Manchester City Council and Manchester Active have launched a major new community-powered campaign aimed at improving access to physical activity and reducing health inequalities across the city.
The Neighbourhood Moves initiative, announced as part of the city’s wider Making Manchester Fairer strategy, is designed to help residents – particularly those in areas with the greatest health challenges – get active in ways that are local, accessible, and culturally relevant.
Neighbourhood Moves forms a key element of Making Manchester Fairer, a five-year action plan focused on tackling the social determinants of health. These include housing conditions, employment, poverty, and access to services—factors that significantly influence life expectancy and wellbeing across the city.
By improving opportunities for physical activity, the campaign aims to address longstanding gaps between neighbourhoods where health outcomes vary considerably.
The campaign encourages residents to reconnect with local green spaces and parks, walking routes and neighbourhood trails, and community activity providers and grassroots sports clubs.
Through interactive maps, real-life stories, and small grants for local organisations, the initiative aims to empower residents to shape activities that genuinely reflect their neighbourhood’s needs, cultures, and identities.
The focus is firmly on co‑creation, giving communities the tools and funding to develop activities that work for them rather than imposing one-size-fits-all solutions. The initial rollout has begun in:
- Cheetham Hill & Crumpsall
- Gorton, Abbey Hey & Longsight
- Benchill, Sharston & Woodhouse Park
These neighbourhoods have been prioritised due to high levels of health inequality and lower levels of physical activity. By concentrating early resources here, the council aims to generate local momentum and build models that can be replicated citywide.
More than 50 local providers, clubs, and community groups have already committed to supporting the campaign. They are inviting residents to get involved by sharing their activities, stories, and ideas to inspire others.
The campaign is also offering small grants to help additional providers deliver:
- Community-led outreach
- Multilingual engagement
- Events and activities that promote movement and wellbeing
Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care, Cllr Thomas Robinson, commented:
"When it comes to health and wellbeing, we know that access is key. For many the idea of living a healthy life may seem out of reach due to cost or personal circumstances. This is why this initiative is so important to bring those barriers down and ensure that everyone in Manchester can live a happy and healthy life."
This support is intended to remove barriers for smaller organisations that may lack funding but play a vital role in local health and community life.
Neighbourhood Moves reflects a wider shift in public health strategy – towards empowering communities, designing services around lived experience, and embracing hyper-local approaches.
For local government leaders across the UK, Manchester’s model will be of growing interest as councils look for innovative ways to address health inequalities, strengthen community resilience, and support preventative health systems under financial pressure.
Image credit: iStock
