Guy Tennent
Each year, around 2,000 of our graduates take up roles in public services, many of whom stay in Greater Manchester and work in the public sector, making a difference to the citizens of the city region.
This article is an edited version that originally appeared on the Manchester Evening News on 30 June 2025.
"Politics is something I'm proud to be a part of"
Having grown up in Norwich, Guy Tennant was drawn to the bold, diverse and historically rich communities of Manchester.
After studying politics, philosophy and economics at The University of Manchester, graduating with a first, Guy went on to secure an impressive, full-time position as policy lead for safer and stronger communities at Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
"People may say they have no interest in or knowledge of politics, but it's everything – it's everywhere and for everyone and starts with an act as simple as registering to vote," he said.
"It's something I'm incredibly proud to be a part of, and being on the frontline and seeing people exercising their core democratic rights is very satisfying. My role makes a difference to people and communities across Greater Manchester because we undertake a vast range of work to keep people safe. We support victims of crime, reduce harm and offending, and strive to strengthen communities and tackle inequalities.
"To achieve this, we work across a number of themes such as gender-based violence, substance misuse, violence reduction, criminal justice, and policing. I am privileged to work alongside talented and passionate experts who are responsible for each thematic area.
"My role is partly about making new and deeper connections to support that work. This may be in the form of engaging with government on changes we would like to see, supporting our deputy mayor with gathering the materials she needs to present a case for more funding or powers to benefit our communities, or by working with more distinct policy areas to build collaborative approaches to tackling shared issues, such as the way in which tackling fraud could support local economic growth and wider digital inclusion.
"One of the really exciting parts of my role within the public safety landscape is what future challenges are going to be, and how best we can start to prepare for them, especially with online content and how we can support young people to be safer online.
"We're seeing great examples of AI programs that can search through the internet and scrub photos that have been shared without consent. Things like that can be very detrimental to people's lives and prospects, so getting ahead of those issues and having the levers to pull to do something about it is one of the most rewarding aspects of what I do.
"I'm proud to be a part of a team dedicated to public safety and building resilient communities where people want to live. The GMCA is a massive force for good, and it's a privilege to be a part of it."
Find out more about how Guy is making a difference by watching the video below.
Learn more about social responsibility at the University and how our graduates are making a difference in Greater Manchester.
Find out how we’re leading the world on sustainable development and read the University’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2021/22 report.
Discover more about becoming a student and studying at Manchester.
Learn more about social responsibility at the University and how our graduates are making a difference in Greater Manchester.
Find out how we’re leading the world on sustainable development and read the University’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2023-25 report.
Discover more about becoming a student and studying at Manchester.