About Thrive Trafford
Who We Are
Thrive Trafford is the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector Infrastructure Support Service for Trafford.
Thrive provides support for VCFSE sector organisations looking to set up, develop, grow, deliver high quality services and become financially sustainable. We work in strategic partnerships throughout Trafford and Greater Manchester. We also provide communications and volunteering support.
Thrive works in partnership with Trafford Community Collective, having helped to establish the Collective in response to health and care devolution to act as a membership organisation for the VCFSE sector providing local engagement, voice and representation with statutory authorities.
Meet the Team
The Thrive Trafford Service Delivery Team includes a number of highly skilled and experienced VCFSE sector practitioners, many who have worked in, provided support for, or led VCFSE organisations over many years.
Chris Hart, Director – Chris leads the Thrive Trafford team, responsible for coordinating Thrive Trafford services and developing partnerships between the VCFSE, public and private sectors. Chris collaborates with partners helping to develop and implement the Trafford VCFSE Strategy and leads the Thrive Trafford VCFSE Strategic Forum events engaging with our partners in the codesign of new policies, strategies, and services. Chris also leads on our work at the Greater Manchester level, representing Trafford’s VCFSE sector, and engaging in strategic partnerships and developing programmes. Chris has worked in the VCFSE sector for over 30 years, setting up Pulse Regeneration in 2001, a specialist VCFSE support consultancy, and having previously worked as Chief Executive of the Eldonian Village in Liverpool, a nationally recognised model of best practice in community regeneration and having won World Habitat Award status. Chris is formerly a Qualified Chartered Surveyor and Qualified Business Banker having worked across both the public and private sectors.
To contact Chris email: chris.hart@thrivetrafford.org.uk
Resma Patel, VCFSE Capacity Building & Funding Adviser – Leading Thrive Trafford’s capacity building and funding support, Resma brings nearly 20 years of experience as a grant writer, charity developer, and capacity builder. She specialises in supporting small charities and VCFSE organisations, blending technical expertise with a compassionate, community-centred approach. Resma provides tailored advice to help VCFSE organisations in Trafford flourish. Her work includes assisting with start-ups, advising on governance and legal structures, and helping organisations establish policies and procedures. She also supports projects and partnerships, ensuring organisations are equipped to build resilience and are ready to seize opportunities. In the area of funding, Resma conducts funding searches and offers critical friend support for funding applications, helping organisations develop the skills required for successful applications. This includes guidance on partnership bids and strategies to build resilience and long-term financial stability within the VCFSE sector. Resma is also committed to supporting social enterprises, providing advice and making referrals to mainstream business support services. She raises awareness of social investment opportunities, enabling organisations to access resources that strengthen their sustainability. Additionally, she collaborates with partners to support VCFSEs in Community Asset Transfers, providing general advice or facilitating referrals to experts when needed. Resma’s extensive advisory experience includes roles at Bolton at Home and First Choice Homes Oldham, as well as running a freelance funding consultancy with non-profits across the UK. Her track record includes securing significant funding and enabling organisational growth. Beyond her role at Thrive Trafford teaches Tai Chi and Qigong and offers coaching. She is a trustee for Backup Northwest, a Bolton-based housing charity that supports homeless and at-risk young people.
To contact Resma email: Resma.patel@thrivetrafford.org.uk
Bernadette Elder, Specialist VCFSE Support Adviser – Bernadette provides specialist capacity building support for Thrive Trafford, helping our VCFSEs with complex situations and developments. Bernadette works with individuals and groups across Trafford helping them develop their business models and providing bespoke group support to ensure good governance. In particular Bernadette helps with board development and community asset transfer and can support VCFSEs in developing high quality services and to become financially self-sustaining through the Trafford Quality Mark (TQM). Bernadette has extensive knowledge and experience of working in the voluntary sector as she has been CEO of Inspiring Communities Together, a charity based in Salford since 2011. Prior to this Bernadette worked on a national award-winning Regeneration programme – New Deal for Communities for ten years helping communities to develop the role of the voluntary sector in neighbourhood renewal.
