The groundbreaking collaborative initiative, pioneered by , brought together students from a variety of disciplines and levels to tackle real-world challenges set by industry partners, aligned with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)’s Environmental Plan.

Hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University, the Green Careers Mission invited students to work in teams to develop actionable solutions for the environmental challenges that threaten the future health and prosperity of our city region: mitigating climate change, improving air quality, sustainable production and consumption of resources, protecting the natural environment, and building resilience to the impacts of climate change.

These challenges were supported by employers including Manchester City Council, Siemens, Thomas Kneale, and GMCA itself, providing students with real-world context for their work.

The event aligns with the commitment of Greater Manchester’s leading higher education institutions — ����Vlog�ٷ�, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Salford, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the University of Bolton — to drive social, economic, and environmental change across the city region through the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement.

Through collaborative action, the universities aim to support Greater Manchester’s 2038 zero-carbon target by fostering green skills, promoting research and innovation, and preparing students to lead in a rapidly evolving green economy.

Professor Jennifer O’Brien, Academic Lead of Sustainability Teaching and Learning at ����Vlog�ٷ�, praised the initiative: “This was a glorious pedagogic experiment to bring students from all five Greater Manchester institutions together to tackle challenges aligned with GMCA’s Environment Plan – and how truly powerful it was.

“Whilst the students enhanced their personal and professional skills, they contributed genuinely new insights to these challenges. All our external partners were so impressed by the talent, engagement, and sheer drive of our students. This interdisciplinary methodology could be applied to all sorts of civic challenges to really make a difference.”

The event’s impact was evident in the reactions of students, who described the experience as transformative. Ana Gonzalez Palos, an MSc Operations, Project & Supply Chain Management student from ����Vlog�ٷ�, highlighted the power of diverse perspectives: "It's incredible how all the insights from our universities made our ideas sharper and more actionable. I’m proud to be part of such a collaborative initiative for a greener future.”

Adeel Chaudhry, a Software Engineering student at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “Projects like these are essential for bridging theory and practice, giving us hands-on experience in creating actionable sustainability strategies.”

Neva Mowl, Education for Sustainable Development Officer at the University of Salford said: “Seeing students from different universities come together to tackle these challenges was fantastic. The quality of ideas they produced in such a short time, alongside the spirit of cross-institutional collaboration, really moved me. They have shown just how powerful this type of initiative can be.”

As Greater Manchester’s first Green Careers Challenge, the event demonstrates our region’s commitment to advancing sustainability goals through collaborative action and empowering students to play a meaningful role as change agents in building a greener, more resilient Greater Manchester.

Published by , Manchester Minds offers readers a rich account of the influential figures who have shaped the University’s legacy, from world-renowned physicist Brian Cox and computing pioneer Alan Turing to economist Arthur Lewis and poet-activist Eva Gore-Booth. It highlights both famous and underappreciated figures, giving fresh insights into the University’s role in global innovation.

Timed to coincide with the University of Manchester’s bicentennial celebrations, Manchester Minds is the first comprehensive history to cover the full span of the institution’s evolution, from its origins as The Mechanics' Institute to its present status as a major international centre of learning. The book delves into historic controversies and celebrates unsung heroes, offering an engaging and accessible narrative of how Manchester’s intellectual tradition has transformed the world.

Key Highlights:

· The first full history of ����Vlog�ٷ�, covering its evolution over 200 years.

· Features pioneering figures such as Enriqueta Rylands, Lewis Namier, Arthur Lewis, Alan Turing, and Brian Cox.

· Brings to light the stories of lesser-known but equally important contributors to the University’s intellectual heritage.

· Attractively presented and illustrated, making it a perfect addition to the bicentennial celebrations in 2024.

Book Details:

· Publisher: Manchester University Press

· Format: Hardcover

· Price: £25.00

· Published Date: September 2024

Manchester Minds is now available in bookstores and online.

The Charter aims to raise employment standards across Greater Manchester. It strives for excellence in the core areas of Secure Work, Flexible Work, Pay, Engagement & Voice, Recruitment, People Management and Health & Wellbeing.

The University seeks to be an employer of choice nationally and internationally, and is one of the biggest employers in Greater Manchester, providing jobs to more than 12,500 people across a range of professional services and academic roles.

