Manchester: Place Partnership deepening (2025-2028)

What Next?

As part of their deepening approach Manchester identified three key areas they would like to focus on. 

Walking Wheeling and cycling

Manchester want to build on the good work already done in this area. While also leveraging the momentum created from the 2024 European Capital of Cycling. For deepening the place team want to strengthen the outdoor recreational offer, and improve access to active travel.

Infrastructure has been identified to as key to this works suitability. Manchester want to create more connected neighbourhoods by improving on active travel routes. This work will be supported by Teams Around a Neighbourhood which will ensure that resident voice is visible at all levels.

Health inequalities

Another important areas of focus for the place based work in Manchester is tackling health inequalities. The place work is aligned the Making Manchester fairer strategy. This strategy is Manchester’s commitment to equality. Aiming to make services, facilities, and opportunities as fair as possible. This will include targeted place based interventions, while also exploring ways to make services as accessible as possible.

One pathway that we are hoping to streamline is the exercise referral and social prescribing pathway making it easier to access. Part of this is an ambition to create a digital triage system. This platform will triage and connect residents to local provision. Therefore, making it easier to residents to access support and find local activities. To ensure the success of this work, the team will be working in collaboration with other health and academic partners.

Alongside the platform the place work will also contribute to the expansion of quality assured health pathways for those who are inactive. This will involve working closely with VCSE partners to help upskill community organisation. A number of trusted partners have already been identified as potential physical activity champions who can help other organisation build capacity and confidence.  

Community power

Key to the sustainability of place work is building community power and a sense of ownership of local initiatives. This has already been demonstrated in place base work such as seed of joy and Heart and soul (insert links). Manchester want to build on these learnings and further involve local people in decision making, and upskilling. By working in place based ways Manchester want to cultivate trust within the new communities they are expanding into.

Supporting the communities directly and via the VCSE sector will also support other deepening aims.

Click here to find out more about Manchester's place partner journey