The University of Manchester’s work on supporting local communities, heritage and age-friendly cities has been highlighted in a major new independent report which looks at the role modern universities can have in their local cities.

The report, from the Civic University Commission chaired by Lord Kerslake, was released today [12^th February] and is the result of a year of research conducted with a range of universities and communities across the UK. It contains numerous recommendations about how universities in the modern age can truly embed themselves in the lives and prosperity of their cities.

The report also contains several highlights of good practice from The University of Manchester, including:

• The Works: The report features this project, as an example of how universities can support employment in their communities. Since 2011 the Works has helped more than 4,000 local people into jobs by providing skills training and support in careers such as catering and construction. Most of these people are from areas, often in the immediate vicinity of the University, which have high levels of unemployment.
• The Greater Manchester Ageing Hub given as a project which shows the benefits of partnership working. It is a collaboration between public, voluntary, community, social enterprise, and academic partners. The Hub works as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, to ensure Greater Manchester’s residents are able to live, work and retire in the city-region, while living as fulfilling lives as possible. The University’s Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing(MICRA) is a founding member of the Hub.
• Highlighted as an exemplar cultural project is the University’s National Trust collaboration with Quarry Bank, a National Trust site near Manchester Airport. The research of Professor Hannah Barker has been used to tell the story of the mill, in particular the children who worked there.

Beyond the new Report, the University includes social responsibilityamong its core strategic goals and supports many more initiatives which have an impact in Greater Manchester and further afield.