Manchester Learning Event

Manchester Learning Event 

The Manchester Locality Learning Event, part of the Fairer Health for All initiative, took place on Monday, 10th March 2025. This event brought together 57 participants from various organizations and teams across Greater Manchester. Attendees had the opportunity to hear from members of the community forum and colleagues working in Manchester, learning from their experiences and approaches to apply to their own roles within Greater Manchester.

Presentations and Insights: The session featured insightful presentations by Debs Thompson from Population Health NHS GM, Lucy Vanes from Manchester City Council, Rich Browning, and Hollie Walsh from Healthy Me Healthy Communities. Additionally, members of the Community Forum shared their perspectives, providing valuable insights into the importance of community involvement in addressing health inequalities.

Key Topics Covered: Participants were introduced to several key initiatives, including Fairer Health for All, Making Manchester Fairer, and Neighbourhood Community Power (Community Power Forum). These presentations highlighted the journey and learning so far, emphasizing the significance of involving community members in efforts to tackle health disparities. The powerful testimonies from community forum members underscored the impact of their involvement and the necessity of integrating community voices into health initiatives.

Interactive Breakout Sessions: The event included interactive breakout room sessions where participants engaged in discussions on various topics:

• Community Power Journey: Participants shared their current status and challenges in their community power journey.
• Influencing Existing Programs: Discussions focused on identifying opportunities and touchpoints for influencing existing health programs.
• Community Power in Governance: Attendees shared examples and experiences of community power operating within governance structures.

Future Plans and Story of Change: A story of change will be shared soon, linked to the work of Making Manchester Fairer and the Community Forum. This will include perspectives from Manchester City Council and Healthy Me Healthy Communities, detailing the reasons behind the initiatives, the methods used, the impact achieved, as well as the challenges and learning to date.

Access to Event Materials: To view the slides from this event, please see below.

Each locality area of Greater Manchester is being encouraged to look at hosting a locality learning event. When we have details of these, these will be added to the Fairer Health for All Events page here.