From ideas to action! Four fantastic Proposals for GM were unveiled on July 19 as our GM Future Leaders cross-sector cohort shared end-of-course pitches for how the city-region could do more for people and places. Their theme was ‘influencing outside the box’ – already working, to judge by the dozens of questions, suggestions and connections the audience offered to bring them to life. The audience also voted in two categories, though all the proposals were promising!
VOTED FAVOURITE IDEA: A Gender Equity Charter for Placemaking (Sarah Mulligan, Hannah Rodger, Kelly-Marie Rodgers, Ryan Tracey) – Chosen for societal benefit and because the tools, entities and networks exist; they just need a catalyst. The team focused on Strangeways – hearing from a variety of people who experience it differently – as a next-up development area that could benefit from a charter and clear steps. Watch this [safer] space!
VOTED MOST FEASIBLE: Youth Panels – Shaping the Future of Regeneration (Neil Bird, Davina Consoli, Miriam Ferrari) – Got the nod since, again, the resource is there! The team interviewed young people in Wythenshawe to get first-hand views for a possible pilot, and proposed this kind of input across the city-region, with big regeneration schemes as just one platform.
Community Living Room on a Bus (Samiya Butt, Emma Cecil, Sean Leach) – Lots of kudos for this proposal (complete with budget) to set up an array of flexible community services based on a bus that would travel to support deprived areas of GM. We wonder who might have some yellow buses and a focus on “Living Well”… 🐝 💛
Sweat the Small Stuff – Applying marginal gains to procurement (Gail Aspinall, Hannah Brankin, Matthew Grant, Neelam Mehmood). This was a set of sensible + challenging proposals for rethinking procurement (including social value aspects) that could save up to £150m p.a. in GM alone and streamline these costly processes. This one was VERY popular with all in the room who have to do bids!
What a way to end our first GM Future Leaders programme. This was a stellar cohort full of ideas, support and appetite for learning.
Thanks to our forward-thinking sponsors Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Hatch – who sponsored our two bursary places – Trowers & Hamlins and Arup; to facilitator Laurence Knott, PCC; to all of our field trip hosts; and to our fully engaged mentors, most of whom were able to attend and cheer on their mentees:
Sarah Ashurst, Debra Cooper, Shannon Conway, Mike Cunliffe, Susie Cuthill, Sherelle Fairweather, Luke Green, Alyson Heald, Ruth Jackson, Kathryn Jump, Jenny Kay, Chithra Marsh, Bethan McCaw, Paul Richards, Marion R., Angeliki Stogia and Ruth Welford.
Watch for these grads on your professional travels around GM. They will do great things for people and place.
For course info, visit our Leadership Programmes page. To apply, nominate or mentor, please email collette@futureofgreatermanchester.com