GM Live Well Assembly

Overview

We are excited to invite anyone who is a part of the GM Live Well movement to apply to take part in our first ever GM Live Well Assembly.

As part of Live Well’s commitment to community-led, system-enabled ways of working, we will be holding this Live Well Assembly from 23–25 March 2026. We will be exploring how we can embed the principles of shifting decision-making and resources closer to communities through Live Well decision-making structures, and what this means in practice for how Live Well is governed. Together, people who take part in the Assembly will make recommendations for how we can achieve this.  

The GM Live Well Assembly is inspired by the Citizens’ Assembly model. Over three days, 30 randomly selected participants will come together to: 

• Deliberate on how a GM Live Well Alliance can support how we shift decision-making and resources closer to communities 

• Consider what this means in practice for how GM Live Well should be governed 

• Hear from expert witnesses who will help inspire new ideas 

• Develop a set of recommendations for how the GM Alliance should take shape 

The Assembly will have 22 places for community leaders, with leadership defined in the broadest terms. We understand a community leader to be someone who enables people and organisations to come together around shared purpose, voice, and action. 

Community leadership may be rooted in grassroots organising, social justice, equalities work, mutual aid, or the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector. It is defined by values and practice, rather than by formal authority or institutional position. 

We would love you to consider applying if you: 

• Are connected to, or actively involved in, a community of place or community of identity in Greater Manchester 

• Have experience of growing community capacity, voice, or power 

• Want to help shape how communities influence decisions that affect them 

• Are available to attend the Assembly dates, including the pre-meeting 

To ensure strong connections to Live Well implementation in localities and to existing Live Well governance, the Assembly will also include three places for members of the GM Live Well Board, and five places for people working within a Greater Manchester council or a local infrastructure organisation.  

To ensure the Assembly reflects the diversity of Greater Manchester, applicants will be randomly selected against predetermined demographics, using a method called sortition. 

We are looking to recruit an Assembly that meets the following criteria: 

The application process is short and involves providing contact details and demographic questions that link to the information in our criteria above. 

The Assembly will take place in person over three days: 23 March – 25 March 2026 at The Mechanics Institute in Manchester. 

People who are taking part in an unpaid role will be remunerated at £150 per day (£450 inclusive) plus expenses for their time. Voluntary sector organisations who apply for a staff member to attend will be paid £200 for taking part plus expenses to cover capacity. 

Next steps and key dates 

• Applications close: 28 February 2026 

• Online information sessions:  
  • 5 February at 5:30pm - book your place
  • 11 February at 12:30pm - book your place

• Assembly pre-meet (online): 18 March at 12:30pm 

• GM Live Well Assembly: 
  • 23–25 March, 9:30am–4:30pm, Mechanics Institute, Manchester 

If you are passionate about strengthening community voice and helping shape the future of GM Live Well, we’d love you to apply.