Dr Julian Skyrme, Executive Director of Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement at ����Vlog�ٷ�, commented: “Being accredited by the Good Employment Charter is important to our mission as a civic university with social responsibility at its core. This voluntary Charter is an independent way to measure our practices around good employment, learn from other employers in Greater Manchester and be part of a wider movement of organisations committed to improving the lives of our employees.

“People are at the heart of the University’s vision, and we are proud of our diverse, inclusive community of individuals who work together to create positive change for the world around them. We also know we have more work to do to ensure we remain an employer of choice in the region and are keen to work with the Charter team to share our plans to develop and enhance the experience for our community of colleagues.”

Membership of the is voluntary, and it is allocated when institutions and businesses in the region demonstrate that they have met the criteria in all seven characteristics of the Charter.

Ian MacArthur, Director of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, said: “I am delighted that ����Vlog�ٷ� are now Members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter. As a key anchor institution in the city region it is wonderful to have them as part of our expanding movement, that is continually striving to adopt better employment standards for all.”

The Charter was co-designed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Greater Manchester districts, trade unions, employers and employees from all sectors.

The collection touches on a number of issues of vital importance to towns, cities features over 40 essayists from  across the political spectrum and across different sectors – including education, business, healthcare, local government, think tanks, charities and the arts – who all advocate for universities to have a stronger voice in place-making. Each essay includes policy ideas for the new Government to enable the local civic role to thrive.

Included in this is a contribution from Dr Julian Skyrme and Professor Richard Jones, along with Bev Craig (Leader of Manchester City Council) with . The essay demonstrates the important role universities play in innovation and productivity growth across their regions. 

There is also a on Developing skills and innovation and the importance of universities’ civic roles.

Dr Julian Skyrme, Executive Director of Social Responsibility and Civic Engagement at ����Vlog�ٷ� said: "Lord Bob Kerslake was one of the most distinguished public servants of his generation and made a critical contribution to the higher education sector with his Civic University Commission. As the original civic university, ����Vlog�ٷ� has been delighted to contribute to this collection of essays by civic leaders, which has been written with a new government firmly in mind". 

The collection touches on a number of issues of vital importance to towns, cities and regions, including local economic growth, raising educational attainment and opportunity for disadvantaged groups, the local supply of the NHS workforce, improving the local environment, and access to culture and te arts. Following the launch at the National Theatre, the full collection is available from kerslakecollection.org.

Several prominent public figures have also signed an open letter to the new Prime Minister calling for actions including support for the creative sector, investment in the NHS workforce and a review of how the the post-16 educational sector can overcome the current funding crisis effecting it - all of which would continue Bob's legacy.

Among many other leadership roles, Lord Kerslake was Chair of the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission supporting over 70 universities in developing Civic University Agreements and the creation of the Civic University Network. The groundbreaking work championed by Lord Kerslake has transformed the relationship between universities and their local communities across the UK.

This stands as one among many other achievements across a lifetime of public service. As a former head of the civil service, a prominent figure in local government, housing and higher education and a regular media political commentator, Lord Kerslake and his vision for society touched thousands of lives. His impact is reflected in the breadth of the essays brought together in the collection, with reflections on everything from the future of English devolution to the role of universities in tackling homelessness.

Richard Brabner, Director of the UPP Foundation, said: “It has been an honour to orchestrate this collection to celebrate the legacy of our late great friend Bob Kerslake. It was the privilege of my career to work closely with Bob, his passion, insight, and hard work were crucial to the success of our Civic University Commission, and I know that everyone involved in the collection has benefitted from Bob’s wisdom over the years. We hope that this collection provies the inspiration to the new Government to build on Bob’s work to ensure the civic role is truly recognised.

Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Former Vice Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University said: “Bob was one of the most gifted and committed public servants of our time. It's fitting that we launch this collection this evening, just a few days into the new government.  Bob was respected across the political spectrum, but there is no doubt that had he lived he would have been a powerful resource for a progressive government embarking on national renewal. It falls to those of us who remain to rise to the standards he set, to play our part in shaping and doing policy for the common good”.

●      £160 million of public funding to boost growth of city-region’s advanced manufacturing and materials sector.

●      Investments worth over £10m from manufacturers Kadant, Werit, First Graphene and Hydrograph unveiled as part of Investment Zone.

A new Investment Zone for Greater Manchester, announced by the Chancellor in today’s Autumn Statement, is expected to create 32,000 jobs and leverage £1.1 billion of private sector investment.

