The Bury Obesity Alliance brings together partners across Bury to deliver a co-ordinated whole-systems approach to reducing obesity and improving population health. We focus on the wider drivers of unhealthy weight — the places we live, learn, work and play and how services and communities can work together to make healthier choices easier for everyone.
Why an Alliance?
Obesity is shaped by environmental, social, behavioural and economic factors, so lasting change needs more than one service or organisation acting alone. In Bury, we’re using insight and action across the whole system including planning, education, transport, health, business and the community sector to support healthier lives across the life course.
What we’re focusing on:
Our shared direction includes:
- A strong focus on prevention, with particular attention to children and young people — especially 0–5 and 6–11 and their settings and families.
- Tackling inequalities through a proportionate approach that prioritises communities experiencing the highest burden.
- Developing an action plan supported by an action log / dashboard so partners can track progress and keep momentum.
- Filling gaps thoughtfully — including secondary school-age support — using careful language, health literacy principles, and youth voice.
Teach Active
Teach Active is an example of the type of interventions we are embedding into our systems
What the Alliance does:
We work together to:
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight across local, regional and national healthy weight work.
- Build joined-up referral pathways across primary care, NHS services, community and voluntary sector offers (including local, regional and national weight management support).
- Use data (including Fingertips / NCMP / JSNA insights) to monitor trends, understand inequalities and target resources effectively.
- Lead environmental and policy change, including healthier food environments and planning approaches (e.g., takeaway guidance and related tools).
Support available now:
For Professionals and partners
The Alliance is here to help partners align work, share learning, and scale what works. Members commit to acting as system leaders, sharing insight, supporting co-design/commissioning, improving referral routes, and ensuring equity and inclusion.
Useful system resources:
Governance and how we work
The Alliance reports into Bury’s Health and Wellbeing Board and uses a consensus-based approach, supported by evidence and shared priorities. We can establish task-and-finish groups for key themes (for example: healthy environments, early years, active travel). Core deliverables include a whole-systems action plan/dashboard, an annual health intelligence summary, policy recommendations, and progress/KPI monitoring.
