Fran Darlington-Pollock, CEO, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity & Jim Minton, CEO, Mayor’s Fund for London question what the role is for Mayoral-led charities within civil society.
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If ‘levelling up’ is no longer the answer to disparities and inequitable growth – both across and within regions – might the solutions emerge from stronger alignment between the cohort of regional and metro mayors and the government? And if so, what are the implications for civil society?

That is the question that some chief executives of regional infrastructure bodies began to ponder in the summer, and in the light of priorities being articulated across Government alongside the announcement ofr the Autumn budget, it feels a good time to broaden the conversation.

In 2024 Think Tank Centre for Cities produced a report on growing regional philanthropy which recommended better connections between civil society and regional mayors. Of course, these connections already exist here and there – but our organisations, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and the Mayor’s Fund for London, are the only two current examples of a formal relationship between the two.

GMMC and MFL have different histories and operate under slightly different models. Crucially, however, both are independent charities with their Patron as whoever holds the elected position as Mayor. In Manchester, GMMC has been an independent place-based grant-making charity since 2018 – with a focus on tackling homelessness and ending the need for rough sleeping in the city-region. The primary focus of their grant-making to date has been Greater Manchester’s A Bed Every Night scheme, of which the charity is a founding funder.

MFL has a longer history, focussing instead on championing opportunities for young Londoners facing the biggest barriers. Throughout the lifetime of a young Londoner, MFL is here for them – providing food as a foundation, skills as a springboard, and power through platforms so they can grow, thrive, and shape London into a truly inclusive, more prosperous city.

When built on strong relationships, affiliating with a Mayoral Office should offer our charities a unique position to leverage convening power and geographical remit to focus attention, resource, and philanthropy on areas or causes of significant local need. While the power of the mayor as a champion and advocate is vital, however, charities must obviously be a-partisan and therefore independent. When this works well, it adds value to a system, rather than competing with existing infrastructure or work in a locality. In Greater Manchester, for example, the philanthropy channelled in the A Bed Every Night scheme ensures the rough sleeping response can be a universal offer, removing some of the restrictions on statutory funding and closing gaps in provision. In London, MFL assembled a partnership around holiday meals and activities, including The Felix Project and hundreds of community partners, to ensure 10 million meals were offered to London families each year during 2023 and 2024.

Of course, creating new organisations – in an era of intense scarcity for infrastructure funding – may not be the right solution. And while both MFL and GMMC feel like they have found good spaces to align with regional priorities while adding value as civil society conveners, political and other priorities may shift, and in complex regional eco systems there must be space for a range of voices and organisations.

Nevertheless, the outcome of the initial discussions was that there would be value in stronger connections between mayors and regional civil society, and this could offer the chance to channel – and grow – resources and attention to local need. The ‘triple squeeze’ of pressures introduced by the Autumn budget (increasing operational costs, reduced funding and higher demand), certainly signal a need to consider such opportunities. The affiliation with an elected mayor, with a mandate from the local population, can help focus attention on what is most important and where need is highest, though ensuring separation between personal preferences and local need is key to the charity governance. And in theory at least, when there is political alignment between a regional mayor and national government, it could open opportunities to align with broader priorities and take advantage of new initiatives. The new government still feels quite ‘work in progress’ with detail of policies still being worked out, but already announcements such as the national youth strategy and the focus on routes into work for younger and older people indicate there ought to be opportunities.

Clearly every region – and every mayor – is different. So while in London, MFL champions young people, and in Manchester, GMMC takes on homelessness, what another region’s mayor and civil society agree is their partnership priority might be something else entirely. Above all, it needs to be driven by the regional need, with engagement and consultation baked in from the start – an evolution of a model that works with the grain of the regional voluntary sector, rather than imposing something new from above.

Finally, there is of course a need to recognise that regional mayors are time-limited in their terms of office. In London, MFL is now into its third term with Sadiq Khan as its Patron, and this has allowed the charity to build credibility and more clarity about the relationship and role. It’s vital, though, that the charity’s mission lives beyond any Mayor’s specific term or policy priorities and stays independent and focused on longer term goals.

We want to continue the conversation in 2025, engaging regional charities and others in the conversation: if mayors are to play a role in re-booting our economy and reforming public services, then let’s make sure civil society has a place alongside them, and can use that leverage to make even more impact in communities.

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