Manchester Central Foodbank

Since its inception in 2013, the UK’s first student-led and campus-based foodbank, Manchester Central Foodbank, has helped thousands of local citizens with food insecurity.

This included developing an online store and delivery system for vulnerable and isolated people, and providing 70,000 meals during the pandemic in 2020.

Sustainable food study programmes

Our BA Geography students undertake a Food and Farming unit covering hunger, ethical consumerism, environmental sustainability, animal rights and social equity.

Biosciences undergraduates take a Plants for the Future unit exploring how plant biology can address social and environmental challenges.

Through a Green Biotechnology unit, students engage with the latest developments in sustainable food production, energy generation and pharmaceutical production.

Sustainable agriculture through electronic engineering

Our Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is examining how electronic engineering can improve food supply and sustainable energy production without increased pressures on our land.

E-Agri Manchester is using e-devices for reducing waste, increasing yields and making crops more resilient.

We also work on sustainable agriculture with the eight most research-intensive universities in the north of England through an N8 AgriFood programme.

Student financial support

A significant proportion of our students are from families that fall below the national poverty line.

We offer a range of support to ensure that financial issues don’t present an obstacle for learners, including:

• The Manchester Bursary
• The Manchester Master’s Bursary
• The Undergraduate Access Scholarship
• The Living Cost Support Fund
• The ‘Helpmegetonline’ scheme

Student action

Our student community work on a range of projects to tackle extreme poverty and inequality.

Love for the Streets was established by two Manchester students to use youth events, content and social media marketing to tackle homelessness in partnership with local charities.

Once a Month fights period poverty through public campaigns and providing sanitary products to vulnerable women across Manchester.

Homeless Healthcare Society

The Homeless Healthcare Society helps improve the healthcare of Manchester’s homeless population by raising awareness of the medical inequalities and stigmas faced by homeless patients when accessing healthcare.

The aim is to ultimately improve the care provided by tomorrow’s healthcare professionals.

Team Rwanda

Team Rwanda is a partnership between The University of Manchester, the University of Rwanda and Azizi Life. Students volunteer their time assisting several schemes to alleviate poverty and aid community development.

International development study programmes

Our Global Development Institute is the UK’s largest university-based postgraduate centre specialising in international development.

More than 5,000 students have completed master’s programmes in international development since 2012.

Big Change Society

Based in our University’s Students’ Union, the Big Change Society supports people who are homeless by paying for essential items such as home deposits, training courses and clothes for job interviews. The society also signposts students towards the best ways they can get involved with ending homelessness and promoting responsible giving.

Global Development Institute

Our Global Development Institute (GDI) is Europe’s largest research and teaching institute focused on poverty and inequality. The GDI runs the Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) Research Centre, which investigates how politics promotes inclusive development and government accountability. Recent research suggests that countries with the highest government capacity can reduce income poverty at twice the speed of countries with the weakest capacity. Spanning 16 countries, our research is deepening the understanding of governance in developing countries, and helping to influence policy and practices and improve people’s lives