To contact Bernadette email: bernadette.elder@thrivetrafford.org.uk
Cheryl Higgins, Communications and Engagement Officer – Cheryl provides information, advice, and organisational development support to Trafford’s VCFSE’s including through news, e-bulletins, and access to training. Cheryl manages the Thrive Trafford website and social media posts to keep the sector updated, raise awareness, and share important information about funding, events, and upcoming campaigns. Cheryl helps to connect Trafford’s VCFSEs including through the Thrive Trafford VCFSE Strategic Forum events helping to increase partner engagement. Passionate to support people and Trafford’s local communities, Cheryl is bringing groups and organisations together and keeping Trafford’s communities strong. Cheryl is a proven business leader with over 20 years’ experience in the welfare to work sector, helping people return to work in Trafford and the Greater Manchester areas. This will stand Cheryl in good stead to continue to help build and shape the VCFSE sector in Trafford.
To contact Cheryl email: cheryl.higgins@thrivetrafford.org.uk
Jack Puller, Volunteer Coordinator – Jack leads on volunteering coordination for Trafford, supporting people to access volunteering opportunities, including working with the Trafford Community Hub Volunteer Coordinators and with partners to share information and develop plans and strategies. Jack provides advice at Trafford’s Social Value Steering Group, working with local businesses, employers and VCFSE organisations to facilitate employee volunteering. Jack also organises and facilitates the Thrive Trafford Volunteer Managers Network meetings, enabling our VCFSE’s to share information and best practice, develop new skills, and provide peer support. Jack has many years’ experience developed in the VCFSE sector including working with Macc in Manchester as their Volunteering & Active Communities Manager overseeing work of the volunteer centre, and is an Investing in Volunteers Assessor and Advisor, and trained as an assessor for the Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation with NAVCA. Jack has a passion for voluntary action and active citizenship, and for supporting the VCFSE sector in Trafford.
To contact Jack email: jack.puller@thrivetrafford.org.uk
VCFSE Sector in Trafford
Trafford has a strong, committed and resourceful Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector built over many years. The VCFSE sector connects communities, supports individuals and families, delivers services, and provides opportunities for volunteering, training and skills development.
The sector supports communities and helps them to thrive, often supporting the most vulnerable in our society. A thriving and successful VCFSE Sector is fundamental to the economic, physical and mental well-being of Trafford residents.
In Trafford, it is estimated there are over 1,622 VCFSEs and 71% of these are micro-organisations working with local communities to help connect socially isolated people, transform green spaces and deliver community services to our residents who need additional support.
Our VCFSE sector in Trafford is varied; from Friends of Park Groups maintaining our greenspaces, volunteer led community groups offering activities to reduce social isolation, school governing bodies supporting education facilities across Trafford and faith organisations helping to address food insecurity to larger organisations providing health and wellbeing services.
Never has the importance of the VCFSE sector in Trafford been more evident than now, where the sector demonstrates great leadership, stepping up quickly to respond to the needs of residents in the borough by working collaboratively and successfully with the council, L&Q, Trafford Integrated Care Partnership and other partners, and developing new and important relationships for the future.
Traffords VCFSE Strategy
Trafford has developed a 5 Year Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) Sector Strategy. The strategy has been developed through the Living Well In My Community (LWIMC) Strategic Group which includes VCFSE organisations and public services, and through Thrive’s VCFSE Strategic Forum events throughout 2023. An Action Plan has also been developed to ensure delivery of the strategy which is being overseen by the LWIMC Strategic Group.
The Strategy Vision is that “Trafford has a strong and diverse Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector which plays a key role in strengthening communities and delivering shared priorities”.
The strategy champions a thriving and sustainable VCFSE sector in Trafford; a sector which has a strong and influential voice and is valued as a strategic partner.
A thriving and sustainable VCFSE sector will enable Trafford to achieve the outcomes of the Trafford’s Corporate Plan and the Trafford Together Locality Plan. The full strategy can be viewed here: Trafford VCFSE Strategy for 2022 to 2027.