Tackling inequalities in Greater Manchester by getting rid of barriers to community-led innovation

Systems of public services can often create barriers to community-led innovation, limiting its impact and even bringing it to a standstill.

If community-led innovation is to flourish at scale in Greater Manchester, we need to name those barriers, and tackle them together. For example in our leadership and governance arrangements, in how front line staff work together, and in how money and other resources are distributed.

Our approach

GoodLives GM is a system shifting capability for Greater Manchester, working to reduce inequalities by tackling system barriers to community-led innovation.

GoodLives GM supports innovators to tackle barriers to community-led innovation through:

• System Leadership Development
• Programme Design
• Movement Building
• System Learning

GoodLives GM is facilitated by a partnership between Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Innovation Unit. Our work is steered by voluntary, community and public sector organisations across Greater Manchester.

GoodLives GM grew from conversations with brilliant innovators across Greater Manchester. They lead powerful work to tackle inequalities, like Elephant’s Trail, Living Well, GM Moving and Healthy Hyde. They identified common barriers to embedding community-led innovation. Together, we explored how a system shifting capability could help them tackle these barriers.