Central Network Zoe Marlow, and Thirza Amina Asanga Rae in the House of Lords in November.
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A Big Step Forward
Community Commissioners call for urgent action on the housing crisis
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.”
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.
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Launch of the Manchester Social Housing Commission
The Manchester Social Housing Commission held its first meeting in July bringing Community Savers leaders together with cross-sector experts to develop local and national proposals for addressing the housing crisis. The Commission is chaired by the Right Reverend Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester and supported by the Social Homes for Manchester campaign.
Community Savers representatives from Collyhurst, Miles Platting, and Wythenshawe advocated for 30% of all new housing developments of ten homes or more to be social rented homes that are climate and nature friendly. They also asked housing sector professionals to stop using the term ‘affordable housing’ and refer to housing for social rent or private rent. Communities often think affordable means social, and it prevents them holding developers and the council to account for building the social homes we need.
Zoe Marlow of Dandelion Savers and Women of Wythenshawe said:
“We need to stop blurring the line between social homes and affordable homes and just say which one is which. People are confused.”
The lack of information provided at a community level about developer obligations, or ‘section 106’ contributions, was also raised and Commissioners discussed the need for a review of viability assessments which developers use to avoid these obligations on grounds of low profitability.
Sue Anya of Miles Platting Community and Age-friendly Network (MPCAN) said:
“We need to know where the section 106 money goes. It doesn’t seem to get invested in the community where construction is happening…We also need to have information much earlier – we never find out what is happening until everything has already been decided.”
Families in lower income areas of the city also depend on their own family and social networks for childcare and social care support but Sheila Davis of MPCAN highlighted how children and grandchildren of existing residents are unable to find a social rental home in the same area and can’t afford escalating private rents. Flats let at “affordable rents” cost 80% of market rent but there is no cap on market rent, so these offer no solution to people working for minimum wage or even the ‘living wage’.
Sheikha Omar of Moss Side Tenants Union called for the complete banning of Section 21 evictions, the application of Freedom of Information legislation to housing associations not just local authorities, an end to the sale of social housing to private equity companies, and better controls on rent increases for both social and private tenants.
The Commission will be making policy proposals to Manchester City Council and to the new national government administration in the coming weeks and will be developing the detail of their recommendations over the next 12 months. Community representatives on the Commission will be working closely with the Social Homes for Manchester campaign coalition to organise neighbourhood-based briefing sessions across the city, raising awareness about housing and planning policy and ways to work with local councillors to secure better outcomes for their local area.
Social Homes for Manchester is a coalition of community associations, charities, think tanks, academics and social justice organisations focused on accelerating the number of social homes that are created in Manchester by 2030 and ensuring this is done in an environmentally sustainable way.
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Spotlight on Dandelion Savers
Read our interview with Lina, Committee Member at Dandelion Savers, find out about one of the newest groups in the Savers Network who are already achieving great things!
Can you tell us a bit about Dandelion Savers? When did you start, where and how often do you meet? How many members do you have?
Dandelion Savers is part of the Dandelion Community, this is an established Community, where workers and volunteers have been serving the Woodhouse Park area and other parts of Wythenshawe areas for as long as the United Reform Church Building has been standing, and is under the leadership of (Rev) Kate who works there.
Dandelion Savers are a newly established Savers Group that started in January 2023, the Committee Members are made up women who are existing volunteers or service users of the Dandelion Community. Initially a group of 7 women came together with a view to establishing a Savers Group and joining the Community Savers network. This was following a visit to an existing network member in Miles Platting.
Dandelion Savers are a small team, it was initially created and run by two committee members, the number has now increased to three committee members. Who are Fathima- Committee Treasurer of the Dandelion Savers, Lina- Committee Leader of the Dandelion Savers, Zoe,- Committee Leader of the Dandelion Savers. I feel that the group exist, remains in existence, due to the amazing technical support it receives through the support agency CLASS.
Who meet at the Dandelion Community – Oakland Road M22 1AH from 10am – 1pm on Wednesday
We have 23 members active members.
Dandelion Savers members where invited and some attend the Christmas Party/End of Year Party in December 2023 hosted by the support agency CLASS, a fun time was had by all who attended, for the committee members, it was great to meet and get to know some of the other Savers in an informal Christmas/End of Year setting.
