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Innovation Unit
@innovationunit.bsky.social
210 followers 150 following 67 posts
We grow and scale the boldest and best innovations that deliver long-term impact for people across the UK.
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innovationunit.bsky.social
Grantees will share their insights, advice and perspectives on what it really takes to embed meaningful collaboration.

🗓️18 Nov 2025
⏰1-2.30pm

🔗Find out more and register your place: www.innovationunit.org/latest-updat...

#HealthInequalities #VCSE #NHS #PartnershipWorking #StrongerTogether
Stronger Together: Building place-based partnerships to tackle health inequalities. Online event. Innovation Unit and The National Lottery Community Fund. Tuesday 18th November 2025 - 1-2.30pm.
October 22, 2025 at 10:45 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
Taking time to reflect on both our internal context and our external environment is essential for ensuring our work creates tangible, equitable impact for all.

Days like this make us feel energised around our shared purpose, and excited for our work ahead.

Learn more ⤵️
lnkd.in/eJyEg8jj
People sat around tables with reading material, coffee and water. Everyone is facing a woman speaking at the front of the room - people are smiling and listening intently. People sat around tables with reading material, coffee and water. People are facing a woman speaking and expressing with her hands sat on one of the tables - people are smiling and listening intently.
October 20, 2025 at 1:54 PM
innovationunit.bsky.social
When graphic design isn’t trauma-informed, it can cause further harm and isolation 🔈

Our latest blog explores the critical role of trauma-informed graphic design when creating content with and for audiences with lived experience of trauma.

Learn more ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/latest-updat...
Green watercolour painting of hands typing on a keyboard
August 13, 2025 at 11:15 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
We spoke about the challenges and opportunities for our work in the face of:

🌍Climate change
👥Political and social shifts
🧠The growth of AI

Thank you James for your generous thoughts, and for prompting such rich discussion.

Find out more about our work ⤵️
www.innovationunit.org
A man presenting to a room of people, he is stood in front of a projector with a notepad in his hand. People sat around tables are looking at him as he speaks A group of people sat at a table around a sheet of paper with post-it notes and writing on it. They are deep in discussion. A woman stood up addressing a group of people, she is smiling and is pointing to something on the table in front of her Two women standing in front of a post-it note covered board - one woman is reaching across and placing a note on the wall.
July 24, 2025 at 8:58 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
Last week the #IUTeam came together for some fun in the sun ☀️

We welcomed some new faces to our team, took some time to reflect on our last six months, and ended the day with an all-team game of Task Master led by Bethan Mitchell, truly putting our innovation expertise to the ultimate test ! 🏆
Five people standing in a pub holding the winning prize and smiling. Room full of people sat at tables, all talking in groups. Woman sat at a table, holding a whoopie cushion and smiling at the camera. Another woman sat next to her drinking from a glass. A group of people all trying to balance objects on a team member, with a sponge and a glass on her head.
July 22, 2025 at 6:30 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
We have been thinking about how best to deliver government missions, here is our take on childcare ⬇️

We know that the for-profit, private childcare providers dominate the market, resulting in more provision for high-income communities, and ‘childcare deserts’ for low-income communities.

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A child's hands on dry ground
June 5, 2025 at 8:24 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
Growing mental health support powered by the community🌱👐

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we're reflecting on the power of #LivingWell mental health systems.

Read more in the @tnlcommunityfund.org.uk's Three Decades of Making a Difference report: www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/media/docume...
People sat in a line clapping. Three people stood smiling. A group of people speaking to a board covered in posters in front of a room of people A woman talking in front of a board with posters behind her.
May 16, 2025 at 9:48 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
We are proud to announce that we are part of the Climate Action Fund (CAF) Learning and Support Partnership, commissioned by @tnlcommunityfund.org.uk 🎉

Alongside our partners ARUP, Creature & Co & The University of Leeds, we will support over 130 community-led climate projects across the UK.

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A group of around 10 people stood in coats in an allotment smiling at the camera. There is a text box overlayed reading 'Introducing the Climate Action Fund (CAF) Learning and Support Partnership' in pink lettering.
May 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
innovationunit.bsky.social
Great to be at the Care Closer to Home conference talking about our upcoming work with @nhsconfed.org and @localtrust.org.uk.

We’ll work with 6 Big Local groups to learn what it takes to create community-led approaches to neighbourhood health.

Read more ⤵️
www.nhsconfed.org/news/power-p...

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Two people sat at a table smiling with silver laptops in front of them and an Innovation Unit banner behind them.
May 1, 2025 at 8:58 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
📣Real change will only happen if test learn and grow projects push the boundaries of existing government policy📣

In our latest blog we draw on our experience of the power to innovate & ask, how can we apply this to local services today?

Share your thoughts⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/thoughts/tim...
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April 28, 2025 at 1:35 PM
innovationunit.bsky.social
Last month we celebrated our third cohort of the #GoodLivesGM Leadership Collaborative 🎉

These 20 pioneering leaders have been on a 9 month programme, running experiments, to test new ways of working to reduce inequalities and grow a culture of prevention across Greater Manchester.

