The AGMA Statutory Functions Committee was scheduled to consider updates on the Greater Manchester County Record Office and Archives and Local Studies Partnership, as well as the annual impact report for the Forever Manchester, Greater Manchester Relief Fund. The meeting was also scheduled to address administrative matters including the appointment of a chair for the upcoming municipal year and the noting of committee membership and terms of reference.

Greater Manchester County Record Office and Greater Manchester Archives and Local Studies Partnership

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation from Alison Gill, Heritage Archives Manager for Manchester City Council and GM County Record Office, regarding the progress of the Greater Manchester Archives and Local Studies Partnership (GMALSP) and Archives+. This partnership aims to provide an overarching strategy and development plan for local authority archive and local studies services across Greater Manchester.

The report detailed ongoing work in several key areas:

• Digital Preservation: The GMALSP has been developing and implementing a Greater Manchester Digital Preservation Policy, with the use of Travelling Digital Preservation Kits across six authorities.
• Sound Archives: The Greater Manchester County Record Office (GMCRO) has acquired significant sound collections, including oral histories from the Queer Up North festival, the Northern Dance Orchestra, and the archive of The Bradshaws. A project to improve access to over 6,000 born-digital and digitised sound recordings was planned, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
• Increasing Diversity of Collections: Efforts to diversify archive collections to better reflect current populations have been a priority, though previous funding bids to The National Archives for this purpose were unsuccessful.
• Preservation and Conservation: The GMCRO employs a Conservation Officer whose expertise is shared across all ten Local Authorities, providing advice on storage facilities and conservation techniques.
• New Online Archive Catalogue: Manchester launched a new online archive catalogue using the Collections Management System Epexio, which enhances public access to holdings from Manchester Archives and Local Studies and the GMCRO.
• Assheton Collection: A project to engage the public with the Assheton manorial document collection, dating back to 1197, was ongoing, involving historical and archery sessions for schools and community groups.
• Marcus Rashford Archives: A free educational resource was developed based on the Marcus Rashford archive, which documents messages of support and anti-racism following an incident in 2021. This resource aims to promote themes of empathy, anti-racist action, and contemporary history.
• Archive Exhibitions and Heritage Engagement: Manchester Archives has hosted various exhibitions, including The Road South to find True North, an exhibition commemorating the IRA bomb attack in Manchester, and Cultural Masterplanning.
• Support for Partner Organisations: Manchester Archives has supported several partner organisations with successful National Lottery Heritage Fund bids, including the George House Trust and Manchester Histories for the Queer Up North festivals.

The report also highlighted the activities of individual archive services within each of the ten Greater Manchester authorities, detailing their specific projects, achievements, and future priorities.

Forever Manchester, Greater Manchester Relief Fund Annual Impact Report 2025-26

The committee was scheduled to note the annual impact report for the Greater Manchester Disaster Relief Fund (GMDRF), administered by Forever Manchester. The report was to provide an overview of the fund's activity during the 2025-2026 financial year, including its purpose, financial position, and grant awards.

The GMDRF was established to provide financial support to victims of disasters and emergencies within Greater Manchester. The report indicated that the fund's endowment investment and current flow-through balance stood at £299,708. However, no awards were made through the GMDRF in the 2025-2026 financial year. The report also outlined the guidelines for the fund, which include criteria for eligible incidents, such as those triggering a Civil Contingencies Act declared emergency or a multi-agency emergency.

Other Scheduled Business

The meeting was also scheduled to address routine administrative matters:

• Appointment of Chair: Members were asked to appoint a Chair for the 2026/27 municipal year.
• Apologies for Absence: Apologies for absence were to be noted.
• Membership of the Committee: The membership of the AGMA Statutory Functions Committee for the 2026/27 municipal year was to be noted.
• Member's Code of Conduct Annual Declaration of Interest Form: Members were to be reminded of their obligations under the GMCA Member's Code of Conduct and requested to complete an annual declaration of interest form.
• Terms of Reference: Members were asked to note the Committee's Terms of Reference for the 2026/27 municipal year.
• Chair's Announcements and Urgent Business: Any announcements or urgent business were to be addressed.
• Declarations of Interest: Members were to receive declarations of interest in any item for discussion.
• Minutes of the Last Meeting: The minutes of the last meeting, held on 27 January 2026, were to be approved.
• Date and Time of Next Meeting: The date and time of the next meeting were to be arranged if required.