Last Updated: 2025-05-20 09:28:53
GM Live Well Event
Date Posted: 24/04/2025
A Day of Learning, Sharing and Co-Designing
Welcoming with Music and Ideas
The event kicked off with Ridgehill’s Ageing in Place Pathfinder community-curated playlist, setting a warm and welcoming tone. Attendees then engaged in listening, discussing, experiencing, and designing sessions. Throughout the day, participants shared their ideas and experiences on how great everyday support can offer effective, trusted, trauma-informed help right on people’s doorsteps. This approach not only enhances community health and wellbeing but also reduces the demand on public services.
Growing Communities Together
The collective effort and enthusiasm displayed at the event highlight the potential of GM Live Well to make a significant impact. By fostering strong connections and providing essential resources, we can grow healthier, more resilient communities. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to this important conversation. Together, we are shaping a future where everyone in Greater Manchester can truly Live Well.
People left feeling inspired and excited about what is to come. We'll keep this momentum going as we get into more action in the next year to grow a city-region where everyone can thrive.
A Heartfelt Thank You
Thank you to the many people and organisations we worked with to co-design the event through our online sessions in 2024, all of our fantastic contributors, and to Live Well's co-design group, GM Shapers, who helped us pull it all together. Special thanks to the venue, Manchester Monastery, for working so closely with us. The beautiful setting showcased the power of Live Well in action. The story of bringing it back into community ownership is inspiring, and it was great to be introduced to the amazing work going on in the neighbourhood of Gorton.
Elaine Griffiths, founder and CEO, said: "What is important is that we share, we don't compete, we collaborate."
A Message of Hope from Our Leaders
"This is not just about strategies. We're listening to strong, caring communities who want to make a difference. The best solutions come at a local level. We're here to support those solutions."
Alison McKenzie-Folan
CEO of Wigan Council and GM Live Well lead, Alison opened the event detailing how transformative community-led approaches can be. She highlighted:
- ✅ People are 4x more likely to find work through friends and family than a job centre.
- ✅ Good health improves by 20% when we’re connected in our community.
- ✅ Services work best when they’re person-centred and culturally appropriate.
Andy Burnham
Our Mayor of Greater Manchester, emphasised the importance of community-driven solutions: "We have a voluntary welfare state picking up the pieces of the actual welfare state. Today is about a solution and that solution is Live Well where we start with a belief in our people and places. Our Live Well movement needs to fight for a better way of doing things."
Andy outlined a vision for Live Well by 2030—a roadmap to helping all residents live happier, healthier lives through transforming public services around Live Well Centres and spaces. He set out the ambition to bring together the best of our public services and local Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) groups that already serve local communities so well.
Caroline Simpson
Group Chief Executive for GMCA, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and Transport for Greater Manchester, Caroline talked about Greater Manchester's plans to take our neighbourhood and prevention work to the next level through GM Live Well: "We will feel a difference in a year."
Caroline committed to continuing the movement building, and funding from across GMCA and NHS GM to support the establishment of Live Well centres and spaces in all ten localities, with a significant proportion going to our Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise organisations. She also talked about further investment opportunities and ways to align resources being explored to help us go further with our GM Live Well ambition. This includes working closely with the Government for Greater Manchester to become a Prevention Demonstrator for the UK, evidencing the positive impact of a different way of working.
Making Sense and Making Change with Head, Heart, and Hands
The closing session followed the head, heart, and hands approach to ensure GM Live Well is shaped by communities, grounded in evidence, and driven by action.
Rachel Rowney
COO of Local Trust, Rachel talked about the evidence base for community action, social infrastructure, and inequalities. She said: "What turns the tide in places that are struggling is growing and investing a strong ecology of local people. If you want to revitalise a local place you need to give power to those communities to do it."
Jon Eastwood
From the National Lottery Community Fund, Jon reiterated his support, saying: "We're proud to be a founder of the Live Well movement. Our funding is changing to align with your principles and values. We want to shift power to communities to help everyone live happier, healthier lives."
Alison McGovern MP
Minister for Employment, Alison joined the event, giving her perspective on what reform needs to be. Acknowledging the real fear of the brown envelopes from DWP, she said: "I would like to see a much more localised approach built on trust in the kinds of places like Manchester Monastery that people will come to. An open door, with no stigma, providing the support people need. We want to build pathways to work, taking down the walls of job centres so they become a part of the community. We want to be a strong partner in Live Well. There is a lot of admiration for what GM has done. GM could do a great service by helping people see that system change—through analysis, data, and insight."
GM Live Well is Greater Manchester’s commitment to ensuring great everyday support is available in every neighbourhood. This initiative aims to tackle health, social, and economic inequalities by transforming how we work with communities and public services to create opportunities for everyone to Live Well. The goal is to ensure everyone has the support, control, connections, and resources needed to lead a healthy, happy life.