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Two people looking at a poster on a wall. 7 people sat on a panel discussion on a low stage. A few people sat round a table having a discussion Three people chatting and smiling.
April 7, 2025 at 7:30 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
What does it take to create community-led, preventative models of Early Family Help?

Today we have been celebrating with colleagues across Salford, Stockport, Rochdale and Wigan, who have been developing their community-led models 🫂

Find out more ⤵️
goodlivesgm.co.uk/early-family...
A group of people in discussion, two women are sat on a table leading the discussion. A panel of seven people with the audience sat around tables listening. Several pieces of paper on a table, one reading ‘my EFH shopping bag’ asking writers to note what they loved, learnt and what linked. A panel discussion with seven people sat on the panel and the audience sat around a table laughing.
April 2, 2025 at 3:22 PM
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Over the past 4 years, we’ve been working with the Greater Manchester mental health system to adopt and adapt a collaborative #LivingWell model 🌱

Yesterday we came together to celebrate the work of neighbourhood mental health teams across all 10 localities⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/projects/sto...
A group of people stood around a board discussing. A group of people presenting to a small group of people in front of a cork board with some posters pinned up, in a large white room. A group of people in a light room stood around talking. A poster reading 'Thank you for the time you have spent with me over the past few months, building my confidence and being a professional support and being very friendly towards me I think you are doing a really good job. I was treated with respect at all times I felt safe at all times and I will miss you.'
March 20, 2025 at 9:20 AM
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#GMLiveWell is Greater Manchester’s movement for growing great everyday support.

Today we’ve been connecting with leaders & communities to:

🫱🏾‍🫲🏻Forge connections
💡Share stories, practice and learning
🎨Co-design #GMLiveWell's key principles

Find out more: gmintegratedcare.org.uk/livewell/
An image of a panel at the Live Well event in a large monastery building, with a man in a red jumper speaking into a microphone. An image of a large audience at Gorton Monastery. An image of four people smiling stood behind a table that reads 'action together'.
March 19, 2025 at 5:50 PM
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📣We are delighted to share our Youth Voice Innovation Storybook with @sport-england-se.bsky.social

Focusing on embedding youth voice within the sport and physical activity sector, this new resource includes:

⚒️ Practical tools
📝Activities
💡Top tips

Read more: www.sportengland.org/funds-and-ca...
Graphic to show the 'Youth Voice Innovation Storybook' featuring a joyful girl in a blue shirt and hijab, with logos of Innovation Unit and Sport England. The background includes abstract purple shapes.
March 18, 2025 at 11:46 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
We are delighted to have been part of #SDinGovVirtual conference today💡

Our very own Ella Walding & Aviv Katz shared our journey of using service design to grow person-centred, collaborative #LivingWell mental health systems across the UK.

Learn more⤵️
www.innovationunit.org/projects/imp...
A Service Design in Gov branded blue card, reading 'Case Study. Living Well. A design led approach to whole system change. Ella Walding & Aviv Katz. Innovation Unit.'
March 12, 2025 at 5:30 PM
innovationunit.bsky.social
What will it take to shift to a neighbourhood health model?

Our latest blog explores the NHS England Neighbourhood Health Guidelines & shares our learning on how to shift to a preventative, person-centred system.

Read the blog: www.innovationunit.org/thoughts/nei...

@charlotteaugst.bsky.social
A group of older people in a exercise class on chairs waving their arms in the air and smiling. One person is in focus, the others are a little blurry.
February 26, 2025 at 2:53 PM
innovationunit.bsky.social
Last week our CEO Sarah Gillinson spoke at the launch of Southwark 2030 🚀

Speaking alongside pioneering community organisations, Sarah shared learning from #GoodLivesGM, our strategic partnership with @greatermcr.bsky.social

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An image of Sarah Gillinson standing on a stage speaking at Southwark 2030 An image of Sarah smiling speaking to a man in front of a screen reading 'Southwark 20230'
February 13, 2025 at 4:18 PM
innovationunit.bsky.social
How do we shift systems to create genuine change for residents in a place?

Our new framework breaks it down into 3 steps:
🔍 Starting with culture
📣 Realising agency
🚀 Growing power

Does this resonate with you? Take a look at our framework: www.innovationunit.org/growing-new-...
January 31, 2025 at 9:27 AM
innovationunit.bsky.social
How can we support partners to solve today’s urgent problems while growing sustainable solutions for the future?

Our Growing New Systems framework breaks it down into 3 steps:

👥Start with culture
💡Realise agency
🌱Grow power

Take a look at our framework: www.innovationunit.org/growing-new-...
A graphic of three curves merging into one another, labelled 'start with culture', 'realise agency' and 'grow power'.
January 15, 2025 at 10:43 AM