Savers at the weekly Dandelion Savers group
As a group, what would you say are the main benefits for the individuals who save with you?
Dandelion Savers, benefits the Dandelion Community, its workers and volunteers and seeks to provide an opportunity to bring people/residents in the Woodhouse Park area together.
The Savers Group seeks to help existing Savers and encourage residents :-
- To be more in control of their own money.
- To think about saving money for a special occasion or holiday.
- To think about saving money for repairs or to buy an item that costs a lot.
- Encourage saving thereby reducing the chance of needing a loan, using loan sharks or credit cards
- Encouraging resident to save so that they feel less stressed about money and debt, during the cost of Living crisis.
How long has Dandelion been working with the Community Savers network? Has working with the other groups helped Dandelion to develop, learn, expand or do things differently?
The Dandelion has been working with the Community Savers network for 1 year now, receiving technical support from the Support Agency, Community Led Action & Savings Support (CLASS). We are a brand new group of committee members, working together for the first time.
Throughout 2023 we attend quarterly Community Leaders Network Meetings, where we met with other Community Saver Leaders. The agenda were set by the Leadership Team and we planned, learned and developed together.
Throughout 2023, we had the option to attend training on mental health, neurodiversity and safeguarding in community groups.
Extra Training was provided for SEN System and schools
We had the option a learning network events to connect with Birmingham & Coventry organisations also funded by Renaisi/Smallwood.
We have had an option to attend a CLASS Trustee meeting to introduce ourselves, as a new Savers Group
Last but not least, we had the option to attend, the annual Community Savers Retreat: in Llandudno 10-13 July 2023
All these training opportunities, and technical support from CLASS (the Support Agency) have allowed us Committee Leaders to develop in our role as Leaders, allowed us to set up really good systems, as well as undertake our weekly Savers Group meetings on Wednesdays. All the committee members are volunteers, they also volunteering for other groups and are involved in other community groups.
As well as the savings group, are Dandelion Savers involved in any other community projects and what are the impact of these?
As leader for our Saving group, it quickly became evident that this was a role that was encouraging us to get involved in community action, we initially went to visit another Savers Group in Miles Platting that was organising a local housing campaign.
We have been encouraged to join a network of other women led groups in Wythenshawe, called Women of Wythenshawe, we have been meeting quarterly and seeking to focus on community actions that affect Gender Justice. The group have voted to focus on three Topics, Special Education Need (SEN), Domestic Violence (DV) and Housing.
The community action within the Housing Group has really taken off, due to a number of local issues, with the focus of the campaign on promoting Social Housing and Social Rent in the Woodhouse area. This is because the Places for Everyone consultation, took out the wording social rent and secondly in the local area Manchester City Council (MCC) have bought the Civic Centre and there is a drive of community action to influence the MCC to include social rent housing in their plans and not “affordable housing” as it has quickly become apparent that the term “affordable housing” is not covered by the Local Housing Allowance rate and is unaffordable.
What can we expect to see next from Dandelion Savers next – does the group have any plans for the future?
The Committee Leaders recently attended a Network Meeting in January and made plans for 2024, which included feedback from the Learning Exchange in Nairobi Kenya, a display on the Community Savers Board in the Dandelion Community, Committee Leaders want to increase membership by going out into the community to recruit members, Committee leaders would like to arrange an a day out for its members, and prepare for an AGM.
Give them a follow on FB herehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551388052760 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551388052760
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Wythenshawe Women take action for systems change!
In 2022, Community Savers and CLASS brought women’s groups and their support agencies together across the Wythenshawe area to think about the many ways in which poverty is gendered and explore ideas for systems change.
Out of that work (and with support from Smallwood Trust) Women of Wythenshawe was born: a women-led poverty action network comprising ten member groups which regularly brings together approximately 30 women leaders to take action together for systems change.
The intersecting issues they identified on their visioning journey were many but in autumn 2023 they prioritised three critical issues that are holding women back in fundamental and systemic ways in Wythenshawe (and across the UK) that require urgent action:
- Domestic Abuse
- Access to social housing
- The crisis in Special Educational Needs provision
WoW leaders have formed three campaign groups to take action for systems change on these issues, and with support from Renaisi on systems mapping and On Our Radar on community reporter training, they are taking the city by storm.
