 GM Live Well is Greater Manchester’s commitment to ensuring great everyday support is available in every neighbourhood. It will tackle health, social and economic inequalities by changing how we work with communities and in public services to grow opportunities for everyone to Live Well. GM Live Well will ensure everyone has the support, control, connections and resources to lead a healthy happy life.
The fourth face to face event in the #GMLiveWell series didn't disappoint. It was amazing to come together with over 400 people from across Greater Manchester - residents, public services and community groups, from every locality - to shape the future of everyday support in our neighbourhoods. The energy, inspiration and ideas were fantastic - it was a day of brilliant conversations, connections and content.
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After being welcomed with Ridgehill’s Ageing in Place Pathfinder community-curated playlist, attendees listened, discussed, experienced and designed. All who joined spent the day sharing their ideas about, and experiencing, how great everyday support has the potential to offer effective, trusted, trauma-informed help on people’s doorsteps, growing communities’ health and wellbeing and reducing demand on public services.
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Attendees gathered hope from a bold vision and commitment expressed by our senior system leaders alongside the vitality and warmth of the many community representatives and organisations.
As well as strengthening connections between those supporting people to live well every day, the event provided the opportunity to input into the co-design of Live Well centres and spaces that will offer integrated financial, employment, well-being, social support and social connection.
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.
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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."
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"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 Wigan Council and GM Live Well lead, 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, said:
"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 to 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.
Watch a video GMCA made at the event which includes some words from our Mayor: Click here
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Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive for GMCA, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Transport for Greater Manchester 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.
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With so many take-aways and examples of inspiring VCFSE work already happening, the VCFSE Leadership group captured their highlights and key learnings in a blog: GM Live Well conference: Growing great everyday support in every neighbourhood – 19th March 2025
The Elephants Trail, as always, captivated the room with their community reporting. They use their lived experiences and the power of film to shine a light on the issues that matter most to people and communities. They premiered two films at the event.
The first - Connection - opened the event, highlighting the great everyday support that exists in our neighbourhoods.
The second - Hope - was shown before Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Employment and Andy Burnham spoke about the opportunity to redesign employment support. 'Hope' shows the potential for Live Well centres to be places of hope towards good work.
Patrick Tierney said:
"What we're finding everywhere is hope. We want to give a window into that. When you focus on problems it magnifies them. Solutions are under our nose. We stand with you."
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Shamime Jan, Founder-Director of Bolly Fit Active CIC, which provides a holistic approach to physical and mental wellbeing, introduced a fantastic performance and energiser. Talking about setting up Bolly Fit, she said:
"I was dancing away the woes of being in an abusive relationship for 16 years."
Thanks to Coach Mary and the Afro Fit group that got everyone dancing.
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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.
Local Trust COO Rachel Rowney 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, National Lottery Community Fund also 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 joined the event, giving her sense of what reform needs to be. Acknowledging that the fear of the brown envelopes from DWP is real, she said:
"I would like to see a much more localised approach built on trust in the 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."
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We know that being able to talk about the real, tangible impact of this work is a fundamental to uniting everyone behind GM Live Well. If we want to really communicate the value of what we do to shift power and resource, we need stories and evidence that change hearts and minds.
Community-led work can be hard to put down in numbers when the work is long-term and funding requirements and reports don’t ask about what really matters to communities. And when budgets are tight, we know that money goes to helping people, not formal evaluations. But the evidence exists and is mounting.
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We have compiled the most live evidence in the UK for community power in the GM Live Well Evidence for Community Power Map. Over 50 pieces of UK research are assembled in this evidence base, spanning the last 15 years, and point to 7 key impact themes, grounded in evidence, data and stories. You can download this resource now and use it to: connect your own work to a national evidence base, strengthen your narrative, start a conversation about impact and community power and much more: evidence-for-community-power
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The 14 breakouts during the day couldn't have been more creative.
There was a wide range - from a Community Cafe being brought to life by Theatre in Flow and Ageing in Place Pathfinder bringing tea and biscuits, to the youth panel being opened by our Deputy Mayor Kate Green.
