Connected Communities report 2023 by Staffordshire University

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES IMPACT

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES AT STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY 4-9 Who is Involved in Connected Communities Activity How We Evaluate Connected Communities at Staffordshire University Connected Communities Evaluation Framework Our Year in Numbers CO-CREATION AND COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS 10-21 Staffs CAN PAR Programme Young Community Researchers Alice Charity Nurture Project Evaluation Tunnel Visions Supporting Students to Make a Difference

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COMMUNITY GIVING AND EVENTS 22-27 BugFest – Staffordshire Invertebrate Science Fair Cultural and Religious Activities Conferences and Webinars Community Engagement Activities Access to Facilities Your Heroes Awards PLACE SHAPING 28-37 Step Up to HE Stoke Creates Create Place Discover Making a Difference Through Our Research Horizon Fund Action on Poverty International Impact – British Council Project UNDERSTANDING OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT 38-39 Societal Impact Economic Impact Health and Wellbeing Impact Environmental Impact Cultural Impact Policy Impact TAKING CONNECTED COMMUNITIES INTO 2023-2024 40-41 APPENDICES 42-53 Appendix 1: Public Engagement Activities in 2022-2023 Appendix 2: Organisations Featured in this Report Appendix 3: Impact of the PAR Programme

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CONNECTED COMMUNITIES AT STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY Staffordshire University has civic at the heart of its university strategy and has a long history of collaborative working between communities, civic and civil society partners, staff and students to make Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire a great place to live, work and study.

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As part of our commitment to ‘Next Generation Engagement’, Connected Communities encompasses a range of activities, approaches and principles, developed in collaboration with our community partners. These principles aim to create the conditions for a better future in our region by supporting a resilient economy, strengthening social capital and reducing inequalities, reducing our carbon footprint and creating the conditions for environmental sustainability, improving the health and wellbeing of our communities and coproducing a vibrant cultural sector.

Our approach builds on our strengths and as a result has three priorities for action: • •

•

Co-creation, meaning Connected Communities is a collaborative effort between staff, students and community partners. Community Giving, meaning we want to give back to our place, to ensure our community members and partners can benefit from our facilities, research and resources. Place Shaping, meaning we work with partners to understand our place, raise aspirations for its future and work together to create a vibrant place for all residents to live, work and study.

The driving force behind Connected Communities is Staffs CAN, Staffordshire University’s Community Advisory Network. This diverse network is made up of members of the public, civic partners and community and voluntary sector representatives. The network has set a vision for our Connected Communities partnership and plays a central role in the evaluation of our Connected Communities work.

Connected Communities spans Staffordshire University and is mapped against 7 areas of activity: 1. Policies and structures 2. Partnerships and co-creation 3. Research 4. Teaching and learning 5. Service and knowledge exchange 6. Supportive and empowered peers 7. Students, graduates, and alumni.

impact on that community, are evaluated through the Connected Communities Evaluation Framework. This includes activities such as: • • •

community engagement activities, such as Staffs CAN or workshops. public engagement in research activities, such as public lectures, webinars or exhibitions. collaborative projects with community partners, such as Discover.

The evaluation does not cover business engagement or outreach activities designed for student recruitment as these are evaluated elsewhere.

Staff from across the majority of Schools and Departments at Staffordshire University have delivered Connected Communities activity in 2022-2023. This report outlines a number of these projects.

The purpose of the Connected Communities Evaluation is to understand our collective impact as an engaged civic university.

The Public Engagement and Research team are based in Research, Innovation and Impact Services. They facilitate and enable Connected Communities activity by supporting the development of the strategic vision for Connected Communities, facilitating Staffs CAN and the University’s engagement with this group and leading the evaluation of Connected Communities activity to help all colleagues understand our collective civic and community impact. In addition, they deliver externally funded participatory action research and other commissioned projects and train staff and external partners in the use of community based participatory action research and creative community consultation techniques. This report also includes some of this team’s externally funded work.