The Investment Zone will provide £160 million in public funding over 10 years to support initiatives and interventions agreed between Greater Manchester and Government, which will include new research and innovation, sector-focussed skills programmes, local infrastructure enhancements, and targeted business support.

Greater Manchester’s Investment Zone will focus on the advanced materials and manufacturing sector. The package will support established strengths, including, a joint venture between ����Vlog�ٷ� and and other assets in the city-region core, and build on longer-term ambitions to be able to scale up and deploy innovations in our growth businesses, for example through Atom Valley.

ID Manchester will become a world-class innovation platform that drives inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the city by leveraging the unique experience and expertise of its joint venture partners, combining ����Vlog�ٷ�'s long history of industry collaboration and world-class research strengths with Bruntwood SciTech's experience of working in strategic partnership with city councils, universities and NHS Trusts to deliver connected science and technology infrastructure.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “The Investment Zone will help us attract investment and create jobs and opportunities that will benefit people across Greater Manchester. Our city-region has been a centre for manufacturing and materials innovation for centuries, from leading the Industrial Revolution right through to the development of graphene, and the Investment Zone will ensure that continues.

“It’s also a vote of confidence in devolution and its ability to deliver levelling up. Providing more flexibility and local control over spending can help unlock Greater Manchester’s potential.”

, Vice-President for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement at ����Vlog�ٷ�, said: “����Vlog�ٷ� has been at the forefront of research in advanced materials and manufacturing, from the industrial revolution to the discovery of graphene, and we have a strong culture of innovation which builds on that research to create economic benefit. This announcement gives further impetus to the work we do with our partners in business and the city-region, to improve people’s lives through economic growth and improved productivity throughout Greater Manchester.” 

Greater Manchester’s advanced manufacturing and materials sector comprises hundreds of innovative companies and the city-region’s universities host world-leading research and development. Advanced manufacturing alone employs approximately 110,000 people and generates around £8bn of economic output each year.

Government has also confirmed plans to extend the Made Smarter Adoption programme following its successful pilot in Greater Manchester and the North West, with a view to expanding the programme across the UK by 2027. The programme helps SME manufacturers adopt digital technologies to help improve productivity and reduce carbon emissions.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Lead for Economy, Business, and Inclusive Growth, said: “Greater Manchester has an attractive proposition, with world-leading advanced manufacturing and materials research at our universities, a strong skills base, and an existing ecosystem of innovative companies.

“The Investment Zone will build on that cluster, linking and investing in different sites across the city-region, and helping us translate research and development and new discoveries into business growth.”

Speaking on behalf of ID Manchester, John Holden, Associate Vice-President at ����Vlog�ٷ�, said: "We’re delighted that ID Manchester will be part of the Greater Manchester Investment Zone plans to put the region at the forefront of advanced materials and manufacturing innovation in the UK and globally. The ecosystem we’re building at ID Manchester will leverage ����Vlog�ٷ�’s world-class R&D strengths to help scale and commercialise new ideas, driving new jobs across the city region in future-facing industries. We look forward to working closely with our neighbouring centres of innovation in Greater Manchester to create valuable new opportunities for local residents and businesses across the North.”

Dramatic changes over recent years have seen major employers including Google, Amazon and Microsoft following the BBC in relocating jobs to Manchester, and a population boom with tens of thousands of highly-educated workers arriving in the city from across the country and the wider world. Maciej says that while he did not set out to assess whether this has had a linguistic effect on the city, it may well accelerate the changes already happening to the accent.

To read the paper, visit . 

• The inequalities identified in Year 1 of the #BeeWell data have persisted; girls are reporting significantly lower levels of wellbeing than boys, and LGBTQ+ young people have significantly lower wellbeing than their cisgender heterosexual peers. The data remains consistent when comparing two different cohorts of Year 10 pupils across the two years.
   
• Wellbeing scores have declined slightly as young people have moved from Year 8 into Year 9. This is in line with wider research about how young people’s wellbeing declines as they get older.
   
• As young people get older, they are less likely to feel like they get enough sleep to feel awake throughout the school day. 41.8% of Year 9 students report that they aren’t getting enough sleep to concentrate at school, which is around 9 young people in an average class of 22. This is compared to 36% of Year 8 pupils who said they do not get enough sleep in 2021.
   
