New devolution deal brings exciting new opportunities for health and wellbeing in GM

By Hayley Lever, Exec Lead GM Moving | 24 March 2023 | TAGS: Devolution, Hayley Lever

Greater Manchester's leaders came together this week to add their signatures to the trailblazing deal that represents the biggest step yet in the city-region's devolution journey.

The new devolution deal further embeds the role of local decision-making through additional powers and responsibilities over post-16 technical education, transport, housing, and regeneration, as well as new financial freedoms and new accountability arrangements. 

Responding to the deal, Hayley Lever, Exec Lead for GM Moving said:

"The trailblazer deeper devolution deal will bring exciting new responsibilities to our city region and is an opportunity for GM Moving partners to make an even bigger difference together, as we support good lives for all.

There was a focus on skills and employment, transport, and housing and regeneration in last week’s coverage of the deal, and there is plenty more in the 65-page document published by the government last week.

GM Moving in Action, for example, will be one of the city region’s strategic priorities considered when investment decisions are made.

The creation of a Greater Manchester Strategic Cultural Partnership (SCP) is also important.

The Partnership will explore new ways culture and heritage (including movement and creative health) can deliver wider outcomes including health and wellbeing.

This is something we believe these activities do regularly already.

The SCP will facilitate a two-way dialogue, connecting nationwide organisations to Greater Manchester and ensuring the GM Moving voice is heard on national issues.

There is a commitment for partners including GMCA, DCMS, Sport England and others to continue to work alongside each other collaboratively. We warmly welcome this invitation.

Similarly, DCMS will work with bodies, including, where appropriate, Sport England, to support greater funding alignment in our region to maximise local benefit and support wellbeing.

The government also commits to help Greater Manchester embed a ‘health in all policies’ approach to public health through the better use of data. This is key to our shared ambitions on addressing health inequalities.

Our whole-system approach alongside partners in multiple sectors is making consistent, incremental and positive change – and we hope these new commitments will accelerate our progress towards active lives for all.

We know that moving matters to us all and we all have a role to play. The new deeper devolution deal offers us the opportunity to further design movement back into our lives across GM.

Support to embed health (or take it one step further and say movement) in every policy across GM is welcome and will improve lives through better physical and mental health."