News, Blogs and Events

Thursday 20th February 2025 

Faith and Beliefs in the Workplace - An overview for policy makers 

The Faith Network for Manchester is offering the final two workshops in its series, focusing on how to support colleagues who practice a faith or belief in the workplace. Each half-day session will cover key topics such as understanding faith and belief, accommodating religious practices like prayer and attire, recognizing faith-based holidays, and responding to crises. The workshops will also explore the benefits of including faith and belief in the workplace and strengthening the NHS Equality Improvement Plan. Presenters from at least four different faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhi, Buddhism, Baha’i, Jainism, and Rastafarianism, will lead these sessions. 

Register for free here. 

Time: 10:00 – 13:00

Monday 24th February 2025 

Our Story, Our Lived Experience, Lead Positive - GM Lead Positive Now and Into the Future 

The event will be an open space with story stations, reflective spaces, and interactive activities from the Lead Positive Champions to share their stories, personal journeys, lived experiences and leadership growth with the GM system. Although the event starts at 10am with a formal welcome, you are invited to join around your availability and can join at any point during the day. 

We are actively encouraging attendance from leaders from across the system so please feel free to share the invitation amongst your teams.  

Please Complete the Booking Form for the Day Here 

If you’d like to learn more about the GM Lead Positive pilot programme, please click here to view a reflective article from one of the participants. 

Venue: Friends Meeting House, Manchester, M2 5NS 

Time: 10:00-16:00

Tuesday 25th February 2025 

General Health & Therapies Online Roadshow 

An introduction to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is available for professionals working in general health services across Greater Manchester. This session aims to enhance understanding and awareness of FASD within the healthcare sector. 

Register for free here 

Time: 12:00-13:30

Tuesday 25th February 2025 

Inclusive employment, education, and skills for thriving communities 

Across Greater Manchester, inclusive and meaningful employment is unlocking opportunities, reducing inequalities, and transforming lives. By connecting people to education, skills, and jobs, communities are building pathways to brighter futures and supporting the Live Well ambition—ensuring everyone has the chance to live well in their neighbourhoods.  

Join us for this timely webinar as we explore how Greater Manchester is delivering on the Live Well ambition through its employment, education, and skills initiatives. We’ll also delve into the mayoral vision for Live Well Centres—welcoming places of hope and support that meet people where they are, moving away from places of stigma and fear.   

Join this webinar to hear more about:  

• Inclusive and community-driven employment, education, and skills initiatives that reduce inequalities and create opportunities for people to thrive.   

• The potential transformative role of Live Well Centres in offering hope and support for residents.   

As our Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, puts it: "We are calling for the devolution of employment support. Away from the computer says no, tick-box system. You can’t put a timeframe on the journey to work—everyone’s journey is different. Our model would see the best in people and places and bring that out. We call this Live Well—an everyday network of support. It’s a strength-based and asset-based approach." 

Speakers include Funding Futures, Reform Radio, The Growth Company Employment and Working Well. 

Find out more and register here: LW Live: Inclusive Employment, Education, Skills for Thriving Communities Tickets, Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite 

Health Literacy Webinar

Come to a free webinar to learn more about the importance of health literacy and get practical tips and advice on improving your everyday communications.  This has been commissioned by the NHSE Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme and will be presented by the Northeast and North Cumbria health literacy team. The webinar will take place on Microsoft Teams and will run twice with identical content on the 4th and 31st March.

To register please click here 

Evidence Bites! Improving your evidence skills & confidence: Session 3 

Appraising evidence: There is now more evidence being produced than ever before – but how do you know that it is high quality and trustworthy? This session will be a guide to quickly and effectively appraising evidence relevant to your role. Includes using toolkits and resources you can print out & keep.  

To register please click here 

Manchester Locality Learning Session 

Manchester will explore their journey to appointing local residents to the Making Manchester Fairer Community Forum and showcase some of the emerging impact they are having on this flagship health inequalities programme, alongside discussing the real challenges in shifting power that are required for true co-production. 

To register please click here

Time: 11:00-12:30 

Health Literacy: there's something tangible we can do when it comes to tackling health inequalities

In this webinar, we will show that organisational health literacy is an active way of thinking and doing something practical about health inequalities. We will share what health and care providers have done (relatively quickly and cheaply) to improve their health literacy. We will explore how improved organisational health literacy ultimately supports improved personal and community health literacy – in turn leading to improved health outcomes. This will be an interactive session – so please come ready to take part if you wish!