• There has been a decline in young people reporting that they have good places to spend free time. In 2021, 75.5% of young people in Year 8 agreed or strongly agreed that they had good places to spend free time, compared to 67.6% of those young people when they were surveyed again in Year 9 in 2022.

The #BeeWell survey results have overall remained consistent over the two years of the programme, meaning that there is an increased confidence on how accurate the findings are – as over 60,000 young people have told us their views.

In response to the findings, the #BeeWell Coalition of Partners and Greater Manchester schools have already begun to take action to respond to what young people across the city-region are telling us. This includes investment to support the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ young people, to encourage girls to get involved in physical activity, and the completion of a social prescribing and youth-led investment pilot in five neighbourhoods of Greater Manchester.

With two successful years of Greater Manchester leading with the #BeeWell programme a second programme will be launched in Hampshire, The Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton (HIPS) from September 2023, in a new partnership with the four local authorities. The expansion of the programme marks the second Integrated Care System area to deliver the #BeeWell Programme and will help to establish any differences between different parts of the country. The programme is already being kickstarted in the region with the process of co-designing the local survey with young people already underway in 15 pathfinder schools.

Building on experiences and learning in Greater Manchester, and national endorsements from the Fair Education Alliance and Times Education Commission, the new partnership with HIPS is the next step of #BeeWell's ambition to ensure that wellbeing is prioritised and measured consistently and rigorously in schools and communities in every corner of England by 2030.

“We have a 10-year plan to take #BeeWell to scale nationally and create a public policy agenda for young people that gives equal weight to wellbeing and attainment," Neil added. "The next step of this plan is our expansion to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System area. This is critical to understanding local variation, issues of sustainability, scaling up, and synergy.  The learning generated will inform the development of the #BeeWell model to ensure our approach can be embedded and sustained across wider geographies over time, as we seek to fulfil our mission of making young people’s wellbeing everybody’s business.”

"The #BeeWell surveys have facilitated a real breakthrough in conversations about young people’s health, wellbeing, and activity,” said Cllr Mark Hunter, Greater Manchester Portfolio Lead for Young People. "The results have helped to shape some important changes in Greater Manchester to support young people and their wellbeing. This year’s findings show that more action needs to be taken to tackle the inequalities in wellbeing between girls and boys, and with LGBTQ+ young people. The support of Greater Manchester’s schools has been integral to #BeeWell, and in Year 2 shows how schools have used the survey results to make positive changes for their pupils. I am looking forward to Year 3 of the survey and the positive changes the results will initiate.”

“The #BeeWell data has enabled us to understand our community with greater focus - we are able to react strategically to areas of fragility and celebrate the strengths and feedback we gain from our young people," said Glyn Potts MBE DL, Headteacher at Saint John Henry Newman Catholic College in Oldham. “Put simply, it is the closest we have to a microscope into the minds of our young people and enables us to be reactive to their needs and a stronger community.”

“The Youth Steering Group weren’t surprised that there remain inequalities in young people’s wellbeing in Greater Manchester - unfortunately, it is what we see in school every day, particularly pressure on girls," said Ruby, a member of the #BeeWell Youth Steering Group. “It’s good that the data remained consistent – it means things aren’t getting worse and gives us hope that things can get better.”

"The Youth Steering Group would like to open a conversation about how difficult it is for young people to find the balance between your emotions and all the things you have to get done in a day before you can get enough sleep. There are a lot of expectations on young people with homework, revision, caring for ourselves as well as others, especially as you get older. We want to extend this conversation to include adults' wellbeing, too, as they set expectations for younger generations on managing everything that matters to our wellbeing.”

For more background on the #BeeWell project, visit . 

Manchester was top of Conde Nast Traveller’s list, which praised the city’s improving sustainability, green space and culture. Time Out also listed Manchester as 4^th in their list, and included a guided tour of our UNESCO City of Literature sites as part of the perfect day here. 

"The City of Literature has fostered collaborations across the city on many flagship initiatives, from research on creativity and well-being, to working with writers through Manchester Literature Festival and Carcanet (publisher of another Nobel Prize winner in 2020)," Dame Rothwell added. "It has also led to the development of public engagement activities for schools and libraries and festivals, a key part of our social responsibility agenda".

