20 October 2026
Ahead of the THE Awards on 26 November, our Partners have been speaking with those shortlisted for the AQ-sponsored awards, hearing the stories behind their submissions and learning more about the people, ideas and achievements making a real difference across higher education. It’s been a great opportunity to hear directly about their work and share the impact they’re having across the sector.
In this interview, Akhil Yerneni spoke to Gary Leeming, Deputy Director for the Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL), and Emma Lo, CHIL Programme Manager, at the University of Liverpool, about their shortlisted submission for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community.
As data and artificial intelligence play an increasingly significant role in public services, questions around trust, transparency and who gets a say in how these technologies are used are becoming ever more important.
The Liverpool City Region Community Charter on Data and AI seeks to put local people at the heart of that conversation. Developed through the Liverpool City Region Civic Data Cooperative, a five-year Programme funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and hosted at the University of Liverpool, that began in 2020, the Charter was shaped through a Residents’ Assembly involving 59 people from across the region.
Gary and Emma spoke about how the Charter was created, what residents told them and the role universities can play in ensuring innovation delivers genuine public benefit.
Can you briefly explain what the Liverpool City Region Community Charter on Data and AI is, and why it was created?
Gary: The Charter is a set of 11 principles developed with residents to explore what the safe and responsible use of data and AI should look like within the Liverpool City Region.
It is specifically focused on civic data: the data and systems used by local government, the NHS, universities and research organisations, where there is a public responsibility around how information is used.
This grew out of the Civic Data Cooperative a data stewardship programme, which was funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. We were looking at some of the big questions around data use, privacy and the public’s expectations of organisations using information about them.
We brought together 59 residents over four days. We spent time helping them understand where data and AI could add value, but also the risks and challenges involved. They were then able to discuss, debate and ultimately vote on the principles they believed mattered most.
A lot of those principles might sound like common sense: protecting privacy, respecting people’s data and being clear about how it is used. But there is also a very strong message that data should be used for public benefit.
These datasets often relate to people at some of the most vulnerable points in their lives, whether they are in hospital or receiving support from the state. That deserves a different level of consideration.
At the same time, residents were clear that data should not simply sit on a shelf. They want it used to improve services, care and people’s lives. The overriding message is not “don’t use the data”. It is: use it but demonstrate that you are using it responsibly.
What was distinctive about the way residents were involved in shaping the Charter?
Gary: We have spent years asking people questions such as, “Is it okay if we use your data?” or “Is it okay if we share your data?” Broadly, the answer is usually yes, provided it is being used appropriately.
What we rarely do is take the next step and ask: what would appropriate use actually look like to you? That was what we wanted to explore. If data is going to be used to improve healthcare, public services or areas such as crime and justice, what would give residents confidence that it was being done safely and responsibly?
Emma: The depth of engagement was really important. This was a significant commitment from the 59 residents, as well as from colleagues across the University, the Combined Authority and the NHS who contributed, who spent four full days exploring and deliberating these ideas.
A lot of public engagement can rely on quantitative data, where you can potentially reach more people. What was different here was the depth of the experience. Residents had time to learn about the issues, hear different perspectives, deliberate with one another and develop their views.
That makes it a very rich piece of work.
What were some of the most important ideas to come out of the Charter?
Emma: The important thing is that these are not necessarily the principles that Gary or I would have chosen. The residents developed them and voted on the final 11.
One that we regularly come back to is balanced innovation. People absolutely want appropriate governance: They want their data to be protected, respected and kept safe, but they do not want those safeguards to prevent progress. That was particularly clear in areas such as healthcare and public services; residents wanted the right guardrails in place, but they did not want those guardrails to stifle innovation that could genuinely improve people’s lives.
Gary: Another important principle was benefit. Residents wanted there to be a benefit back to society from using this data. Interestingly, they were not saying that if Liverpool data was used, Liverpool had to be the sole beneficiary. If work carried out here could benefit people elsewhere, they were comfortable with that as long as there was a genuine societal benefit.
I think that says something about the spirit of Liverpool too. Ongoing oversight was another important theme. It is not enough to establish a system and assume the job is done. People want transparency around what these systems are doing and the impact they have on people’s lives. The Charter gives us a way of demonstrating a chain between the intended public benefit and actual adherence to the values residents have told us matter.
What role has the University of Liverpool played, and what does this tell us about the wider civic role of universities?
Emma: Trust is a really important part of it. There is a strong relationship between the University of Liverpool and the city region, and I think the University’s academic credibility helped create an environment in which this work could take place. The University was also important in making sure the programme was delivered ethically and appropriately.
