FAQ’s

What is Bright Sparks?

Bright Sparks is a community discovery tool that helps people find activities, events, and sessions across Manchester. It’s a searchable, trusted guide that makes local opportunities easy to find.

Who can join?

Bright Sparks is open to anyone running community-focused activities in Greater Manchester.

• Grassroots Organisers— individual organisers, voluntary groups, informal community projects, small clubs, early-stage or unfunded CICs, charities, and sole traders running occasional sessions.
• Organisations— small businesses, CICs, registered charities, community centres, established clubs, organisations delivering ongoing weekly activities.
• Institutions— local councils, large charities, major venues, funded programmes, multi-site organisations.

Why join?

• Be found when it matters — your activities and events appear when people are actively searching locally, not just when they happen to see a post. Bright Sparks users have already decided to do something, they’re just weighing up options.
• Everything in one place — community activities and events are scattered across websites, social media, and mailing lists. Bright Sparks brings them together in a focused, easy-to-search guide.
• Listings that last — add an event once and it stays visible, resurfacing automatically without constant posting.
• Relevant visibility — events appear in multiple contextual lists, such as “Free things to do this week” or “Rainy day activities for kids in the city centre.” Listings are shown based on relevance, not budget; we don’t sell featured placements.
• Trusted and reliable — all listings are reviewed, edited, and published by Bright Sparks to ensure the guide stays moderated and reliable.
• Divest from big tech — ideal for ethically-minded people and organisation who are looking for ways to move away from US infrastructure and big tech.

What types of events can I list?

We welcome events and activities that help people connect, try something new, or develop skills:

• Classes, workshops, discussion sessions
• Wellbeing or support activities
• Volunteering and community opportunities
• Arts, culture, and creative sessions (including performances, exhibitions, open-mics, gigs)
• Public social gatherings
• Online events aimed at Greater Manchester communities

We don’t include private/invite-only events, primarily commercial activities, fundraising, PR-focused events, political campaigns, or anything promoting hate or exclusion.

→ See our Listing Guidelines

Who uses Bright Sparks?

• Bright Sparks is used by people who are actively looking for things to do in Manchester. Users have already decided they want to take part in an activity or attend an event, they’re just exploring their options. Roughly 300 local people actively use the guide each month.
• The guide is also used by venues and community spaces looking for organisers, and by organisers looking for venues, helping both sides connect.
• Future plans involves distributing it to social prescribers and community link workers.

What are the ideas behind Bright Sparks?

• The voluntary and community sector often works in isolation, with each organisation trying to build its own online presence. Bright Sparks provides a collective space that draws more attention to individual organisers and their activities.

• Bright Sparks aims to get more people off social media and into their local communities. It’s an alternative to social media that isn’t toxic, addictive, or profit-driven. Instead, it’s run by local people who care about their neighbourhoods, who are creating a trusted, community-focused digital space for discovering activities and events.

Why does Bright Sparks charge a membership fee?

Bright Sparks charges a small monthly fee to keep the guide curated, moderated, and reliable. This ensures every listing is reviewed, edited, and published to the right sections of the guide – and to maintain a trusted, easy-to-use resource for the community.

Fees vary by membership tier to reflect the scale of your programme:

• Grassroots (£10/month) — individuals, volunteer-run groups, small clubs, informal projects, early-stage CICs or charities.

• Organisations (£35/month) — small businesses, CICs, charities, clubs, and community centres running regular activities.

• Institutions (£100/month) — local councils, large charities, major venues, or funded programmes.

Fees help us maintain a safe, community-focused space, cover running costs, and allow us to focus on quality, relevance, and long-term sustainability — without relying on advertising or selling featured placements.

How do I add my events?

Once you’re a member, submit your activities and events via your member dashboard. You’ll get access to a single, easy-to-use form.

Listings are published within 1–3 business days after submission. Delays may occur if we need more information from you.

How do I join?

1. Sign up online and select the membership tier that fits your organisation or project: Grassroots, Organisation, or Institutional Partner.
2. Choose monthly or yearly billing, pay your membership fee, and start adding events via your member dashboard.

→ Join Here

Why is Bright Sparks sometimes closed to new members?

We close new memberships when we’ve reached capacity. This ensures we can continue to provide a high-quality, reliable guide where every listing is carefully reviewed, edited and published in the right places.

If the guide is currently closed, you can join the waitlist by emailing hello@brightsparksguide.org.uk

Any questions?

Email hello@brightsparksguide.org.uk