"Colleagues at our University’s Centre for New Writing share the City of Literature’s mission to discover and support emerging writers, and to develop projects which both strengthen our graduates’ employability skills and offer opportunities for them to become part of Manchester’s diverse, evolving literary community.”

"Being a UNESCO City of Literature is such a great achievement for the city - we are one of 42 cities in the world that have this prestigious designation, and we’re proud to showcase the diverse talent of our city on the international stage,” said Councillor Luthfur Rahman OBE, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council. "We have built on the strong foundations of Manchester’s rich literary history, and alongside our partners from the city’s universities and literary community we have harnessed their collective creative energies to launch and create events, libraries and spaces where words and literature can be celebrated."

“We have supported over 100 Manchester based creatives to accomplish their dreams and secure paid opportunities in the creative industry. This is a fantastic achievement for the city and shows that we are investing in local talent and the cultural future of Manchester. We’re excited for what the next years will bring!”

“Manchester Met’s involvement with City of Literature is central to our contribution to the region as a leading civic institution, and to our commitment to research and education that advances sustainable development through culture,” said Malcolm Press CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University. “The designation has raised the profile of our City as a beacon destination for creative industries, cultural tourism and students of the arts and humanities, and established the reputation of its literature ecosystem as an exemplar of creative excellence and inclusivity.”

"I’m proud that our University is playing a key role in this work, and excited to see how it develops.”

Manchester City of Literature’s first four-year report can be downloaded .  

The facility, located in The Beacon Centre, is a collaboration between the , ����Vlog�ٷ�, and national education charity to provide long-term educational support to young people facing disadvantage and who are typically underrepresented in higher education.

The launch event brought together young people who will benefit from the centre, their parents and guardians, donors, organisers and local supporters. Guests were also surprised by a special video message from award-winning comedian and Salford alumnus Peter Kay, who himself had a life-changing experience by going to university to study Media and Performance.

Working closely with local schools, businesses and universities, the centre offers long-term support to young people aged 7-18, helping them to discover their focus, build their capabilities and ultimately have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Support offered at the centre includes after-school academic support, mentoring with local university students and professionals, in-school aspiration-raising workshops and enrichment and work experience opportunities. Once established, the centre will support over 1,000 students per year.

Salford was found to be the 18^th most deprived local authority in England, out of 317, according to the Government's . Figures suggest around 22% of children in Salford are living in poverty (, 2022). Pupils facing disadvantage in Salford are now 22.9 months of learning behind their peers by the time they finish their GCSEs (EPI, 2020), making it a high-priority area for this additional educational support.

IntoUniversity centres have a strong track record of improving outcomes for young people in England. 66% of school leavers who attended IntoUniversity centres in 2021 went on to progress to university, compared with 26.6% of students from similar backgrounds nationally.

In attendance at the launch were around 25 students aged 7-18, all set to benefit from the centre for the next academic year and beyond, with some of them delivering speeches.

Primary school students took part in a variety of activities during the event replicating the type of activities they will be engaging with in the year ahead during after-school academic support sessions. Secondary school students came up with questions about future study and careers to survey attending guests.

Peter Kay offered some sound advice for students at the centre, telling them: “There’s a lot on offer at IntoUniversity to help young people achieve their potential and realise ambitions they may have never even considered. For all the children benefitting from the centre, my advice would be to take every opportunity you’re offered. You’re never going to know what will come up in life and you might fall in love with something you’ve never thought of. You’ve got time to explore many new subjects - keep your options open because you never stop learning.”

Professor Helen Marshall, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Salford, said: “As a university, we have a strong track record in the area of widening participation and are motivated to helping students realise their full potential. We are proud to make a major contribution to providing access to higher education across Salford, the North West and nationally.

“I am delighted to support the launch of a new IntoUniversity right here on our doorstep in Salford. The new centre will engage traditionally under-represented groups and aid our mission to give all students the best possible opportunity in life to succeed.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of ����Vlog�ٷ� said: “University education is a transformative experience for individuals, and for the prosperity of our local communities, so we are really enthusiastic about this new partnership with IntoUniversity in Salford. It adds to the existing IntoUniversity centre we support in North Manchester, which has already supported more than 2,500 students with their academic work since autumn 2018. I’m very grateful to the staff, students and donors who have helped make the Salford centre happen and who will ensure its ongoing success.”

