the greater manchester student partnership
The GMSP is the coming together of 5 Students’ Unions in Greater Manchester, to work in collaboration to be the voice for students across the city region.
Who we are?
The partnership was formed in response to the formation of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and a mutual interest between both parties to help students to thrive during their studies, and for them to remain here once entering the world of work.
Over recent years, the partnership has met with the mayor and members of the GMCA to form the Greater Manchester Student Assembly; 8 sabbatical officers from across the 5 Unions are a part of the assembly, with the aim of working with the GMCA to better the lives of students in the region.
The GMSP mirrors the Greater Manchester Civic Agreement, a partnership between the GMCA and the 5 Universities affiliated to the Union’s that make up the GMSP.
Why?
Greater Manchester has a selection of world class universities, with over 200,000 students living in the city region.
Our aim is to be the voice of all students, whether that be home undergraduates who are not from the region, post-graduate international students who have come to study, and everything in between.
Greater Manchester is rich in culture, and highly attractive to students from across the country and the world, and students play a key role in the life and growth of the city.
We also want students to feel like Greater Manchester is their home, which means they will be more likely to stay once graduated, and continue to add more to the region.
We want to work with the GMCA on certain areas, which means we have tried to align ourselves with the powers that the mayor and the GMCA has.We have four key priorities:
01 Health
Students should be able to access the support they need to stay healthy and succeed at university.
We’re working to make sure all health services are designed with students in mind.
02 Housing
Housing is one of the biggest challenges facing students across Greater Manchester.
We're working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), universities and housing partners to help create a housing system that works better for all students.
03 Safety
Students should be able to feel safe on campus, at home and across Greater Manchester, whatever the time of day or year.
GMSP are working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and students' unions to improve student safety across the whole city-region.
04 Mental Health
Balancing work alongside study has now become a key part of university life.
We want every student in Greater Manchester to be able to work in a way that supports their studies, and we’re working with employers and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to make that a reality.
05 Transport
Access to affordable, reliable transport is essential for students to make the most of their time in Greater Manchester.
We’re working with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Transport for Greater Manchester and universities to ensure the region’s transport network genuinely serves students' needs.
Civic Engagement
Students are as much citizens of the city region as any other person who lives here, and we want to help students fully engage with Greater Manchester. We will work with the GMCA and Civic Universities to get students registered to vote, and for them to play a more active role in the political and community life of the areas of the city region in which they live.
Upcoming projects
In 2023, we agreed with the GMCA and Greater Manchester Civic Universities to write a Greater Manchester Student Living and Staying Strategy. The strategy will be developed over the coming months and will focus on 5 keys areas: housing, transport, safety, mental health, and graduate retention. Working groups will be created for the strategy, and members of the partnership will be sat on all of them.
Latest News
Members of the assembly board
George Charlton - President, The Union of Manchester Metropolitan University
Sara Kopacz - Wellbeing Officer, The Union of Manchester Metropolitan University
Hasan Patel - City and Community Officer, University of Manchester Students’ Union
Grace Hollingsworth - Wellbeing and Liberation Officer, University of Manchester Students’ Union
Esther Udoh - Health and Society Officer, Salford Students’ Union
Muyiwa Omisakin - Science, Engineering and Environmental Science Officer, Salford Students’ Union
Ellie Astridge - President, Royal Northern College of Music Students' Union
Saad Mehmood - President, University of Greater Manchester Students’ Union