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Thanks to Metroline Manchester, we had the unique opportunity to showcase a Bee Network bus that had never been in service before. The space hosted two of our breakout sessions that featured personalised bus tickets and co-design activities. The bus also highlighted how accessible transport connects people to essential everyday support, linking our Live Well agenda with Greater Manchester’s Bee Network.
There is still time, until 6 April, to share your thoughts in this short survey on how the Bee Network can help improve accessibility to great everyday support for everyone: click here
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Thank you to the 29 incredible stalls and interactive activities that brought to life what support looks and feels like in communities. From a Music in Mind Music cafe, Trauma Responsive bouncy castle and Men in Shed's bird box making to soothing shoulder massages by Active Health Group, trishaw bikes with Southway Housing, a teepee with Changing Futures and the Rochdale team, expert advice, networking opportunities and insightful consultations - there was something for everyone.
Check out the flyer for details: here
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The Live Well imagination space run by Unlimited Potential gathered ideas for turning local people’s hopes for Live Well centres into reality. Chris Dabbs, talked about the need for:
"Welcoming spaces, filled with people who really understand, like you'd get in a home, a living room."
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A Brilliant Thing consolidated this insight before leading the 'heart' of the plenary. Kerry asked people to consider their next step to helping the GM Live Well movement.
"Something that's moved you? An action you are ready to take? Or simply thinking more deeply? Every contribution counts."
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Humaira Ahmed, co-chair of the GMCA and GMFRS Race and Faith Staff Network, spoke about Ramadan and other fasting faiths, and the efforts to accommodate the observance of Ramadan through consultations with the Muslim community and faith leaders, the Race and Faith Staff Network, and the equality team.
Together, we created an inclusive experience guided by the needs of those observing Ramadan. Separate prayer spaces, quiet spaces for rest, snack bags for those fasting and a lunchtime stall to learn more about supporting faith communities.
Particularly pertinent were the beliefs uniting Muslims during Ramadan:
Every fast ends with iftar, just as every struggle ends with God's blessing.
Every sunset in Ramadan proves patience leads to beautiful endings.
The first sip of water at iftar shows that after hardship, there is ease.
And finally, what better way to celebrate #SocialPrescribingDay than at the event, with hundreds of community, voluntary, faith and social enterprise organisations supporting people to live well every day.
You can read more about how social prescribing connects people to non-medical support to support with things like housing, finances, loneliness. And how it is a key part of GM Live Well's vision for great everyday support here: March 2025 - GM Personalised Care Workforce e-Bulletin
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Live Well Live is a series of online monthly interactive webinars that bring Greater Manchester’s movement for community-led health and wellbeing to life. These events showcase what’s already happening in communities, by communities, and keep the conversation about growing community action, power, and wealth LIVE!
This month we've talked about:
GMCA, Reform Radio, The Growth Company and Funding Futures all shared their knowledge, contributions to Live Well and deeply personal stories.
If you would like to rewatch the webinar or share it with colleagues, you can do so using this link: here
This webinar explored the innovative, community-led approaches that 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. Professor Becky Malby, Healthy Hyde, Oldham Family Practice, Bollyfit CIC and Dr Aseem Mishra, GM clinical lead for CVD Prevention, led the discussions.
If you would like to rewatch the webinar or share it with colleagues, you can do so using this link: here
Online, 11:30am - 1:00pm
The demand for children and young people’s SEND support is growing, leading to increasing waiting lists, rising school exclusions, and more children being placed in Tier 4 (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service) beds for neurodivergent mental health needs. But what if we could move away from crisis-driven SEND intervention and instead focus on a preventative, community-led, and system-enabled approach that adapts environments to better support SEND needs?
Join us for this upcoming webinar to explore the impact of co-produced and person-centred community interventions in creating SEND-inclusive learning environments and neighbourhoods for children and young people.
For more information and to register, visit Eventbrite here.
Click on the links below to find out more...
Starting with, Made by Mortals who bring lived experience to life: Made by Mortals lived experience community group shared what Live Well means to them
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