“Someone once said that unity is strength and that is certainly true of the Women of Wythenshawe project. Having the opportunity to be part of a hugely varied and diverse group of women, sharing experiences from different perspectives and experiences only makes this incredible group of women stronger in their pursuit of systems and policy change and in support and understanding of each other.” Kate Maggs, Better Things
WoW Housing Action
WoW leaders joined forces with community leaders in Hulme and Miles Platting in October to catalyse a new campaign coalition called Social Homes for Manchester Now! They have produced a series of video shorts highlighting the urgent need for more new build homes for social rent for women and families and demanded that Places for Everyone – the new spatial framework for Greater Manchester retains clear wording and commitment on social housing. Together with a coalition of organisations that includes Community Savers/CLASS, Greater Manchester Tenants Union, Greater Together Manchester, Shelter, Mustard Tree, and Steady State Manchester they are now seeking a commitment to 30% homes for social rent in all new developments under the Local Plan and closer to home, within the redevelopment of Wythenshawe Civic Centre.
“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” Shelley Wallis, Wythenshawe Women’s Welfare Association
The WoW Action on SEND group are working on three key areas:
- a campaign for all schools in Wythenshawe to gain Inclusion Quality Mark accreditation by International Women’s Day 2026
- establishing a mums-led training collective that can run workshops and training in local schools with governors, teaching staff and parents
- developing an evidence base and a set of recommendations about the needs of young people as they move out of the SEND system and into adult social care support after turning 25
The Domestic Abuse team are excited to be developing a new partnership with Safespots to co-create specialist training for statutory workers across the Wythenshawe area on how to support the full diversity of WoW women in situations of domestic abuse including women with learning disabilities and autism, women with no recourse to public funds, and women from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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“When we know each other, we build each other” – the power of international exchange.
These were the words of Rashid, Chair of Muungano Wa Wanavijiji, at the opening session of a week-long international exchange in Nairobi between Muungano and Community Savers leaders from Manchester and Sheffield.
Rashid was sharing on the power of exchanges in the SDI tradition – a tradition that has been nurtured, tested, and adapted over more than thirty years, in 32 countries across the Global South.
November 2022 was a special month as Community Savers leaders were able to welcome activists from Nairobi here in the UK, share knowledge and learning on their adaptation of SDI/Muungano methodologies with postgraduate students in Manchester, and then travel to Nairobi to experience these approaches first hand; visiting settlements and exchanging learning with their sister federation.
Here we try to capture some highlights from a rich month of learning and inspiration…
“We Kenyans, and you from the UK, we are the same.”
Anastasia Wairimu is Chair of Akiba Mashinani Trust one of three organisations that make up the Muungano Alliance. After her second trip to the UK in November 2022 exchanging learning with Community Savers, she recognised that despite very different histories, low-income communities in the UK experience the same dynamics of exploitation and discrimination as informal settlement communities in Kenya.
Tina Cribbin is Chair of Aquarius Community Savers in Hulme, Manchester: these exchanges have enabled Tina and Anastasia to develop a strong relationship of trust and mutual respect, and Tina agreed with Anas’s observations. In particular, Tina noted the similarities in negative attitudes among those holding power and purse strings who judge low-income communities as criminal, as lazy, as a problem that needs fixing.
During her latest visit to the UK, Anastasia was shocked to see how older people are treated after visiting Hopton Court tower block in Hulme where 75% of tenants are aged Over-50 and many have long-term conditions, disabilities and mobility constraints. During their visit, the lifts were out of order again (a regular occurrence over the previous five years) and elderly people had been left with no way of getting out of the block or bringing food shopping up to their flats. Tenants shared how throughout the pandemic they had nowhere to meet with their neighbours due to the absence of a communal area at the block; and how elderly people are falling through the gaps between housing, health and social care services in ways which leave them unable to pay for food, heating or sometimes without appropriate end of life care.
During the Nairobi visit, Ellie and Sue from Miles Platting shared experiences of top-down regeneration and gentrification which resonated strongly with Muungano anti-eviction activists. Leaders reflected that although the extremity of the circumstances are very different the principle of top-down attempts to push lower-income groups away from the inner-city is the same.