How we evaluate Connected Communities at Staffordshire University In 2022-23, Staffordshire University piloted the Connected Communities Evaluation Framework. Any social, community or cultural events intended for members of the public or civil society partners, that have the primary purpose of having a positive

Connected Communities Evaluation Framework The Connected Communities Evaluation Framework draws on two frameworks for evaluating civic activity. 1. TEFCE (Towards a European Framework for Community Engagement in Higher Education) Toolbox 2. Civic University Network’s (CUN) Civic Framework We recognise that civic and community activity in higher education is complex, and place-based. The Connected Communities Evaluation Framework allows for: • • •

•

a co-created approach to understanding our civic and community impact, working closely with Staffs CAN. evaluation to be embedded into activity. an open learning environment where ideas can be tested, good practice can be celebrated, and improvements can be made to benefit everyone involved. a predominantly qualitative approach that allows for storytelling, reflecting the complex and multifaceted ways we work with communities.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Who is involved in Connected Communities activity

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES EVALUATION FRAMEWORK PROCESS The evaluation framework has 5 stages:

Quick Scan STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

• •

Launch of cycle and team discussions, overview of activity and strengths. Completed August - November 2022 with Staffs CAN.

Evidence Collection

• •

Launch of evaluation training for all staff and evaluation templates to gather consistent data. Completed November 2022 - July 2023.

Mapping Report

• •

Mapping and analysis of activity and production of heat maps against 7 themes. Completed August - September 2023.

Participatory Dialogue •

•

Draft report shared with Staffs CAN, team discussion and completion of SLIPDOT analysis (Areas of Strengths, Areas of Lower Intensity, Areas with Potential for Development, Opportunities, Threats) Completed 3rd October 2023

Institutional Report •

•

All feedback from Staffs CAN and SLIPDOT analysis used to finalise institutional report. Completed end of October 2023

A note on demographic data This is the pilot year of the Connected Communities

Evaluation Framework and as such is still being rolled out to colleagues. There are some adjustments to be made to the process to ensure colleagues and participants do not suffer evaluation fatigue. Therefore, this year, we are aware that the data contained in this report is only a small percentage of the actual Connected Communities activity taking place across the University. We have been unable to get a complete picture of the demographics of people attending our community and public events, and will work to address this in the coming year.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

During the academic year 2022-23, the Public Engagement and Research team rolled out this framework across the University through a number of staff training sessions. These were attended by 104 colleagues over the year, who were each able to take this learning back to their teams. In the coming year, we will run the same open monthly training sessions to staff as well as some more targeted sessions with teams.

OUR YEAR IN NUMBERS In 2022-23 we hosted:

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public lectures and webinars

business engagement events

networking events

conferences

family events

public workshops

trainings

history, culture and religion events

Staffs CAN events

exhibitions

book launch

hackathon

Vice-Chancellor’s Dinner

TOTALS: Online attendees: 8018 In person attendees: 393621 Total attendees: 401639 Connected Communities case studies collected during 2022-2023: 28

Impact areas identified through the case studies collected:

25 20 15 10 5 0

Social 21

Economic 13

Health & Wellbeing 15

Environmental Cultural 10 9

This graph shows the number of case studies that reported each impact type, while the graph below shows the variety of impact types across each case study.

Policy 13

Impact types across case studies

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

In this report, we have collected 28 case studies demonstrating some of the ways that Staffordshire University is having an impact on communities. Each case study has one or more symbols against it to highlight the type(s) of impact they have had: social, economic, health and wellbeing, environmental, cultural and policy.

Social

Economic

Health & Wellbeing

RN Cas e St udie s Staf fs C AN Step Up Stro ke C reat es Tun nel Visi on You ng C Rs You r He roe s

PD PAR

REF

Imp

act

PAR

JS PAR

PAR JD

AR PAR

PAR

AB PAR

PAR

ove rty Alic e N Com urtu re mun ity E Bug nga fest gem ent Act ivite s Con fere nce s CRE ATE Plac e Cul rtur al E ven ts Disc ove r Hor izon Fun d

on P

ion

Act

Acc e

ss to

faci l

ities

Environmental

Cultural

Policy

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CO-CREATION AND COMMUNITY-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS Between 2022 and 2023 Staffordshire University has strengthened its partnerships with communities and civil society through a series of co-created strategic developments, programmes and activities. The significant development core to our Connected Communities Strategy is the launch and growth of Staffs CAN which has, amongst other things, informed this evaluation report. We have also empowered staff from across the University to grow their knowledge base and capacity for

Participatory Action Research and ethical engagement of communities in research. The PAR programme has been instrumental in launching a series of impactful community-based projects across the region and beyond. We have also strengthened our partnerships with the voluntary and community sector, working on a range of evaluation and community research projects that have had an impact on the partners, the people they work with and their place.

STAFFS CAN

Feel like I’m doing something about the situation.

Promising initiative. It has created the impression that Staffs Uni is adamantly willing to invest into a local community.

