ARC GM | Knowledge Mobilisation Champions

Our Knowledge Mobilisation Champions

In August 2025, ARC Greater Manchester (ARC-GM) welcomed six new Knowledge Mobilisation (KM) Champions.

They are health and care practitioners who aim to facilitate research evidence into improvements in care, services, and decision ‑making within a small, focussed project which is within a high priority area to their organisation that reflect real, high priority on the ground challenges

Our KM Champions are pictured above and starting from the right are:

Dr Sophie Faulkner, Research Delivery Manager, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust working on the topic of Improving sleep education within mental health services

Ben Hills-Smith, Paramedic, North-West Ambulance Service working on the topic area of improving clinical completeness and competence with pre-hospital paperwork
Jamie Fletcher, Advanced Clinical Practitioner and ACP Lead, Bolton NHS Foundation Trust working on the topic of Improving end-of-life discussions with south Asian people
Nana Acheampong, Programme Manager, Healthy Hearts, Manchester Local Care Organisation working on the topic of increasing the effectiveness of hypertension case finding within underserved populations
Dr Samuel Ndoro, Mental Health Nurse, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust working on the topic of strengthening patient centred care planning in community mental health services
Kate McMahon, Senior Speech and Language Therapist, Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh NHS Foundation Trust working on the topic of improving the effectiveness of the research champion role in the NHS

KM Champion Role

Each KM Champion has developed with senior leaders in their organisation an important priority area where evidence may help to improve care. They refine this area into a small focussed project and complete a Rapid Evidence Synthesis by piloting the new ARC-GM RES toolkit, supported by ARC-GM researchers.

They then bring this evidence to life across their organisations through KM activities, for example:

peer learning groups
training sessions
adding evidence into service improvement plans

KM Champions also evaluate their activities, helping us to learn what has works well in practice.

This approach doesn’t just disseminate evidence — it moves evidence into action.

Training and support

Each KM Champion is paired with an ARC‑GM senior academic mentor to help develop ideas, build skills and make progress. Early and mid-career ARC‑GM researchers also act as research buddies to help KM Champions develop knowledge and skills vital for this role.

KM Champions meet regularly as a community of practice, giving them space to share learning, test new approaches and support each other.

They also access the ARC‑GM training offer and join the wider KM Fellows network, which provides regular development sessions, peer support and practical tools.