Are you interested in gaining bid-writing skills or refreshing your knowledge? Our three-hour interactive workshop aims to help you improve your confidence and increase your chances of successful funding bids, through:

Register for Intro to Bid-Writing here.

Join for the first installment of the Mighty Mini Research Collective Unconference!

The Mighty Mini Research Collective is a member-led community for independent researchers, micro businesses, and community interest companies (CICs) making a difference through social research.

Passionate about impactful research, this conference is focused on how to sustain the business behind it.

As Stockport's charity infrastructure support organisation, we provide fully-funded advice, guidance and networking across the borough for Voluntary, Community, Faith based groups, Social Enterprises and charities..

We'll be based at The Space in Stockport Town Centre for the afternoon so please come and see us to chat through any concerns, ideas or feedback you have regarding your community group.

Book a 30 minute slot with the Sector 3 team here.

Discover the technique that improves your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being

This session will be led by My Mindset, a Stockport-based VCFSE organisation. It is aimed at those working, volunteering, or starting out in the VCFSE (voluntary, community and faith-based groups, and social enterprise organisations) sector in Stockport.

As Stockport's charity infrastructure support organisation, we provide fully-funded advice, guidance and networking across the borough for Voluntary, Community, Faith based groups, Social Enterprises and charities..

We'll be based at Offerton Library for the afternoon so please come and see us to chat through any concerns, ideas or feedback you have regarding your community group.

Book a 30 minute slot with the Sector 3 team here.

VCFSE organisations from across Greater Manchester are invited to join a summit bringing together the Cancer Alliance and VCFSE partners.

This is a chance to build stronger relationships, share ideas and experience, celebrate impact, and work together to shape how we improve cancer outcomes in our communities in the future.

The event is open to all VCFSE organisations, not just those already working in cancer. We especially welcome new organisations and new voices.

Register for the GM VCFSE Cancer Summit here.

As Stockport's charity infrastructure support organisation, we provide fully-funded advice, guidance and networking across the borough for Voluntary, Community, Faith based groups, Social Enterprises and charities..

We'll be based at Brinnington Library for the afternoon so please come and see us to chat through any concerns, ideas or feedback you have regarding your community group.

Book a 30 minute slot with the Sector 3 team here.

Need some dedicated time to focus on getting things done? For example, are there funding bids that need writing, or policies that need updating and you don't have the headspace to tick them off? Join us at the VCFSE Sector Support Space, our new informal drop-in session designed especially to help VCFSE organisations get your bidwriting tasks done!

Register for VCFSE Support Space here.

The full day course provides learners with the knowledge to identify safeguarding concerns, record a disclosure and how to report concerns.

Register for Level 3 Award in Safeguarding here.

The Sector 3 team will be based at Hazel Grove Methodist Church for the afternoon so please come and see us to chat through any concerns, ideas or feedback you have regarding your community group.

Book a 30 minute slot with the Sector 3 team to discuss anything related to:

• Funding (bidwriting, which funds to apply for and more)

• Fundraising

• Trading & generating a sustainable income

• Governance

• Volunteer Management & Recruitment

• Organisation structure

• Marketing

• Impact reporting

• And more

Register for the Hazel Grove Surgery here.

An opportunity for people who are responsible for raising funds to find out about new funds, share information and network.

Register for VCFSE Income Club here.

This session is open to anyone living within the Greater Manchester area with an interest in promoting positive cancer awareness messages to family/friends/work colleagues or anyone else within your local community.

Register for Answer Cancer event here.

Join Charlotte from Sector 3 for a focused training session exploring how Artificial Intelligence can support and enhance your bid-writing process.

Register for Intro to AI & Bidwriting here.

Faith Network for Manchester invite you to a consultation on the future of interfaith work in England and the UK.

Register for the Interfaith NW Consultation here

Register for the Stockport Moves Network meeting here

Learn skills to plan and film short videos that strengthen or support funding applications, to win those grants!

If writing funding applications is your idea of a nightmare, and as more funders look to be more accessible and provide video application options, this workshop can help give you the practical skills to create low-cost films that showcase your organisation's activities and impact, connect emotionally with funders, and stand out in a competitive funding environment.

All attendees will receive access to pre-recorded self-led training on how to edit your content.

Register for Lights, Camera Funding here

8 WEEK COURSE

This is a new 8-week course funded by Sector 3 in partnership with Walthew House, starting every Tuesday evening from Tuesday 28th April and will run until Tuesday 30th June, with a 2 week pause (Tuesday 19th May and Tuesday 26th May). Each session will be 2 hours long, starting at 6pm and finishing at 8pm.

Over the 8 weeks, the course will cover basic signs to be able to have a simple conversation with a person who signs. You will cover things like greetings, travel, weather, direction, events, animals, emotion, and anything else that comes up through the course.

To register for the Intro to BSL Course click here.

Introduction to social enterprise is a FREE webinar open to anyone who is interested in using enterprise to deliver community, social or environmental impact.

• Define social enterprise

• Explore income options

• Clarify your model

• Next steps confidence

Register for Introduction to Social Enterprise here.

Join Charlotte, Sector 3, for a 90 minute session with Dave Butler, Cyber Security Manager at Stockport Council, who will run through:

-What cyber security is and why it matters

-How scammers trick people into clicking malicious links or sharing personal information

-How to spot and report suspicious activity

-How to secure your laptop, mobile devices, and passwords

-and a quick walkthrough of a typical cyber-attack to prepare you for any possible incidents

Register for Cyber Security Awareness here.

Join Clare for the first Proper Good Business Club meet of the year. We’ll hear from Steve Oliver, founder of musicMagpie, as he shares how he scaled the company while staying true to its core values. We’ll also be joined by Kate Darby from Dementia Disco, who will discuss how she’s successfully garnered support from local businesses, plus a return visit from Karen Smith, who will dive deeper into how businesses can effectively collate and evidence their social impact.

RSVP for Proper Good Business Club: From Profit to Purpose here

This qualification will provide an understanding of safeguarding which can be used in a workplace, activity group or any instance where a person comes into contact with children or adults at risk. The qualification provides learners with the knowledge to identify a safeguarding concern, record a disclosure and report to the appropriate person.

Register for Level 1 Awareness of Safeguarding here

This webinar explores how long‑term, trusting relationships between the VCFSE sector, councils and businesses lead to effective, person‑centred employment support. Using real examples from Sector 3 and the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme, we’ll explore how collaboration grows over time, how to communicate the value of small organisations, and why being 'in the room' matters.

Register for Building effective crossector relationships here

Thinking of setting up a group and not sure what the difference between a CIC, CIO, or incorporated group is? This is a 90 minute workshop which will run through the different types of VCFSE structures, the steps needed to set up, and the essentials needed to run your group.

Register for Choosing a VCFSE group structure here

An opportunity for Stockport's VCFSE sector to find out about new funds, share information and network.

Register for February’s VCFSE Income Club here.

Protection Approaches are delivering Active Bystander training, designed to help participants safely address identity‑based harms in their community, school or workplace, using real-world scenarios to build confidence in implementing Active Bystandership in everyday life.  

Limited to 20 places, sessions will take place on:

Monday 23 March (10am-12pm)

Wednesday 25 March (6pm-8pm)

Register for one of the sessions by emailing marcusbowen@vcsep.org.uk