Feedback from members of Staffs CAN has been overwhelmingly positive. In particular, members have valued the opportunity to connect with other community organisations with common objectives and grow their networks. Providing the protected time and space to discuss community issues in this collaborative way has proved appealing to CAN members. As well as providing a platform for the University to raise awareness of its own projects, initiatives and events, Staffs CAN has allowed members to raise awareness of their own work and initiatives and the socio-economic reasons why this work is needed. We hope that these new connections will lead to future collaborative work that will have a great impact on our communities.

Empowering me and helping me to access a wider community and sustainable development.

Feeling heard and as though my experience and ideas mean something.

Perhaps the most significant outcome from the Staffs CAN is the sense of empowerment that members reported to have felt. Helping people to feel that they can take a proactive role in improving a situation has allowed them to feel heard and has recognised the value of their lived experience. Furthermore, facilitating an opportunity for individuals to have a say in shaping an initiative that can then benefit the local community has been recognised as a highlight of the CAN. A positive and enjoyable atmosphere has emerged as a common theme throughout the CAN events, which highlights the efforts put in by the team to ensure they are inclusive, welcoming and accessible to all, which reflects the team’s efforts in ensuring that the CAN is a safe, comfortable environment to share thoughts and ideas. During the sessions, we asked members for their suggestions on how we could improve the Staffs CAN events and the main theme was the desire for an increase in attendees with a wider, more diverse reach across sectors and backgrounds, which is something we will strive to do in the coming year.

I’ve enjoyed having conversations and making connections.

It’s good to be involved in a great initiative to improve the local community.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Central to our vision and underpinning all of our civic work is the voice of our stakeholders. The Staffordshire University Community Advisory Network (Staffs CAN) is a place where community voices help to shape the University’s Connected Communities priorities, ensuring that they respond to local and regional needs. Staffs CAN connects the community with the University, helping to establish relationships and networks that can benefit our area.

WHO GOT INVOLVED IN STAFFS CAN? The Staffs CAN aims to be representative of the local and regional demographic. The graphs below show how the Staffs CAN membership compares to local and regional demographics according to the 2021 Census.

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• Prefer not to say • I am non-binary

• I am a woman • I am assigned female at birth (AFAB)

• I am a man • I am assigned male at birth (AMAB)

In the 2021 Census, the options are limited to just Male or Female. It is therefore impossible to draw a direct comparison between the Staffs CAN membership and the city or county. However, we have chosen to keep this graph in the report to illustrate the responses to the question, whilst recognising its limitations.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

When collecting gender identity data at the Staffs CAN in 2022-2023, the options provided were Male, Female, Other, Prefer not to say. For the 2023-2024 report, in keeping with best practice, we have revised the options to the following:

PAR PROGRAMME

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Participatory Action Research (PAR) is a collaborative research method which involves the communities who are directly affected by the issue being studied as researchers and equal partners. By including the voices of those most affected by an issue, everyone involved gains a deeper understanding of it and its impact. Community members are involved at every stage of the research process, including planning, deciding who could be interested in the research or influenced by its findings, collecting and analysing data, planning for action, and dissemination. Working with community researchers in this way challenges our perceptions of who holds expertise and where knowledge is generated. It also raises the voices of people who are often excluded from the research process. PAR is a way to make research more relevant and impactful when addressing important issues, and it empowers communities to take action and be part of the solution to an issue. Staffordshire University have been working with teams of community researchers on PAR projects for many years and have established a well-known ‘Get Talking’ approach to PAR. This year saw the launch of Staffordshire University’s Participatory Action Research (PAR) programme, funded by Research England QR funding. The aims of the programme were to train staff in this methodology and grow its popularity amongst colleagues, to enable more impactful, community-powered research projects across the University. The programme offered grants of up to £1000 to each project to help to get a group of community researchers together and begin the PAR process. The PAR Programme helped 11 colleagues to launch 10 projects. Participants were taken through the Get Talking process, through a series of Lunch and Learn sessions. This indepth, hands-on learning was then applied to a live project. At the end of the programme, the projects had reached different stages of the PAR process, but all had embedded the principles of ethical and effective community engagement that they had learnt during the programme.

Participants of the PAR Programme reported gaining a deeper understanding of PAR, Get Talking and ethical community engagement, and had a clearer vision of the potential impact of PAR and how to further incorporate the methodology into their work. This resulted in a renewed motivation and confidence to advance their PAR projects and promote the adoption of PAR amongst colleagues. Participants were inspired to think more creatively and flexibly to increase engagement while working with communities. The programme has been successful in building a network of PAR advocates which we aim to build on over the coming years. The PAR programme is the first step to embedding PAR and ethical community engagement with research into Staffordshire University’s research culture.

