Building the team – congratulations to Tom Allanson, newly promoted Partnerships & Grants Officer

To be effective, pioneering and collaborative, we need to work closely with those we fund and others working to address homelessness in the city region. This is why we are restructuring our team.

Homelessness has no place here in Greater Manchester, and to make that vision a reality we raise funds to support pioneering, innovative work across the city region. At the heart of this work is A Bed Every Night, and we are proud of our role as a founding funder of this flagship scheme. A Bed Every Night continues to have a significant impact on rough sleeping in Greater Manchester, and we remain committed to supporting this unparalleled emergency provision. But more is needed. Beyond emergency provision, we support the construction of new spaces and the temporary accommodation sector via our ‘Places & Spaces’ funding stream, and through ‘Targeted Prevention’ fund programmes and work to support people at risk of homelessness.

Understanding the shape and the extent of the need for funding, including how and where that can be most effectively and impactfully directed is central to our values. To be effective, pioneering and collaborative, we need to be close to those who have or may seek to access our funding. We need to be approachable, available and responsive, working with our grantees to determine the effectiveness of the work funded and understand where changes can and should be made.

This ethos has underpinned Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity since its launch. However, to ensure it imbues all of our work as we look forward to a year of growth and expansion, we have created a new post dedicated to working in partnership with our grantees – past, present and potential – as well as others in the funding landscape working to address homelessness in Greater Manchester.

Tom Allanson has been with the charity since 2021 working closely with many of the organisations we have funded, our Board, and external stakeholders. He has gained an invaluable understanding of the challenges and needs of people and organisations in the sector, and the work we do raising vital funds to support their activities. In recognition of his experience, appetite for development, and commitment to our aims, we are delighted to announce the promotion of Tom – formerly Team Administrator – to this exciting new position.

Fran Darlington-Pollock, Head of Strategic Development, said,

“Tom has been an incredible asset to the charity, taking on significant responsibility during the summer months as former members of staff moved on to new roles. This new role is in recognition of the understanding he has developed since joining, and our wider plans for growth and expansion. This is an exciting time for GMMC!”

Tom will look to deepen relations with our partners in the sector, support grantees through the lifecycle of their grant, and help to continually build our understanding of existing needs and challenges to better inform our ongoing grant making. With Tom in his new post, we will review and rejuvenate our approach to monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that we can identify and learn from pioneering approaches without burdening already stretched organisations delivering services and interventions. Tom will continue to support our wider fundraising activities, but his primary focus will be around our grant making activity.

Donate today and know that your money will help tackle homelessness across our city-region for a fairer and more sustainable future.