Great Places was proud to recently support the Step Forward Fund, a community-led initiative delivered in partnership with Step Up MCR, a place-based giving charity championing health and wellbeing across Ancoats & Beswick and Clayton & Openshaw. As we continue to build more homes in these neighbourhoods, our Community Investment Team has been working closely with Step Up MCR to empower residents and strengthen local connections.
Through our social value fund, Great Places contributed £5,000 to the Step Forward Fund, distributed as two £2,000 grants and two £500 grants. The distinctive feature of this fund is its participatory model: local residents decide which projects receive support. This approach puts power directly into the hands of the community, ensuring investment reflects the priorities of those who know the area best.
“Great Places was delighted to provide this funding to invest in these communities and to learn from this community-led approach, with a view to exploring how a similar model could be adopted in other neighbourhoods,” said Pete Crean, Community Partnership Manager at Great Places.
The celebration event, hosted at the vibrant Resonance Centre in Clayton, brought neighbours together for an evening of pitches, performances and festive cheer. Local groups presented inspiring ideas focused on improving health, wellbeing and social connection. Music, spoken word, warm food and generous donations to local food pantries added to the sense of community spirit.
Following resident voting, four projects received funding: The Resonance Centre and Rise & Flourish were each awarded £2,000, while Calm Minds Collective and the Multilingual Choir received £500 and £200 respectively.
Reflecting on the evening, Nicole Hope, Director of Step Up MCR, shared her appreciation:
“Thank you to Great Places for making this fund possible, to the Resonance Centre for hosting us, and to all the local residents and groups who brought the evening to life. We cannot wait to see these projects grow!”
Since the event, one of the funded projects has now successfully completed all the sessions supported through the Step Forward Fund, marking a fantastic milestone for the community.
Great Places looks forward to continuing this partnership and supporting community‑led initiatives that help neighbourhoods thrive.
