Manchester charity CEO Nick Massey CBE is stepping down after 27 years at the helm. Forever Manchester, which is the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester, provides funding for a wide range of community projects such as mental health support groups, disability groups, junior football teams, food banks, refugee support networks, and knit & natter groups. Since joining the charity in 1989, Nick has led the organisation, which is the only charity raising funds to help grassroots charities across Greater Manchester, to deliver over £67M of grants to those who need a hand up to build happier, stronger communities. Nick said: ‘The most powerful thing lesson I’ve learned, and its simple but genuinely life-changing – is this, the strength of a community is measured by how deeply its people care for one another. I hope my legacy isn’t measured by what I’ve done, but on what the team go on to do, because the organisation is not about one person, it’s about shared responsibility, being brave and doing the right thing even when it’s easier not to. In a word that celebrates individual success, Forever Manchester has always been different, and championed the power of communities, and helped them build themselves to be stronger’ Rebecca Durrant Chair of Forever Manchester said, “We’d like to thank Nick for his 27 years of dedication to the charity. His leadership, warm personality and vision has been key to the incredible growth of the charity and enabled thousands of grassroots organisations to flourish.” Rachel Hirst, current deputy CEO, will succeed Massey as the new CEO.
