Up to £100m is now tied to a decade-long neighbourhood programme across Manchester, with four local chairs named to lead the first Pride in Place boards.
The scheme is designed to put residents closer to decisions on how investment is spent in selected communities. Each Pride in Place neighbourhood can receive up to £20m over 10 years, with Neighbourhood Boards expected to shape priorities rather than leave decisions solely to town hall structures.
Manchester City Council has confirmed chairs for Benchill South & Wythenshawe Central, Clayton Vale, Gorton South, and Harpurhey South & Monsall. A fifth board for Moss Side West is still being formed.
Four Manchester areas now have named board chairs
The confirmed appointments cover communities in the south, east and north of the city, including parts of Wythenshawe, Gorton, Longsight, Harpurhey, Moston, Crumpsall, Clayton, Openshaw, Newton Heath and Miles Platting.
| Pride in Place area | Named chair |
|---|---|
| Benchill South & Wythenshawe Central | Eamonn O’Neal, OBE |
| Gorton South | Jo Sharples |
| Clayton Vale | Andrew Wickens |
| Harpurhey South & Monsall | Tom Woodcock |
Eamonn O’Neal, a broadcaster, journalist, Wythenshawe native and former High Sheriff of Manchester, will chair the Benchill South & Wythenshawe Central board. He said he wants projects to reflect “what matters most to the people of Wythenshawe”, including cultural initiatives and public realm improvements that match local priorities.
Jo Sharples will chair the Gorton South board. Her recent work in Longsight has included community-led initiatives and projects using her background in architecture to promote local culture and pride in place.
Andrew Wickens, an Anglican priest who has lived in the Clayton Vale area for 16 years, will chair that neighbourhood’s board. Tom Woodcock, who has lived in Harpurhey ward for 30 years and has experience in the voluntary, healthcare and charity sectors, will lead Harpurhey South & Monsall.
The money runs over 10 years, not as a single payout
The headline figure is large, but the structure matters. The Pride in Place Scheme is expected to provide up to £20m per eligible neighbourhood over a 10-year period, meaning local boards will need to sequence projects, test priorities and make choices over time.
That could include improvements to public spaces, cultural activity, community facilities, local services or other resident-backed projects, depending on what each board and community identifies. The source announcement does not set out a fixed project list, so residents should not assume specific streets, venues or services have already been guaranteed funding.
The city’s Pride in Place programme currently names five Manchester neighbourhoods: Benchill South & Wythenshawe Central, Clayton Vale, Gorton South, Harpurhey South & Monsall, and Moss Side West. The first four now have chairs; Moss Side West, covering parts of Moss Side and Whalley Range, is still awaiting its chair and board announcement.
For wider context on community funding in Greater Manchester, Munisha has also reported on national funding for Wigan health projects aimed at reducing isolation through arts and culture.
Neighbourhood Boards will shape local priorities
The new chairs are not simply figureheads. Manchester City Council says the Neighbourhood Boards will be the focal point for how Pride in Place money is spent over the next decade.
That makes the appointments significant for residents who want a say in what regeneration looks like in their area. In practice, the strongest test for the programme will be whether board priorities are shaped by people who live and work locally, including groups that are often less visible in formal consultation.
The neighbourhood boundaries are also specific. Gorton South includes parts of Longsight, Gorton, Abbey Hey and Levenshulme. Clayton Vale includes parts of Clayton, Openshaw, Newton Heath and Miles Platting. Harpurhey South & Monsall includes parts of Harpurhey, Moston and Crumpsall.
Moss Side West appointment is still to come
The next local milestone is the appointment of a chair and board for Moss Side West. Manchester City Council says that process is still underway and will be announced later.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said the chairs’ “direction, input and guidance” will be vital as work begins with communities across Manchester over the next decade.
Source: Manchester City Council
Source check Source trail
This article is based on Manchester City Council’s published announcement about Pride in Place board chairs and funding scope.
- Confirmed the four named Pride in Place chairs from the source announcement.
- Separated confirmed board appointments from the still-pending Moss Side West process.
- Kept the funding description to 'up to £20m' per neighbourhood over 10 years, as stated in...
- Used Manchester as the geographic scope rather than the publisher name.
- Source
- Manchester City Council
- Scope
- Manchester
- Updated
- 2026-06-01 19:19
Source check
Report a trust issue
Send a clear signal to community moderation if the source, facts or context need review.
Article contextPeople & topics3#7
What do you think about this article?
Reader Ideas Newsroom
Have a sharper angle for this topic? Add it to the community idea board and let readers vote it up for editorial review.
/linkComments
8+ useful words can earn +10-60 DP; shorter replies can still publish without DP.