Making Manchester Fairer Community Forum shares success at MCC's Health Scrutiny Committee
Healthy Me Healthy Communities (HMHC) was delighted to present at Manchester City Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee on 4 December 2025, highlighting the progress and learning from the Making Manchester Fairer Community Forum.
Hollie Walsh, HMHC’s COO, and
Amber Smith-McKeown, Community Forum member, spoke about how the Forum is helping to build trust, reduce health inequalities and model meaningful power sharing between residents and statutory partners.
Photo L-R - Lucy Vanes, Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Improvement and Health Creation), MCC; Katherine Bird, Project Manager - Public Health, MCC; Sade Fraser, Strategic Lead, Making Manchester Fairer & Age Friendly, MCC; Hollie Walsh, COO, HMHC; Amber Smith McKeown, MMF Community Forum Member, Cllr Thomas Robinson, Executive Member of Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care, Co-Chair of Making Manchester Fairer Programme Board.
Key achievements shared with the Committee
Hollie outlined three major successes in the first year:
- Early investment in resident participation - Forum members have been paid for their time from day one, ensuring equitable access and removing financial barriers to involvement. This has set a strong foundation of respect and value.
- A highly effective recruitment campaign - Supported by the Making Manchester Fairer Communications Team, HMHC led an inclusive, citywide recruitment process, generating 191 applications from residents representing diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.
- Trust-building between residents and the Programme Board - At the 12-month mark, the relationship between the Community Forum and the Programme Board is demonstrating genuine power sharing, strengthening confidence in how decisions are made and who influences them.
What has enabled success
Hollie also reflected on the factors that have contributed to the Forum’s strong start:
- Leadership buy-in from the outset – with clear political and managerial commitment.
- A strengths-based partnership – public health colleagues bringing expertise and time; HMHC facilitators trusted to deliver flexibly; and a consistent focus on creating space for resident voice and lived experience.
- Cross-departmental collaboration
– theme leads, programme staff and wider council teams have been open, honest and generous with their time, enabling transparent conversations about both challenges and opportunities.
Resident leadership at the heart of the model
Amber Smith-McKeown spoke about her motivations for joining the Forum, drawing on her working-class background in Harpurhey and her desire to contribute to positive change in the city. She emphasised how the Forum is helping build trust between the council and residents, thanking partners for “allowing the forum to exist in the way that it does”.
National recognition
The session was attended by
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, who offered positive reflections on the Forum’s achievements and highlighted the importance of sustained commitment to community development as part of wider efforts to tackle health inequalities.
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