To register please click here

Time: 12:00-13:00 

Trans inclusivity in the workplace (all staff) - With an estimated 1% of the population identifying on the trans spectrum, public-facing organisations are increasingly likely to interact with diverse trans individuals, making it essential for employers to support trans and non-binary staff. NHS GM's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) plan emphasises creating a culture of belonging, especially for LGBTQ+ employees, as shown by the NHS Staff Survey, where one in five LGBTQ+ staff reported violence from patients or relatives. To address these challenges, Gendered Intelligence offers "Trans Awareness: The Basics," a one-hour session that introduces trans-related concepts, legislation, and practices for fostering trans inclusion, followed by a 30-minute interactive Q&A.  

Register for free here 

Manchester Roadshow 

Join the FASD Roadshow in Manchester and learn more about FASD, connect with others and gain support to drive forward services in your area. There is an opportunity for parents & carers of children and young people with FASD to attend a group FASD advocacy consultation and a coffee morning at the Roadshow. 

Location: International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street Manchester M1 5BY 

Register for free here  

Resolve Poverty Conference 2025

You're invited to book onto Resolve Poverty’s 2025 conference, focused on how we tackle poverty and boost household incomes at a local and regional level.  

Book here: https://www.resolvepoverty.org/conference/ 

Topics covered at the conference include: 

• What more do we know about the impact poverty has on health and wellbeing and health services? 

• How do public sector bodies, health services and combined and regional authorities fit into local responses to poverty? 

• What is the impact of anti-poverty work taking place between Resolve Poverty, NHS GM and The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership?   

Speakers include: 

• Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive of The King’s Fund, an independent think tank working to improve health and care across England. 

• Carey Oppenheim, Strategic Project Lead at the Nuffield Foundation.  She is leading a programme of work on Grown Up? Transitions to Adulthood, focused on What it means to be grown up in the UK today 

If you have any questions about the conference, please reach out to the Resolve Poverty team who will be happy to answer any questions – Tom Waring, thomas@resolvepoverty.org 

Resolve Poverty is an independent, not-for-profit organisation working with local authorities and partners across the country to see an end to poverty. Resolve Poverty are currently working with NHS GM and The Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership on tackling poverty work.   

Venue: Manchester Hall, 36 Bridge St, Greater, Manchester M3 3BT 

Monday 17th March 2025 

Benefits/DWP/ Citizen Advice Bureau online roadshow 

An introduction to FASD for those working in public services such as citizens advice, DWP & benefit support in Greater Manchester. 

Register for free here  

Time: 12:00-13:30 

Wednesday 19th March 2025 

GM Live Well: Growing great everyday support in every neighbourhood, to tackle health, social and economic inequalities 

The fourth face to face event in the Live Well series, this day will bring together people, and community and system leaders, from every locality, to focus on what it will take to grow great everyday support in every GM neighbourhood. This everyday support has the potential to offer effective, trusted, trauma-informed support at people’s doorsteps, grow communities’ health and wellbeing and reduce demand on public services.  

We would like to use this event as an opportunity to take our neighbourhood and prevention work to the next level. Bringing people together to talk about how we can deliver Live Well centres, spaces and offers, co-designing the features and principles that need to be at their heart. The event will share what we have learnt to date to inform the next stage of Live Well. 

This event will be co-created with communities and public services. Together we will invite people and organisations to: 

• Forge connections across the people and places in GM doing this work, and grow the movement  

• Share stories, practice and learning about communities readily taking action on the things they care about 
• Take action - Explore what it takes to broaden residents’ opportunities to be healthy, happy and connected, through a variety of accessible and equitable activities, support and information in their neighbourhood 

We would love to hear more about any examples of great everyday support that you would like to share learning around at the event. We are especially interested in finding out more about what spaces and places people are going to to get support, and why they work for your communities. Please contact GMLiveWell@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk with anything you would like to share. 

