Why Manningham and Girlington?
Manningham and Girlington is an inner-city area of Bradford and was selected for the Act Locally programme due to high levels of deprivation and strong voluntary sector resources.
- Most deprived ward in Bradford (Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2019)
- Lowest life expectancy in the district — up to 10 years shorter than in more affluent areas like Wharfedale
- Highest infant mortality rate in Bradford
- Second highest rates of postnatal depression
Who's Involved?
The convening partnership board includes representatives from:
- Local Authority
- Bradford Children & Families Trust
- Schools and Multi Academy Trusts
- Voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations
- Public Health
- ICB
- Youth Service
- Family Hub/Early Help
- Born in Bradford and Age of Wonder
- NHS England
- Bradford District Care Trust
Together, we follow a collective impact approach — working collaboratively across sectors to drive meaningful, community-led change.
Priority: Mental Health of Female Pupils and Parents
Agreed at the first convening meeting in June 2023.
Why this priority?
- Services are overwhelmed and underfunded
- School mental health provision is limited
- High levels of school non-attendance linked to mental health
- Underdiagnosis of autism in female pupils
- Need for parental mental health education and early identification
Our Journey So Far
2018–2022: Delivery of our £15m DfE funded predecessor Programme ‘Bradford Opportunity Area’ to improve the social mobility of Bradford’s children and young people.
2019–2022: ActEarly: Holme Wood Project. Aimed to empower the community and stakeholders to incorporate data science into public services and policy. It created a replicable model ‘Act Locally’ which aimed to better align and target services based on local circumstances.
August 2022: Published our 12 point plan to improve social mobility and lessons learned from the Bradford Opportunity Area Programme.
March–June 2022: Began local engagement in Manningham & Girlington, identifying key priorities:
- Mental health of women and girls
- School attendance
- Supporting neurodiverse children
July 2023: Learning Symposium to focus on key priority: Mental Health Agreed a set of local actions and recommendations for commissioners.
August 2023: Developed our M&G Statement of Intent. (Contextualising the issue, the data, our understanding, our actions and recommendations for commissioners).
December 2023: Act Locally: Manningham & Girlington convening partnership meeting:
- Input from young people reviewed
- Action plan updated
7th February 2024: Act Locally: Manningham & Girlington convening partnership meeting:
- Reviewed actions from previous meetings
- Explored Thrive Model for Healhy Minds
12th June 2024: Act Locally: Manningham & Girlington convening partnership meeting: Input from Oasis Lister Academy Community Group
June-October 2024: Collaborative work with EALC, Bradford District Care Trust, Dixons Academy and Oastlers on funding bid. Through to final stage of the NHS Charities Together Innovation Challenge.
Documents and Resources
You can download key documents related to the Manningham and Girlington Act Locally programme below: