Running on empty: How charities are running on empty in the cost-of-living crisis - and what we can do about it.

The voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector works alongside local and national governments to provide support for residents. But alongside facing their own struggles as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, charities and community organisations are also being relied on more and more by people and local organisations. So, what approaches need to be taken to reduce demand on the sector?

The text version of this article can be found at: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2023/11/running-on-empty-how-charities-are-running-on-empty-in-the-cost-of-living-crisis-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/

Written by Dr Alison Briggs and Prof Sarah Marie Hall
Read by Sol Hallam

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This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas.

You can find the text version of this article,  and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: policy.manchester.ac.uk, as well as the latest updates from us on X, @UoMPolicy, or LinkedIn.

Running on empty by Dr Alison Briggs and Professor Sarah Marie Hall

Energy is a key resource enabling the functioning of modern societies. Arguably, the fast-paced technological advances in the past 200 years have been based on plentiful supply of cheap energy. But cheap and plentiful are no more. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Professor Maria Sharmina and Timothy Capper explore how to strengthen the UK’s energy resilience and security.

The text version of this article can be found at: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2023/11/strengthening-the-uks-energy-resilience-and-security/

Written by Prof Maria Sharmina and Timothy Capper
Read by Terri Lucas

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This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas.

You can find the text version of this article,  and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: policy.manchester.ac.uk, as well as the latest updates from us on X, @UoMPolicy, or LinkedIn.

Strengthening the UK’s energy resilience and security by Prof Maria Sharmina and Timothy Capper

In this article, Dr Suzanne Peters, Professor Jonatan Pinkse, and Professor Graham Winch reveal the issues that are hindering new housing construction in the UK, and explore how targeted efforts to better support Modern Methods of Construction – particularly “volumetric” modular homes – can help the nation reach both its housing targets and net zero ambitions, and deliver productivity growth.

Written by: Suzanne Peters, Jonatan Pinkse and Graham Winch
Read by: Beth Warke

This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas. 

 

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn. 

 

Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2023/11/driving-change-in-uk-housing-construction/
 

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LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

Driving change in UK housing construction by Suzanne Peters, Jonatan Pinkse, and Graham Winch

Geopolitical dynamics are crucial to our thinking about the future of energy and the pursuit of net zero. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Matthew Paterson explores the complexity of alternatives to fossil fuels, the impact of renewables on our energy security, and how policymakers can reduce exposure to the geopolitical risks of the clean energy economy.

Written by: Professor Matthew Paterson
Read by: Catherine Riachi

This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas. 

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn. 

Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk 

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LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

Freedom energy: minimising geopolitical risks to reach net zero by Prof Matthew Paterson

In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Julien Harou, Dr Eduardo A. Martínez Ceseña and Professor Mathaios Panteli explore how a multi-sector approach to planning can improve resilience 

Written by: Professor Julien Harou, Dr Eduardo A. Martínez Ceseña and Professor Mathaios Panteli 
Read by: Catherine Riachi

This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas.

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn.

Read the text version of this article here: blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2023…struction/

Twitter: twitter.com/UoMPolicy

LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

Planning ahead: A multi-sector approach to net zero

The environmental threats of climate change and extreme weather are forcing us to rethink our energy production and usage. As a society, we know how to produce clean low-carbon electricity and deliver it to customers in a reliable, efficient and economical manner. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Dr Robin Preece, Dr Eduardo Alejando Martínez Ceseña and Professor Paul Jarman examine why the quickest, cheapest and most realisable of our net zero decarbonisation strategies are based on electrifying two major aspects of our domestic lives: heating and transport.

Written by: Robin Preece, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Paul Jarman
Read by: Abi Tilston

This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas.

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn.

Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/posts/2024/01/sparking-change-the-rush-to-electrify/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UoMPolicy
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The rush to electrify by Robin Preece, Eduardo Alejandro Martínez Ceseña and Paul Jarman

In 2022, the UK experienced its fifth driest summer since 1836. Combined with record-breaking temperatures, this led to severe drought conditions across the country, with key agricultural regions as some of the worst affected areas. The drought resulted in widespread reductions in crop yields and harvested areas, as dwindling water supplies in soils, rivers, and reservoirs left farmers struggling to meet crop water demands. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Dr Timothy Foster explores how to implement the significant changes necessary to manage and share water in the UK’s agricultural sector.

Written by: Timothy Foster
Read by: Chris Meadowcroft


This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas.

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn.

Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/energy_environment/2024/01/no-room-for-drought-steps-to-improve-the-uk-agricultural-sectors-resilience-to-drought-and-water-security/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UoMPolicy
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No room for drought by Timothy Foster

Written by: Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor Frank Boons

Read by: Catherine Riachi


This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas. 


You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn. 


Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk 
 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UoMPolicy 

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

What does a ‘metal intensive’ future entail? By Dr Sampriti Mahanty and Professor Frank Boons

Culture shift: Tackling antimicrobial resistance from agriculture to operating table

In this article from our On Resilience publication, Dr Michael Bottery, Professor Michael Brockhurst, Professor Lucie Byrne-Davis, Professor Michael Bromley, and Dr Wendy Thompson explore ways to tackle antimicrobial resistance.

Written by: Michael Bottery, Michael Brockhurst, Michael Bromley, Lucie Byrne-Davis and Wendy Thompson

Read by: Christopher Meadowcroft

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This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas. 

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn. 

Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UoMPolicy 

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

Culture shift: Tackling antimicrobial resistance

In this article, Paul Tobin and Matthew Paterson discuss the weakening of the pro-climate consensus amongst UK political parties as well as strategies to mitigate and challenge these anti-net zero narratives.

Written by: Dr Paul Tobin and Professor Matthew Paterson
Read by: Rosina Read

This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas. 

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn. 

Read the text version of this article here: https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/energy_environment/2024/07/policy-responses-for-the-breakdown-in-climate-consensus/#:~:text=The%20weakening%20of%20pro-climate%20consensus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UoMPolicy 
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

Policy responses for the breakdown In climate consensus by Paul Tobin and Matthew Paterson

Changing social norms and the COVID-19 lockdowns have drastically shifted how we utilise the internet to conduct our daily lives, creating a rapid increase in home/hybrid working and online shopping. In this article, Professor Cecilia Wong and Dr Helen Zheng address the regional variations in telecommunication infrastructure and coverage, revealing a spatial divide between urban and rural areas. 

Written by: Professor Cecilia Wong and Dr Helen Zheng
Read by: Seb Boyd

This recording was produced by Policy@Manchester; The University of Manchester’s policy engagement unit. Policy@Manchester aims to impact lives globally, nationally and locally through influencing and challenging policymakers with robust research-informed evidence and ideas. 

You can find the text version of this article, and many more on a wide range of policy topics, on our website: http://policy.manchester.ac.uk/, as well as the latest updates from us on our Twitter account @UoMPolicy or LinkedIn. 

Read the text version of this article here: https://www.policy.manchester.ac.uk/publications/on-infrastructure/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UoMPolicy 
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/policy-at-manchester

The digital infrastructure divide: the spatial landscape of broadband coverage across the UK

As the University's policy engagement institute, Policy@Manchester connects researchers with policymakers and influencers, nurtures long-term policy engagement relationships, and seeks to enhance stakeholder understanding of pressing policy challenges.