More information about the event, and a booking link, is available at: GM Live Well: Growing great everyday support in every neighbourhood Tickets, Wed, Mar 19, 2025 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite 

Venue: Manchester Monastery, Gorton 

Time: 10:00 – 16:00 

Primary care and community-led partnerships for healthier neighbourhoods 

With ever-increasing pressures, primary care is increasingly pivoting towards working hand-in-hand with communities. These innovative, community-led approaches are not only empowering residents, but also reducing demand on the NHS by addressing root causes of health inequalities and shifting the focus to prevention and early intervention.  

Research from New Local shows the importance of community-powered approaches in transforming healthcare sustainably. By building stronger social connections, and addressing the wider determinants of health, these approaches reduce healthcare demand and support more resilient neighbourhoods, as well as supporting individuals to live healthy, happier lives.   

Join this webinar to explore:  

• How Primary Care professionals in Greater Manchester are adopting community-focused approaches   

• Insights from Primary Care colleagues who have been working in this way for years, sharing why they do it, the difference it has made to them and their communities, and what would help others follow suit  
• Evidence on the effectiveness of community-led models in reducing demand on public services and supporting system resilience.   

• Practical examples of partnerships that improve health outcomes and tackle inequalities by working collaboratively with communities. 

This session will be chaired by GP Dr. Jaweeda Idoo, whose nationally recognised work alongside the Stockport community served by her practice highlights the potential of community-focused care.  
Find out more and register here: LW Live: Primary Care/Community-Led Partnerships for Healthy Neighbourhoods Tickets, Tue, Mar 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite 

Health Literacy Webinar

Come to a free webinar to learn more about the importance of health literacy and get practical tips and advice on improving your everyday communications.  This has been commissioned by the NHSE Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme and will be presented by the Northeast and North Cumbria health literacy team. The webinar will take place on Microsoft Teams and will run twice with identical content on the 4th and 31st March.

To register please click here 

The future of local welfare inquiry | The Children's Society

^{The Children's Society has launched an inquiry to gather input from local authorities, the voluntary and community sector, and individuals on the current local welfare and crisis support landscape. With the deadline for responses extended until March, this initiative aims to develop a sustainable vision for future support, focusing on long-term funding to aid individuals and families in financial hardship. Since 2021, the Household Support Fund (HSF) has played a critical role in providing swift interventions, but inconsistent funding has led to regional disparities. This survey seeks to advocate for permanent, ring-fenced funding and a consistent national approach with local flexibility. Your input is vital!} 

Tuesday 8th April 2025 

Join the FASD Roadshow in Stockport and learn more about FASD, connect with others and gain support to drive forward services in your area. There is an opportunity for parents & carers of children and young people with FASD to attend a group FASD advocacy consultation and a coffee morning at the Roadshow. 

Location: Stockport Homes, 2 Edward Street Stockport SK1 3NQ 

Register for free here  

Time: 09:30-12:30

Greater Manchester FASD Network - Brain Base for Children & Families 

Join the Greater Manchester FASD Network for a special 3-day summer Brain Base just for kids with FASD in Greater Manchester! 

Location: Stanley Road, Stanley Road Cheadle Hulme 

Reserve a spot here  

Trans inclusivity in the workplace (all staff) - With an estimated 1% of the population identifying on the trans spectrum, public-facing organisations are increasingly likely to interact with diverse trans individuals, making it essential for employers to support trans and non-binary staff. NHS GM's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) plan emphasises creating a culture of belonging, especially for LGBTQ+ employees, as shown by the NHS Staff Survey, where one in five LGBTQ+ staff reported violence from patients or relatives. To address these challenges, Gendered Intelligence offers "Trans Awareness: The Basics," a one-hour session that introduces trans-related concepts, legislation, and practices for fostering trans inclusion, followed by a 30-minute interactive Q&A.  

Register for free here 

GM Moving Conference 2025 

Be a part of creating healthier, happier, and more active lives for all. Building on the energy and learning from last year's conference, 2025 promises to bring even more insightful stories, practical workshops, and opportunities to connect with those driving positive change.

Participants will collaboratively explore innovative ways to enable active lives for everyone—addressing inequalities, empowering communities, and unlocking the transformative potential of movement. Whether they are policymakers, practitioners, community leaders, or passionate advocates, this is their opportunity to contribute to a growing movement shaping a more active and inclusive future. 

Location: The Lowry, Salford Quays 

 Register Interest for GM Moving Conference 2025 Survey