It Takes a Village 2026: MEaP Partnership Strengthening

The MEaP consortium recently hosted a transformative two-day Consortium and Partnership Strategy Meeting on Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th April 2026. The “It Takes A Village 2026” meeting was made possible thanks to N13 funding.

It Takes a Village 2026: The village it took in this instance

Bringing together four founder partners—MEaP (represented by 4 of its directors) / MaCTRI (represented by Dr Ornette D Clennon), Highway Hope (represented by Dr Esther Oludipe and Kelvin Oluleke), Grace Incorporation Faith Trust (represented by Mr Henry Ngawoofah), and Nurturing Foundations (represented by Mrs Jumoke Quadri) —alongside delivery partners Elevate Young Minds (represented by Adam Scott), 3E Web Media (represented by Manuella Essaka), BRASS, and Pathfinder Educational (represented by Olayiwola Iyiola), the event solidified a shared vision for the future of community support in Greater Manchester. Highway Hope also invited Mary Akanmu-Bamikefa. Guided by the Ubuntu principle—”I am because we are”—the theme “It Takes a Village 2026” served as a powerful reminder that while our eight organisations reach hundreds of children and families weekly, our collective impact is far greater than the sum of our individual efforts.

It Takes a Village 2026: The contents

Hosted at Highway Hope on Day 1 and Nurturing Foundations on Day 2, the sessions moved beyond traditional training into a space of radical honesty and co-creation. Partners mapped the unique strengths of the consortium and partnership, established a unified set of principles for joint funding and bidding, marking a move toward a more sustainable income ecosystem. The group tackled the urgent pressures facing our local communities, including housing, the cost-of-living crisis, employment rights, the influence of AI, and youth mental health as well as the individuals in the community not addressed by grants. By sharing stories of both success and struggle, the “village” produced a robust Shared Action Plan with clear milestones and leads through to December 2026. This roadmap includes new common impact measurement tools and data templates that will serve as the foundation for our collaborative work moving forward. As we look ahead to our 30-day all-partners check-in call, the energy from these meetings remains a catalyst for meaningful change across the region. An open day has also been suggested to make the community aware of partnership offers.

It Takes a Village 2026: The partners on those days

• MEaP is the main organiser and the consortium under which these partnerships operate.
• MaCTRI is the research and advocacy branch of MEaP although it is steadily establishing itself as its own organisation. See more on MaCTRI’s website due to the huge amount of work that it undergoes between its research, advocacy as well as initiatives like MaSPP.
• Highway Hope just celebrated 12 Years of transforming lives and restoring hope through supplementary and complementary education, social enterprising, in a community spanning multiple boroughs of Greater Manchester from Gorton to Stockport
• Grace Incorporation Faith Trust (GIFT) Academy has been successfully facilitating social inclusion through education, employability an dtraining, and family mediation and support for over 23 years.
• Nurturing Foundations is a community-led charity and youth organisation dedicated to tackling social inequality, boosting social mobility, and improving the lives of young people and families in North Manchester, particularly in the Harpurhey area.
• Elevate Young Minds provide youth development solution via social art, creative employability, and world class leadership pathways.
• 3E Web Media transforms digital presence through strategic consultancy, high-quality web solutions, and data-driven marketing. From bespoke e-learning to e-commerce, we help organisations tell impactful stories that build lasting visibility and trust.
• BRASS (Befriending Refugees and Asylum Seekers) is a Bolton-based charity that support asylum seekers, refugees, and refused asylum seekers within the local area, in immigration advice, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes, and workshops designed to promote understanding of UK life, foster integration, provide practical support, improve employability, and reduce isolation for vulnerable individuals in the community.
• Pathfinder Educational is a social innovation lab that helps young people aged 16 to 25 and marginalised adults maximise their potential.
• Mary Akanmu-Bamikefa is a SEND specialist and is increasingly known for her results-driven entrepreneurship, specialising in brand amplification and strategic visibility. With expertise in storytelling and audience growth, she builds systems that ensure businesses and personal brands remain visible, credible, and trusted in competitive markets.