The Fed (Manchester Jewish Federation) offers a unique service. It has the distinction of being the sole Manchester Jewish agency that not only provides social care services, but is also empowered to commission services for its clients from other agencies on behalf of the Statutory Authorities. This is provided by a dedicated team of over 90 paid and more than 400 voluntary staff (aged 16-90) who combine professionalism with a caring and supportive service.

The Fed’s daily challenge is to make life better for the many people in need - of all ages and from all backgrounds – who seek its advice, support and guidance. These include:

carers,
children at risk or with special needs,
the bereaved,
those with mental health problems or physical disabilities,
people in financial crisis,
people who are isolated or in hospital and
those who are subject to violence or abuse.

There are currently 30,000 Jewish people living in Greater Manchester and the community is growing rapidly. In any one year The Fed supports 3,000 people – approximately 1 in 10 members of the community.

The Fed’s Referrals and Advice Officer receives over 100 new referrals each month. Community growth is resulting in a massive increase in the number of requests made for help, based on which The Fed anticipates needing to increase its resources by 200% over the next ten years.

Our active Volunteers are The Fed’s single most important resource. They are the heart of the organisation, underpinning many aspects of service to people of all ages.

By working for The Fed, volunteers enjoy a sense of purpose and a feeling of satisfaction through making a positive difference to someone else’s life. They are given opportunities to develop their skills through training, make new friends and for some, volunteering fills a void in their own lives. "The nachos that I get from visiting my lady is worth one million pounds!" (Quoted by a volunteer July 08)

For more information, please contact Joanne Woolfson on 0161 795 0024 or email jw@thefed.org.uk