National Opportunity Summit – Building a country that works for all children and young people
Date: Monday, 8 September 2025
Venue: Cloth Hall Court, Quebec St, Leeds, LS1 2HA
About the Summit
This landmark event brought national and regional system leaders, policymakers, academics, practitioners, and young people together to explore bold, evidence-informed strategies that will transform outcomes for children and families across the UK.
Hosted by CHORAL (a partnership between the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust) and the Centre for Young Lives, in partnership with the Child of the North initiative (led by the N8 Research Partnership and Northern Health Science Alliance) and the Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre, the Summit marked the launch of the Child of the North 2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign to explore how local, regional and national partners can work together to deliver the Government’s vision of breaking the link between children’s background and life chances.
2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign
The Summit also marked the launch of the 2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign, which provides an implementation focus to the 2024 campaign ‘A country that works for all children and young people’, which saw Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives jointly publish a series of twelve reports showing how putting the interests and life chances of children and young people at the heart of policymaking and delivery is crucial to Britain’s future.
In response to latest findings that reveal worsening crises, our twelve-week #ChildrenFirst campaign draws attention back to the issues highlighted in the series. We’re sharing our latest findings and publishing new practical toolkits designed to support schools, child health services and local authorities to implement the report recommendations and improve outcomes for all children.
Information for delegates
Summit presentations
- Universities supporting the Opportunity Mission – Child of the North – Professor Matthew Grenby, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Newcastle University
- A country that works for all children and young people – Professor Kate Pickett OBE, Director, Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change, University of York Professor David Taylor-Robinson, Health Equity North Academic Co-Director, University of Liverpool
- Opportunities for partnership between health and education: Delivering the healthiest generation of children – Professor Steve Turner, President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
- Child of the North report presentations
Related Content
Child of the North – Education Equity for the North of England: Challenges & Opportunities Report
University of Leeds ‘How To Fix…’ podcast episode on the National Opportunity Summit
Summit Hosts
Summit Partners