During November, leaders from Miles Platting gave urban inequality students a tour of their neighbourhood. They explained to them how the Private Finance Initiative that was supposed to regenerate the area for the existing community has resulted in a net loss of approximately 500 social rental homes and the inflation of house prices and private rents far beyond a threshold that local working families can afford. This is leading to the breaking up of families and people on lower incomes being pushed out to other boroughs of Greater Manchester. Existing residents had agreed to the PFI (including compulsory purchase orders and demolitions) on the basis that a suite of community facilities would be built, including a joint services centre and leisure and retail facilities. In the end, none of this was delivered. The community are now calling on Manchester City Council to protect the public land that these community facilities were supposed to be constructed on for community benefit.
At our final reflection, Jonte shared how an elderly woman housing activist in Kambi Moto who has been involved in their community-led housing movement for over 30 years was amazed to learn that she can sit together with people from the UK, this developed country, and find that they are struggling against the same social issues and can learn from how communities have organised over land and housing in Nairobi.
“Saving is an act of resistance”
Community Savers have been holding learning exchanges with Muungano activists since 2017 and during November’s exchange in Nairobi, Tina explained to Anas that:
“What changed for me was about the savings: I used to feel like I don’t want to save, I want to spend. But you told me that every time you save it is an act of resistance and that has really changed it for me.”
Savings groups are the building blocks of a united and powerful community-led movement for poverty reduction and the transformation of urban social power relations. Tina’s group are now beginning to see the fruits of building power through savings as on return to the UK they had a meeting with the housing provider at Hopton Court (above). The provider issued an official apology for the experiences of older people at the block and announced that they will be replacing the lifts to ensure elderly people are never put in a situation of being trapped in the building again.
Aquarius Community Savers have also been able to build a new coalition of groups in their social housing estate who are coming together to form a new Aquarius Neighbourhood Forum including members of Hulme Tenants Union; Epping Park Warriors; Aquarius Tenants and Residents Association and Age-Friendly Hulme and Moss Side. They have worked closely with their local ward councillors to oppose a private development that would block the sunlight from Hopton Court gardens and put even more pressure on overburdened local services. They are now working with their councillors to request the rezoning of the Aquarius estate out of the city centre planning area and into the Inner South zone in support of a community-led plan for their thriving local community.
“Unity is our strength, Information is our power”
Muungano begin their meetings with call outs to their members “Unity? Is our strength! Information? Is our power!” During the final reflection at Muungano House on 25 November, Anastasia explained that:
“There are 43 tribes in Kenya, but at Muungano we know only two tribes: the haves and the have-nots”
Unity is critical to addressing this inequality.
We reflected on the importance of collective solutions and collective thinking. We discussed how in the UK people have become individual clients of government and service providers. Although it is good to have a social welfare system, it is provided in a way that has made people become passive. Tina observed that “it is given but it is never what you would have asked for. Now we are learning to ask for what we need.”
We reflected on the power of community data and also the value of university partnerships even though universities generally represent the “Haves”. Nicerah from Kibera shared how after she joined Muungano and began collecting data in her settlement, officials were asking her “How can you know how to make these survey questions on your own? What university did you go to?” Nicerah was able to tell them “My University is Muungano”.
Emily, a national leader from Mathare, explained how at the same time, Muungano has developed partnerships with university departments and their students. Students can help them to collect data and write up reports. This is not because the community cannot do it without their help, but it is about recognising that these students may be the next Planning Officer or Water and Sanitation official in the future: “If we teach them now, they may come back to us in the future”.
Validation is a critical step in the process: presenting the data collected back to the community through public meetings to enable them to correct inaccuracies and build a sense of ownership over the information and the change that the information makes possible.
Earlier in the week, as we began our learning exchange, Nancy explained that data collection underpins everything for Muungano: “we have to know ourselves” and this is the principle underpinning Know Your City TV…
Know Your City TV: “We can change the story”
One of the most inspiring engagements for UK activists during their week in Nairobi was with the Youth Federation leaders involved in data collection, advocacy, and Know Your City TV.
Through KYCTV young people are engaged in community action by creating opportunities for them to learn skills they are interested in like film-making and photography while leaders also engage youth through art, music and sports.
The UK team took home the principle of “Just One” – you only need one engaged young person to start a youth movement. That one person will be able to engage other young people.
