Goal 3: Policies, processes and practices
The following page outlines specific policies, processes and practices in support of Sustainable Development Goal 3 Good Health and Wellbeing.
Health and well-being collaborations and initiatives
We collaborate with health institutions at local, national and global levels to improve health and wellbeing outcomes:
Local: Through Health Innovation Manchester (the integrated health innovation system for Greater Manchester), we work with NHS Greater Manchester, local hospitals, and community health providers to accelerate research, innovation and digital health solutions that directly benefit patients and communities.
National: We partner extensively with the NHS, for example through The NHS Leadership Academy, where we co-create and deliver two of the largest leadership development programmes in the history of UK healthcare, supporting thousands of NHS professionals to improve service delivery and patient outcomes. Our researchers also collaborate with NHS Trusts on translational research in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular health, and mental health.
Global: Through our Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, we partner with the WHO, Medicins Sans Frontiers and the Red Cross to improve emergency medicine and humanitarian health responses in conflict and disaster zones. We also host and incubate UK-Med, a charity that recruits, trains and deploys NHS clinicians and allied health professionals to provide emergency medical support worldwide.
Local community facilities
We deliver extensive health and well-being outreach programmes for the wider Greater Manchester community, engaging thousands of residents each year through free health education, preventive-care initiatives, and volunteer-led projects.
Our Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health runs structured service-learning and public/patient involvement programmes where students and staff work with GP practices, pharmacies, charities and community groups to provide relevant services and health education in local neighbourhoods.Our students undertake service-learning placements and volunteering with partner health providers through The Manchester Volunteer Partnership and Manchester Medical School Community Engagement Projects.
Additionally, our MBChB students in partnership with local charity AskMyDoc run blood pressure clinics in community hubs in order to engage diverse populations across Greater Manchester.
Our Sports Volunteer Schemes enable ongoing and ad hoc volunteering by staff and students, delivering activities for local organisations and specific groups such as inner-city school children and young women. Our outreach programmes address dental inequalities, aiming to improve oral health for children, disadvantaged groups, immigrant and refugee communities, and those whose first language is not English. These efforts promote health and well-being both within the University and the wider Manchester community.
Student volunteering is a core element of these programmes, enabling students to apply their skills while making a meaningful contribution to the local community. Collectively, these initiatives support improved health outcomes, promote well-being, and strengthen links between the University and the wider Manchester community, including displaced populations.
We share sports facilities with the local community, with many activities provided for free or offered on a subsidised, not-for-profit basis. We operate the Sugden Centre, which offers free and subsidised access to workout classes and sports hall facilities for the local community. Additionally, our Manchester Aquatics Centre provides free swimming for under-17s at selected times and year-round free swimming for over-60s. We offer world-class facilities around the campus, providing a wide range of sport, fitness, and well-being activities available to the public at not-for-profit rates. Through our #ActiveAnywhere campaign, students, staff, and the wider University community can stay active, regardless of their location.
Sexual and reproductive healthcare
Through our Student Support Centre and Occupational Health Service, students receive free, confidential information, advice, and guidance on a wide range of sexual and reproductive health issues, including contraception, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and healthy relationships. Our University websites provide clear signposting to local NHS services offering sexual health screening, testing, treatment, and specialist reproductive health care.
On campus, the The Robert Darbishire Practice (the University’s GP service) and the Students’ Union Advice Centre provide free access to routine and emergency contraception, including condoms, femidoms, and emergency contraception. They also offer pregnancy testing, referrals for family planning and specialist reproductive health services, and guidance on accessing further care.
Educational resources and campaigns are delivered throughout the year, promoting safe sex, consent, and sexual well-being, ensuring students are supported to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
Mental health support
We provide students with comprehensive and free access to mental health support, alongside proactive promotion of positive wellbeing:
Counselling and Mental Health Service – offers free, confidential one-to-one counselling sessions, cognitive behavioural therapy, crisis appointments, and specialist support for high-risk students. Students can also access group workshops (e.g. managing anxiety, low mood, exam stress), guided self-help, podcasts and online self-study programmes. Additionally, students can receive a free Headspace subscription where they can access guided courses to manage stress, regulate sleep, aid anxiety and more.
Active wellbeing promotion – our wellbeing calendar highlights regular events and campaigns across campus (e.g. Mental Health Awareness Week, exam stress workshops, mindfulness drop-ins, pet therapy). We run proactive campaigns such as Six Ways to Wellbeing and Exam Extra, encouraging students to build daily wellbeing habits.
24/7 helplines and digital support – students are signposted to free round-the-clock support via partnerships with Shout (text line) and Samaritans. All students have free access to Togetherall, an online peer-to-peer mental health platform moderated by clinicians.
Specialist and practical support – we provide tailored advice and referrals for students facing complex issues including academic stress, financial difficulties, housing insecurity, disability and long-term health conditions, and relationship concerns.
Community and peer support – trained Wellbeing Champions and Student Support Officers across Schools and Halls proactively check in with students, promote early help-seeking, and connect students to relevant services.
By combining free professional counselling, digital resources, 24/7 crisis support, and proactive wellbeing campaigns, we ensure that all students have accessible and timely pathways to mental health support.
We also provide our members of staff with access to a variety of mental health support services, focusing on promoting positive mental health and offering free resources. Our ‘Six Ways to Wellbeing’ initiative encourages holistic actions that help integrate wellbeing into daily life: connect, be active, take notice, learn & discover, give, and be healthy. We host Colleague Wellbeing Month: Wellbeing for All every June, offering staff the opportunity to focus on their wellbeing through various activities and resources. Staff members can also become Wellbeing Champions, working across teams to help colleagues recognize and reduce stress in their work lives. The University Library provides free access to key titles on counselling and mental health, alongside hundreds of digital and print wellbeing resources covering a wide range of topics.
Members of staff can also access a range of support from; telephone support, counselling (online and face to face), signposting to specialist agencies, health hero wellbeing hub information & resources, general health & wellbeing support, legal information, money & debt support, support for managers.
Smoke-free campus
We are a partially smoke-free campus. Since 2013, the University has maintained a ‘no smoking’ policy, which is reviewed annually. This policy states that all University and indoor workplaces, vehicles and designated outdoor areas are designated as non-smoking zones. Smokers are not permitted to smoke or use electronic cigarettes within five metres of building entrances.