ABOUT OUR TEAM
Find out more about the people behind Manchester’s
Digital Strategy and Let’s Get Digital below.
Sherelle Fairweather
Digital Strategy Lead
Manchester’s Digital Strategy
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Sherelle has worked within the equalities and social change space across local government and the community sector for over 10 years. Now, as Digital Strategy Lead at Manchester City Council, Sherelle is responsible for the implementation of the city's five-year strategy.
Sherelle previously coordinated the Council's response to reducing the digital divide during the COVID pandemic. She currently serves as a proud board member for Manchester Animation Festival and Community Arts Northwest, and is Chair of the Proper Job Theatre Trustees Board.
Why the Digital Strategy is important to Sherelle:The Digital Strategy is important to me because I want to see and be a part of making sure that technological influence on society is for the better.
I was born in Manchester and live in the city centre and I have much love for the city and its people. Manchester is changing a lot, some of which is really exciting to see and some of which does not include the full range of communities that live here. I believe true cross-organisational collaboration mobilises action and long-lasting change.
I am enthused by projects that enable people to live their lives independently and full. The strategy fits in this category and we have an opportunity here to do great things for great people and places!
Sam Gilmore
Senior Digital Strategy Officer
Manchester’s Digital Strategy
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Sam joined the team as a Senior Digital Strategy Officer in August 2024. He will be leading on the Digital Inclusion Action Plan as well as projects related to AI.
Previously, Sam worked for the UK Parliament’s Digital Service, primarily focused on working with MP’s constituency offices maximising their digital capability to help break down the digital divide between Westminster and the rest of the country. He began his career in the education sector working in schools in and around Greater Manchester.
He is passionate about harnessing digital technologies and services to make a powerful difference in people’s working and personal lives.
Why the Digital Strategy is so important to Sam:Manchester is a fantastic city to live and work in – and I am excited to participate in contributing to its next chapter through the Digital Strategy. The strategy is hugely important because over the next five years and beyond there is huge potential for growth for the city of Manchester and its residents. The four themes are the guiding focus for our team’s work in facilitating digital transformation in Manchester. A well executed strategy will ensure sustainable, inclusive growth for all the city and the diversity of its residents.
Megan Lawless
Senior Digital Strategy Officer
Manchester’s Digital Strategy
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Megan is the Senior Digital Strategy Officer for Manchester City Council. She has a keen interest in the impact of technology on society, climate and culture. Megan is interested in how Manchester can enable a just transition to digital, that improves the quality of people's lives.
Before joining the Council, Megan worked in policy and communications positions at The University of Manchester and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Why the Digital Strategy is important to Megan:Fundamentally, I want to see the Digital Strategy succeed in its ambitions to help shape a Manchester where digital can help us to break down divides, not create more of them. I am also just fascinated in general by the scope of digital technology, how intertwined our lives have become with it, and its potential (positive and negative) impact on societal change.
Becky McMillan
Digital Strategy Officer
Manchester’s Digital Strategy
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Becky joined the Digital Strategy Team in January 2024. She is passionate about exploring the ways in which digital technology can make a positive impact to local communities and the importance of digital literacy in dismantling barriers to success.
Before joining the council, Becky worked in a variety of roles within the Education sector. For the last six years, she has been surrounded by books, leading Libraries in a Multi Academy Trust.
Why the Digital Strategy is important to Becky:
My career in Education was built upon the belief that everyone should have access to the learning, skills, and resources needed to envision and achieve the future of their choice. While the digital sector may be a huge change from the world of education, driving equitable access to opportunities remains a core conviction in my professional work.
Access to the digital world plays a pivotal role in shaping future prospects, and our Digital Strategy has the potential to make a real difference to communities and affect meaningful change.
I’m so excited to be a part of it!
Chris Northen
Digital Inclusion Co-Ordinator
Let’s Get Digital
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Chris joined the Digital Inclusion Team in August 2023. He has been instrumental in delivering the Digital Inclusion Action Plan and its associated projects. He also developed the Digital Inclusion Toolkit, which enables community organisations to assist people who are digitally excluded.
Previously, Chris worked as an IT teacher at a charity, a support worker for the homeless, and also worked in a prison delivering a bespoke course for prison leavers. In all these roles, Chris came across many people who needed help with digital in some way.
Chris loves railways and also has his own radio show on a community radio station.
Why Digital Inclusion is so important to Chris:I realised a long time ago that more and more services were moving online and could actually see with my own eyes that people were getting left behind.
I felt I needed to be part of something that addressed this situation so when the opportunity to join the Digital Inclusion team came along, I jumped at it!
To do something this worthwhile is enormously rewarding for myself, and more importantly, the people of Manchester. I believe digital inclusion is the key that unlocks the potential for Manchester to become the truly global technology hub it aspires to be by enabling citizens to utilise digital.
Emily Littler
Digital Inclusion Officer
Let’s Get Digital
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Emily joined the Digital Inclusion team in April 2025, bringing her experience of community engagement from her role as a Neighbourhood Officer.
Emily has a strong digital background. Before working for the council, she spent five years working in digital marketing and software development, then in project coordination for university research grants. Emily is keen to tie together her digital skills and community engagement work to empower and better connect all of Manchester’s communities.
Why Digital Inclusion is so important to Emily:Having worked in digital teams previously, I spent a lot of time ensuring consumer websites were accessible. Now in the public sector, it’s clear to me how inaccessible the online world really is. With rapidly advancing technology, the digital divide is leaving people behind.
I am passionate about working at grass-roots level to empower our diverse communities with the digital skills that help make life easier. There really is something for everyone online! Whether that’s improving your employment prospects, online banking or connecting with family and friends, I want to support and encourage our residents to get online in a way that benefits them.