The Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee met to discuss preparations for Bonfire Night, tackle anti-social behaviour, and review the Our Manchester Voluntary and Community Sector Fund. The committee noted the progress made in reducing deliberate fires, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage during the 2024 Bonfire Campaign, and discussed plans for the 2025 campaign. Members also reviewed the Our Manchester Voluntary and Community Sector (OMVCS) funding programme for 2026-29, which will see an increase in the fund's budget to £4.5 million per annum.

Our Manchester Voluntary and Community Sector Fund 2026-2029

The committee reviewed the Our Manchester Voluntary and Community Sector Fund 2026-2029, which provides grants to voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations in Manchester.

The OMVCS fund, first launched in 2018, aims to support the health and sustainability of VCFSE organisations in the city, enabling them to meet the needs of Manchester residents and contribute to the priorities of the Our Manchester Strategy 2025-2035.

The fund's budget will increase from £2.4 million per year to £4.5 million per year, representing a total investment of £13.5 million over the three-year programme. Councillor Joanna Midgley, Deputy Leader (Statutory), stated that this increase demonstrated a positive commitment to invest in the VCFSE sector and respond to the pressures it faces.

The fund will continue to provide grants for core running costs and/or activity costs, with funding caps at £40,000 per annum for small grants, £70,000 per annum for medium grants, and £100,000 per annum for large grants. The fund will prioritise organisations that:

• Know their place and community well, and respond to what people tell them
• Tackle discrimination and disadvantage for groups of people, especially related to racial¹ and disability-related inequalities
• Help people to find effective and sustainable pathways out of poverty
• Support the health, happiness, and safety of the people they work with

The application process closed on 1 September 2025, and the assessment and decision-making process will take place in the coming months. The committee welcomed observations and recommendations on this part of the process.

The OMVCS Grant Programme Guide 2026-2029 states that all applications will be assessed against three criteria:

• Impact on Manchester residents
• Case for funding
• Ways of working

Preparations for Bonfire Night and Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour

The committee received a report on Preparations for Bonfire Night and Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, which outlined partnership operations to address anti-social behaviour (ASB) during the Halloween and bonfire period, and provided an update on progress against recommendations made by the Anti-social Behaviour Task and Finish Group in 2023.

The Bonfire Campaign is a Greater Manchester-wide, multi-agency approach to preventing, tackling, and protecting against bonfire and firework injuries, ASB, and criminal damage.

The 2024 campaign consisted of three phases:

• Phase 1: 1st September - 14th October 2024 (Prevention and Risk Reduction)
• Phase 2: 15th October - 10th November 2024 (Prevention, Risk Reduction, Enforcement & Reassurance)
• Phase 3: 11th November - 30th November 2024 (Prevention, Risk Reduction & Evaluation)

The report noted that in 2024, Manchester achieved reductions in:

• Deliberate primary fires²
• Anti-social behaviour overall
• Criminal damage offences

There was no change in the number of attacks on firefighters since last year, but the reductions achieved since 2021 have been maintained.

The key issues identified for the Manchester partnership during the 2024 campaign were secondary deliberate fires³ in areas of North Manchester and an increase in GMP recorded incidents related to ASB involving nuisance from fireworks.

The report also provided an update on the recommendations progressed from the 2023 ASB Task and Finish Group, including:

• The Council publishing guidance on how to report ASB, what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, and potential penalties.
• Consulting with members of the Task and Finish Group, service users of ASBAT, and young people on the guidance and communications.
• Encouraging Youth Outreach Services across the city to adopt a consistent approach to tackling ASB and barriers to reporting experienced by children and young people.
• Encouraging housing providers across the city to create and adopt a 'Manchester Standard', a consistent approach to tackling ASB and barriers to reporting ASB across all housing providers.

The committee was invited to provide feedback on the draft 'Manchester Standard' and contribute to the plans for the 2025 Bonfire Campaign.

The Bonfire Safety Advice from Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service (GMFRS) was appended to the report.

Overview Report

The committee received the Overview Report, which provided details of previous recommendations, key decisions, and the committee's work programme.