People who care about Bury have come together to discuss ways to continue helping the borough's most vulnerable residents.

The cost-of-living summit on November 4 at Radcliffe Football Club focused on understanding the progress made in combating poverty and how to collectively work to prevent it.

The event was attended by the council's elected members and officers, public service leaders, voluntary organisations, and community group representatives.

Council leader, Cllr Eamonn O’Brien, said: "The reality is that life has become harder for many of our residents because of the cost-of-living crisis but, by combining efforts, we are stronger."

"We heard about amazing examples where, working together through our LET’S Do It! principles of taking a local and strengths-based approach, we are making a difference."

"The passion and commitment of people who care about the borough shone through and we will continue having a positive impact and changing lives for the better."

Cllr Sandra Walmsley, cabinet member for communities and inclusion, said: "We are working jointly to find the most suitable and sustainable ways to share resources and share funding to improve lives across the borough."

"Our voluntary groups are at the frontline of providing services and we heard first-hand examples of how they help."

"We also looked forward to how we best use the Household Support Fund (HSF) and what we do more of, or differently, to support people and achieve our ambition to reduce inequalities across Bury."

Public health specialist Dr Beenish Hanif gave a presentation to set the context of life in Bury pre-pandemic, through 2020, and the impact of the LET’S Do It! strategy so far.

Dr Hanif believes Bury's anti-poverty strategy shows "strong leadership and effective coordination, addressing immediate, medium, and long-term poverty challenges".

Another speaker explained that "more people are gaining access to pension credit they are entitled to through targeted, data-led work to contact them directly and provide support".

Voluntary sector leaders, Katie Jenkinson of Trust House and Tina Harrison of Grow Together Radcliffe, gave insights into their experiences working with some of Bury's most vulnerable residents.

Attendees also took part in workshops to identify how to continue having a positive impact.

The discussions and actions from the day will influence an update to the LET’S Do It! strategy for the borough, recognising "the progress made so far" and how to "continue working towards the vision for Bury in 2030".