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.

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

2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign

In 2024, Child of the North and Centre for Young Lives initiated a major campaign calling on the government to build a country that works for all children and young people. This campaign delivered a series of reports and webinars on twelve key topics identified by Northern child health leaders as major issues of concern. These reports provide rigorous research and pragmatic, evidence-based recommendations.

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.

Visit the campaign page to learn more and download the latest updates, reports, and practitioner toolkits >>