Growing inequality in wealth, health and life expectancy
Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection
Thanks to National Lottery players, 10GM, on behalf of Greater Manchester Live Well, will receive £16.5 million over four years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the UK’s largest community funder.
This investment in Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection will create a network of 100+ inclusive, community-led and owned spaces across Greater Manchester where people can meet, belong and find everyday support.
Prioritising communities facing the greatest inequalities, the investment will strengthen social infrastructure and grow community action, power and wealth. Powered by the Live Well movement, VCSE organisations, public services and residents will come together to share power, change systems and shape healthier, fairer, more connected places.
Communities are at their strongest when people have somewhere to come together. Whether it’s a local hall, a shared garden, or a repurposed building, community-led spaces give people the chance to connect, collaborate and find joy — especially in times when isolation and inequality are growing.
Across Greater Manchester, there are already hundreds of these spaces. They’re the lifeblood of our sector. But many are underfunded, overstretched and held up by just a few dedicated individuals fighting to keep the lights on. These leaders often face immense pressure, driven by a deep sense of responsibility to their communities. And too many people still do not have communal spaces to call their own — particularly people facing the greatest inequalities. We want to work alongside people to identify these gaps and invest in new and emerging spaces too.
This strategic partnership with The National Lottery Community Fund marks a bold and much-needed commitment to Greater Manchester’s grassroots social infrastructure. Securing £16.5 million reflects both the scale of ambition and the urgency of need — and provides a foundation for long-term, community-led change.
But this isn’t just about money. It’s about shifting power. It’s about ensuring that communities themselves decide where investment goes, and that those who’ve been most marginalised finally get the support they deserve. It’s about valuing what matters — not just in words, but through sustained, strategic action. As part of this programme, we’re working with equity partners to develop approaches that support dispersed communities of identity and experience.
It was extremely important to us that this funding didn’t affect local applications, so we agreed with The National Lottery Community Fund that this investment is additional and does not come from Greater Manchester allocations.
This approach has also created space to gather a wide range of voices through consultation and engagement — grounding the programme in real community priorities and people’s own experiences.
What the programme will do
The programme launched in April 2026. It is one of the largest investments in community-led development in England. It builds on the leadership and creativity already rooted in local communities and will:
- Supercharge and celebrate community-led action that builds connection, resilience, equity and community wealth.
- Generate and share nationally significant learning about what helps community-led spaces thrive long-term — influencing policy and practice locally, regionally and nationally.
- Strengthen and grow social infrastructure that supports lasting community power, leadership and belonging across Greater Manchester.
This programme is a chance to reimagine how we invest in and support grassroots social infrastructure — moving away from bureaucracy and toward trust, equity and shared leadership. It’s an opportunity to build something lasting, together. And because learning is essential to long-term change, a dedicated learning and evaluation pathway will sit at the heart of the work.
How it fits together
Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection are one strand within the broader GM Live Well model, which also includes Live Well Centres, Live Well Offers and other community-based Live Well Spaces. This investment ensures that VCSE-led and community-led spaces are firmly embedded within the Live Well approach, and provides practical learning about how communities can protect, sustain and grow their own community-led spaces.
The programme builds on two years of development through GM’s Live Well movement, in partnership with GMCA and NHS GM. It aligns closely with the Greater Manchester Strategy, including ambitions around devolution, the VCSE Accord, the Economic Trailblazer Deal and GM’s Prevention Demonstrator status. It also complements existing initiatives such as the Live Well Communities Fund, providing sustained investment to grow the movement’s long-term impact.
Who’s involved
10GM is the programme’s accountable body, with delivery leads in each Local Infrastructure Organisation coordinating work in each borough. GMCA, NHS GM, GM Equality Alliance and The Innovation Unit will play key roles as delivery partners.
The programme began with a six-month co-design phase in April 2026.
Where we are now
Our first phase has been co-design. Over the past few months, we’ve brought partners, communities and local leaders together through 13 Theory of Change workshops: one in each of Greater Manchester’s ten boroughs, a dedicated equity-focused workshop and two GM-wide sessions. Together they’ve helped shape a shared vision for how change happens and what the programme hopes to achieve.
Delivery is the next stage. The investment is for existing and emerging spaces, and we’ll share more detail as soon as we can.
10GM Blog: Growing a Shared Vision for Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection
Over the past few months, we’ve brought partners, communities and local leaders together to start shaping a shared vision for Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection.
In this blog, Sarah tells you what we heard, and what happens next.
Background to the programme
Greater Manchester continues to face:
Rising poverty and isolation
Pressure on community spaces that act as “anchors of trust, connection and belonging”
This programme responds by putting power into communities’ hands, shifting how decisions are made, and strengthening the VCSE sector as a critical partner in long-term systems change.
Programme focus areas
1
Stronger local leadership – supporting people to develop skills, confidence and connections to shape local decisions.
2
Better, more welcoming community spaces – investing in community centres, buildings, parks and shared spaces to keep them open, inclusive and thriving.
3
More power in residents’ hands – enabling community-led decisions and resident-led investment.
4
A Greater Manchester that listens and learns – working with think tanks and national partners to share learning and influence wider policy and investment.
You may hear the term “social infrastructure” used throughout this work. By this, we mean…
Social infrastructure refers to the framework of institutions and physical spaces that support shared community life. Places like community centres, pubs and parks provide space for people to meet, engage, and build relationships and trust that underpin any successful community.
Other elements are less visible and tangible – the networks of formal and informal groups, organisations, partnerships and initiatives that both benefit from and sustain the physical and social fabric of a place.
While definitions of social infrastructure vary, Local Trust breaks down this resource into three core elements, including:
- the physical infrastructure within the local area that supports the formation and development of social networks and relationships
- the community-based groups and neighbourhood associations that turn those community places and spaces into thriving hubs of civic life and activity (this is where Spaces of Hope and Connection comes in), and
- physical and digital connections – from public transport to internet access – that are crucial for bringing people together and linking them to social and economic opportunities
How can you get involved?
Dispersed Communities of Identity and Experience
Salford
Stockport
Tameside
Trafford
Wigan
Connect with this work
To find out more about this programme or connect to this work, get in touch with Sarah, GM Head of Programme (Live Well Spaces of Hope and Connection)
Find out more about Live Well
Live Well
We’re working with VCSE and public sector colleagues to shape and co-design Live Well, and lobbying to ensure communities have the resources they need to scale up to provide this support. We are also working with colleagues across the region to secure long-term resources, ensuring our sector is resilient and sustainable.
Content last reviewed on 21 October 2026
