Public Programmes team contributions to social responsibility recognised through Making a Difference Awards

Three of our Public Programmes team’s projects were recently highlighted as making an outstanding contribution to The University of Manchester’s social responsibility goals through the university’s Making a Difference Awards.

The team were highly commended for design and delivery of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) School’s Conference in the Outstanding Local Community Collaboration category. The conference called,’ Our Health, Our Future,’ enabled secondary school students from Manchester to work with University researchers to address public health research challenges in their Manchester school communities where health outcomes are some of the poorest in England. You can learn more about the MAHSC School’s Conference on the Public Programmes team’s website.

Members of the Public Programmes team were also part of a group who won a special award for Sustained Contribution to Public Engagement, for an annual public event called ‘Science Spectacular.’ Organised in collaboration with Manchester Museum and The University of Manchester, the event celebrates the wonder, diversity and impact of research and is run as part of Manchester Science Festival, it is an event for researchers to showcase activities and try out new ideas. It attracted more than 1,700 visitors in 2014.

The Public Programmes team were also recognised alongside Hayley Gorton, who was highly recommended in the Outstanding Public Engagement Award for students.

Hayley, from Manchester Pharmacy School, was influential in organising the ‘Wonder-Drug Roadshow”, a project delivered by the Public Programmes Team and the NIHR Greater Manchester Primary Care Patient, Safety Translational Research Centre. This was a series of public events across Manchester with researchers highlighting medicine safety in a creative way to adults and children.