UK delegates were inspired by their inclusive approach involving arts and sports and participatory approaches and tools for engagement and planning – especially the Tree of Transformation which enabled young people in Mukuru to come together for visioning of the changes they wanted to see and the conditions that they needed to foster to achieve those changes.
Georgie from Arbourthorne asked the youth leaders what made them engage with Muungano and KYCTV as it can be hard to engage young people in the UK who say “nothing ever changes”. They explained that they grew up in the settlements and they saw politicians come and go with promises that they never delivered on. They recognised Muungano’s message that we have the solutions and we know our community best. We were tired of all the negative representations in the media and decided that with the training they were offering we can change the story.
Younger youths were inspired and motivated by older youth mentors who they looked up to. The older leaders explained that they put their trust in the young people to carry out data gathering and document Federation processes; and importantly they show them love and nurture them. The leaders focus on what the young people themselves are interested in and what they want to learn and: “Give them a chance to be who they are”.
They advised the UK team: “try to spot the ones with ambitions, start with them, find the youth that want change, show them the opportunities, show them a better way of life”.
Exchanges such as these between grassroots communities across different international contexts are critical for enabling communities to recognise their expertise and the commonalities of their experiences, struggles and strength within global and urban systems which act to exploit and oppress them. Yet they resist, they organise, and they grow stronger, smarter, and more effective through global solidarity networks: when they know each other, they build each other.
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Women take the lead on poverty action in Wythenshawe
Women of Wythenshawe or ‘WoW’, is a new women-led poverty action network in Manchester made up of women’s organisations who say enough is enough. WoW has been awarded £500,000 by The Smallwood Trust for an innovative three-year programme to build a women-led poverty action network from the bottom up across the Wythenshawe area.
Women will be supported to share their knowledge and experience and to identify common areas for action on gendered poverty in the neighbourhood, developing strategies for systems changes that will reduce disadvantage and make significant improvements to women’s ability to thrive. Mums Mart Savers have played an important role in establishing the network, engaging in community exchanges across Wythenshawe, while CLASS will convene the network and work closely with local support agencies to enable women’s participation across at least ten different groups.
Women will be in the lead while able to call on the support of trusted local agencies when they require that help, such as bringing in key decision-makers to identify channels for influence and change. These include Executive Director of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group, Paul Seymour and Mike Kane MP.
Reflections from WoW members:
“We are so excited to be part of the Women of Wythenshawe network all the women in our group are excited about it. We have a lot that we need to share and we need to bring our voices out there.”
Ruth, Know Africa Foundation
“Our group is beautiful! We come together and make food and do activities and try to practice speaking English. WoW is a good idea for us because we need to do more activities with English speakers, but we can also share the different ideas we have – we can give each other good ideas to help each other.
Narjes, Well Women refugee support project
We have been in the Wythenshawe area for 13 years supporting carers of adults or children with learning disabilities and autism. We are really excited to be part of the WoW network because there are so many families that we work with that we want to support to have a louder voice. Many of our mums will be passionately involved in this piece of work over the next three years. It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity, also to meet with other groups in our area and become stronger by working together.
Emma, Lifted Carers Centre
Wythenshawe has had millions of pounds of regeneration funding invested over the past twenty years’ but poverty persists in many areas. WoW recognises that solutions and approaches need to be developed in partnership but from the bottom up. That means people bringing their experiences together from the individual and household level into a collective problem-solving space that is led by those directly affected.
WoW unites grassroots women around the place where they live and their common experiences, while bringing together a wide diversity of experiences and backgrounds including women of different ages, abilities, ethnicities and experiences. Wythenshawe has extremely high rates of domestic abuse (significantly higher than those for Manchester and England) and survivors are also represented.
Wherever you go in the world, poverty is gendered. As mothers, carers, low-income workers, and survivors, women shoulder an unequal burden of poverty while providing the social safety nets that hold communities together.
In the UK, it is women who have been disproportionately impacted by austerity policies, by COVID, and now by the current economic crisis (www.wbg.org.uk).
Paul Seymour said:
We are looking forward to supporting the WoW network as it evolves. We are really excited to be involved in this initiative that we believe could be the start of something transformational for women in Wythenshawe.
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