It has subsequently become a signatory to the Charter itself, so it has committed to these principles. The work also fits closely with the University’s wider approach to using AI for good. The University has been incredibly supportive not only in delivering the Charter, but in helping us think about what comes next.
Gary: Historically, universities could sometimes feel separated from the communities around them, the traditional idea of “town and gown”. There has been a lot of work over recent years to break that down and build much more integrated relationships.
Universities can play an important role as a trusted and relatively independent third party. In Liverpool, that includes our relationship with the Combined Authority, the NHS and the wider community.
The University is also one of the largest employers in the region and has a substantial economic presence. We therefore have a responsibility to think about the role we play in the place around us. We want our students to graduate into a Liverpool where they want to stay. We want to help create opportunities and improve the region, whether that is through economic development, research or projects that directly benefit communities.
The Charter has now been created. What happens next?
Emma: Since launching the Charter in July 2025, we have spent a lot of time taking it out to different audiences.
One group we had not been able to include in the original Residents’ Assembly was under-18s, so we subsequently worked with youth forums across the city region and held our own Youth AI Summit.
We also held a Festival of Data, where more than 300 schoolchildren engaged with some of these ideas, alongside events for industry stakeholders and members of the public.
The next stage is about demonstrating the Charter in action. The University of Liverpool, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Cheshire and Merseyside’s NHS Integrated Care Board are founding signatories. We are now talking to other NHS organisations, councils and organisations across the region about incorporating the principles into their own approaches to data and AI.
Gary: We also want to create practical tools that help organisations actually use the Charter. We are publishing information about the process so other regions can learn from it, and we have already had interest from elsewhere. We have also shared the work with organisations including the Cabinet Office.
Perhaps most importantly, we are beginning to see evidence of people using it in practice. Colleagues in hospitals and local government have told us that they are referring to the Charter when thinking about procurement and innovation strategies.
The next task is to capture that more formally, demonstrate how it is being used and translate the principles into practical delivery and, potentially, policy.
Finally, did anything about the process change your own thinking about public attitudes towards data and AI?
Gary: One thing this kind of work continually reinforces is that it is wrong to assume people do not care about these issues or cannot understand them. They absolutely do care – what people often lack is the opportunity to show that they care.
You do not need to understand exactly how a computer or an AI system works to understand the potential scale of its impact on your life. And when complex issues are properly explained, people have a very strong capacity to engage with them.
One thing that personally surprised me was that residents specifically wanted a principle stating that data and AI should be used legally. My initial reaction was that surely that goes without saying. But residents made the point that organisations have to actively keep up with legislation, make the effort to comply and demonstrate that they are doing so. When they explained it in those terms, I thought they were absolutely right to include it.
Emma: What struck me was how strongly the Charter reflected the sense of community we see in Liverpool. People were essentially saying: use my data if it can help somebody else avoid an illness, have a better experience or improve life for future generations; there is a real willingness to contribute towards something better for other people.
We have also been delighted by the interest in the Charter since its launch. As part of the project, we created a physical banner inspired by the trade union banners associated with Liverpool’s history. Its design represents the 11 principles, and we have taken it with us to events and conferences.
It has become a real conversation starter, and there are now plans for it to be displayed in the University’s Victoria Gallery & Museum. There were some unexpected conversations too. Bins became an extraordinarily passionate topic! But actually, that illustrates the point perfectly. People are interested in how data and technology can solve very practical problems that affect their everyday lives.
That is ultimately what this work is about: not AI for its own sake, but using data and technology in ways that people understand, trust and can see making a tangible difference to their communities.
We’re looking forward to celebrating the achievements and successes of higher education institutions across all the awards next month, and recognising the fantastic work taking place across the sector. To see the full shortlist of the THE Awards, visit their website at https://the-awards.co.uk/2026/en/page/shortlist.
Acknowledgement
While Gary Leeming and Emma Lo are featured in this interview, the Charter is the product of a truly collaborative endeavour. We would like to recognise the wider Civic Data Cooperative team, Dr Emily Rempel, Professor Iain Buchan, Dr Erin McCloskey, Dr Rachael Wright, Grace Reed, Chantelle Murphy, Eleanor Fielding, Scott Hill and Kaya Dougherty-Cain, as well as the 59 residents who participated in the Assembly, colleagues from the University of Liverpool including Dr Emilia Trapasso, Dr Gail Faragher and Dr Gianfranco Polizzi, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, independent facilitators, and community partners whose insights, expertise and commitment were instrumental in developing and embedding the Community Charter on Data and AI. To read more about the charter, the Resident’s Assembly work and a full list of contributors to the charter, please visit https://lcrcommunitycharter.com/.