Dr Rachel Carr, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of IntoUniversity, said: “We are delighted to have officially launched this centre in Salford Central, building on our existing work in the Greater Manchester area. The young people of Salford have so much to offer, but circumstances can mean they don’t get the same opportunities as other young people to reach their potential. We’re delighted that through this unique collaboration between local universities, we can provide many young people in the area with the support they need to succeed. We’re looking forward to continuing to build partnerships with schools and families in the local community and supporting students to achieve their ambitions.”

To find out more about IntoUniversity, visit

On Saturday, 5 November, the 50 citizens came together with the Universities and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, as part of the region’s . The panel will work with the Greater Manchester Civic University Board to ensure that its work is rooted in the public's priorities.

Panellists come from all walks of life, with the only condition of membership being that they live in Greater Manchester and can spare the time to share their opinions.

This means advising on what activities the five universities in Greater Manchester should undertake to create jobs, contribute to economic growth and to improve education and skills in Greater Manchester. 

One participant, from Prestwich said: “I joined the panel because I think a lot needs to be done and I would love my voice to be heard and give some valuable opinions and hopefully contribute to making change happen.”

Another, from Wigan, said: “I have joined the panel for the opportunity to represent my local borough. We know universities play a massive role in increasing growth and ideally provide the opportunity to increase the number of young people into the higher education sector in order to bring about growth in the Wigan borough.”

The panel will work with the universities for two years, meeting key people from the organisations in through a programme of events and activities. During this time they will help shape prioritises, explore how research and innovation can benefit Greater Manchester and advising on how to engage with people across the city region.

Professor Richard Jones, Chair of the Greater Manchester Civic University Board and 
Vice-President for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement at ����Vlog�ٷ�, said of the launch: “It’s really exciting to begin the work of our panel. The Civic University Agreement, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, committed GM’s five universities to work together for the benefit of our city region, so it’s important that our work over the next two years reflects the priorities of the citizens of Greater Manchester.”

Professor Jennie Henley, Vice Chair of the Greater Manchester Civic University Board and Director of Programmes at the Royal Northern College of Music added: “Our aim is to listen and learn from the people of Greater Manchester. We are really proud of the work our universities do, but we want to connect more and work in partnership with our communities to build a stronger and healthier Greater Manchester.”

The 50 panellists will work with the five Greater Manchester Universities (The University of Salford, The University of Bolton, Manchester Metropolitan University, ����Vlog�ٷ� and The Royal Northern College of Music), Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Public First.*

·       To find out more, visit -

“His murals transcend traditional models of history painting by focusing on the idea of human vitality. As Brown saw it, history painting should be an exercise in understanding how ordinary people interact with broader social forces and powers. The displays of exuberance in the murals confirm Brown's concern with the idea of human freedom - and what people do when confronted by representatives of the political establishment.”

The Health Foundation funded study also showed the benefits linked to devolution on life expectancy were felt in the most deprived local authorities where there was poorer health, suggesting a narrowing of inequality.

The study, published in The Lancet Public Health  (showed that between 2014/16 and 2017/19:

• Life expectancy was 0.2 years higher in Greater Manchester compared to a comparable control group from the rest of England. The change in Greater Manchester  was 2·2 times larger than the average change in life expectancy over the same period.
• The change persisted throughout the period after the devolution deal  and was larger for men (0.34 years) than for women (0·06 years).
• Statistically significant increases in life expectancy were observed in eight out of the ten local authorities in Greater Manchester, with the exceptions of Rochdale (decrease) and Oldham (no change).
• In the short-term, life expectancy remained constant in Greater Manchester but declined in comparable areas in England. In the longer-term, life expectancy increased at a faster rate in Greater Manchester than in the rest of the country.
• Improvements in life expectancy were larger in the local authorities with the worst levels of income deprivation and lowest life expectancy prior to devolution, when compared to areas with equally high deprivation and low life expectancy in the rest of England.

The improvements, say the researchers, may have been a result of a combination of changes in response to the devolution deals in the region, including the health and social care devolution agreement, the devolution of powers over wider determinants of health (such as housing, employment, transport, adult education, policing, and economic development), and the election of a Greater Manchester mayor.

The study, which is the first of first kind, estimated the impact of devolution on the population stratified by sex, local authority, income deprivation, and life expectancy compared to the rest of England, excluding London.

The researchers used local authority data on life expectancy at birth published by the Office for National Statistics between 2006 and 2019 to calculate the relationship.

Lead author Dr Philip Britteon Research Fellow at ����Vlog�ٷ� said: “We provide the first robust evidence on the impact of devolution in England on population health, focusing on changes occurring in Greater Manchester.

“The study shows modest improvements in life expectancy in Greater Manchester compared to comparable areas in the rest of the country from the introduction of devolution until the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, using a robust statistical method.

“This finding may have been driven by combination of changes in response to the health and social care devolution agreement, the devolution of powers over wider public services, the election of a new mayor, or earlier steps to improve population health prior to devolution.

"The findings support the suggestion that devolved systems are able to more closely identify and address the needs of local populations. However, further research is required to understand the mechanisms behind the estimated effect.”

Co-author Professor Matt Sutton from ����Vlog�ٷ� and Deputy Director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM) said: “In Greater Manchester many more people die younger than in most other parts of the UK; many others suffer more from serious diseases.

“However, this study has shown that devolution in Greater Manchester could improve things for the better.”

Following devolution, the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership (GMHSCP) was established to set strategy and oversee its delivery, including the delivery of Taking Charge, the region’s five year plan.

And also part of the health and social care devolution settlement, NHS England granted the region control of its share of the national sustainability and transformation fund.

The GMHSCP policy priorities also formed components of The Greater Manchester Strategy; a plan produced  by Greater Manchester Combined Authority on behalf of Greater Manchester partners, to transform and integrate public services within the conurbation.

Co-author Dr Yiu-Shing Lau from ����Vlog�ٷ� said: “These findings may provide clues to the potential success or failure of Integrated Care Systems in England.

“However, there are key differences that should be considered when drawing comparisons between the setup of the GMHSCP and the organisation of Integrated Care Systems outlined in the Health and Care Act 2022.

“Similar improvements in population health may not be replicated in Integrated Care Systems without a comprehensive representation of councils on their board.

“The success of future devolution reforms may therefore depend on other factors beyond the types and strength of powers devolved to a health system, including the extent to which health and wider public services are aligned.

“Future research will seek to further investigate the findings of the study by evaluating the impact of devolution on a range of outcome measures and investigating the activities in Greater Manchester that may have contributed to the observed change in life expectancy”

The paper, The Impact of Devolution on Health:  A Synthetic Control Analysis of Greater Manchester in England, published in  in The Lancet Public Health is published in The Lancet Public Health 

Professor Tony Redmond has been honoured with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Pride of Manchester Awards, in recognition of a career spent providing crucial medical care to those most in need all over the world.

Tony is Professor of International Emergency Medicine at ����Vlog�ٷ�’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, and he has been involved in delivering international emergency humanitarian assistance since 1988. 

He has organised and led medical support to natural disasters, major incidents, conflicts and complex emergencies throughout the world including earthquakes, epidemics, wars and plane crashes.

He set up , a charity based at the University which sends vital medical care to places of great humanitarian need across the globe – a team of their volunteer medics are currently in Ukraine, where they have set up clinics to treat injured and displaced people as well providing vital support and training for local healthcare staff.

Tony coordinated the NHS response to the Ebola epidemic in 2014 – the experience and knowledge that he acquired during this crisis led to him being appointed as the medical director of the NHS Nightingale Hospital North West, the temporary hospital located in the Manchester Central conference venue at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He has won countless awards and accolades during his distinguished career, including an OBE in 1994 for his work providing humanitarian assistance in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war, and ����Vlog�ٷ�’s Medal of Honour in 2018.

He recalled seeing a letter in the Manchester Evening News from a local resident who said it made them proud to see a team from the city doing such important work in the places where it is most needed. “It really touched me - it makes me proud to be from Manchester,” he said.

Redmond was presented with his award by Elbow singer Guy Garvey, who reflected on Redmond’s achievements to the audience at Manchester’s Kimpton Clocktower Hotel. 

“When I think about what Tony has done and how many millions of people he’s facilitated to live - he’s remarkable,” he said. “I’m just so very very honoured and proud to be here with him. The attitude at the top filters down in organisations, and that’s why what Tony has done is so special.”

Tony’s charity UK-Med is currently providing direct medical care, training and support for the people of Ukraine - please to help them to provide emergency healthcare to those most vulnerable.