Projects in the 2023 PAR Programme covered a diverse range of topics including: • working with the Breastfeeding Network to understand barriers to breastfeeding in Stoke-on-Trent • working with Sherwood Community Food Garden to understand and revive its membership • working with a community group to develop a “serious” boardgame which could educate people on marine ecosystems

•

• •

•

working with service users to understand their experiences of the healthcare system, and embedding positive change and recommendations into the curriculum on our healthcare courses working with participants to evaluate the research they were involved in, which looked at self image of people with cleft lip and palate working with people with fibromyalgia to cocreate a video to be shared with healthcare professionals, employers and families of those living with chronic pain which would promote awareness and understanding of fibromyalgia working with communities and community organisations to evaluate Biddulph Works Together, a Biddulph Town Council project that aimed to respond to the cost of living crisis.

For more detail on these projects, please see Appendix 3.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

In addition to the impact of the training programme itself, the PAR programme has supported a number of projects that have had a significant impact in the community (outlined in Appendix 3). These projects have been selected due to their societal impact, but there were a number of PAR projects that had a significant impact on our students, and these will be evaluated in other areas of the University.

YOUNG COMMUNITY RESEARCHERS

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Funded by UKRI’s Community Research Network Fund, this project aimed to build a partnership in Staffordshire that could support a network of young community researchers. The partnership included Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (SCYVS) and Staffordshire University’s Public Engagement and Research team. One of the project aims was to adapt the Get Talking course into a course that is more suitable for young people. This will form the training for a network of young community researchers, and equip them to reach out to their own communities and conduct ethical research amongst their peers. The initial focus of the research was eco-anxiety. This topic was chosen based on some local research which showed that climate change was one of the biggest issues impacting young people’s mental health. This work in phase 1 of the project will help to support an application for phase 2. During this initial phase, the partnership built relationships with youth work organisations in each of Staffordshire’s eight districts, and delivered a series of consultations with young people in seven of these districts to find out their views on the impact of climate change, and the potential impact it had on young people’s mental health. As well as gathering the views of young people across the county, the consultations were an opportunity to demonstrate a number of small, achievable actions that individuals could take to begin to combat climate change. The aim was that anxiety could be turned into agency, empowering individuals to take action and be a part of the solution.

Bigger actions. Better environment.

We are hopeful that climate change will be solved before it’s too late.

ALICE CHARITY NURTURE PROJECT EVALUATION

The Nurture Project was established by Alice Charity to help support more families in the local area. This traineeship was a three-year plan which equipped trainees with work experience and training to support them in making a positive impact on themselves and local communities. The traineeship aims to build skills and employability enabling members to return to education or gain permanent employment. As part of this work, the Public Engagement and Research team delivered two programmes of Get Talking training, which required the cohorts to undertake a small research project to practise and demonstrate the skills they have acquired. Cohort 1 researched the impact of Covid-19 on Alice Charity and its staff, while cohort 2 investigated how Alice Charity can respond to their families’ needs in a post-pandemic landscape. For some trainees, this was their first time completing a course at a university and was a significant stepping-stone in their development. In addition, the time at the University provided a space for the Alice Charity team to switch off from their day-to-day workloads. It offered an opportunity for staff and trainees to get to know each other by working together on a project and qualification which wasn’t connected to everyday operations.

I think the traineeship has helped with my confidence. Like going to Staffordshire University to do the Get Talking course, that was a big thing for me. I never thought University was somewhere that I’d get to go, never mind expect to pass the class. I didn’t expect that at all. It taught me a lot, just being at the University.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

As well as being a former corporate charity of the University in 2022, Staffordshire University’s Public Engagement and Research team worked with staff and trainees from Alice Charity to evaluate their trainee programme.

TUNNEL VISIONS

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Led by Associate Professor Anna Francis, and in collaboration with Appetite and the Canal and Rivers Trust, Staffordshire University BA Fine Arts students have delivered a highquality creative arts trail that was experienced by the public, responding to the history, ecology and potential future of the canal. The one-day temporary art trail and guided walk drew attention to the canal as a site for leisure and walking and raised questions about our industrial history, developing ecologies and future uses of the canal. Deborah Hilditch from Appetite said: “Tunnel Visions is a great opportunity to celebrate aspects and details of the ecology and history of the canal in Kidsgrove. It has been a real joy to see the students’ response to the live brief. They have engaged with the local community and spent time on location to arrive at some exciting and thoughtprovoking artwork for the canalside. Tunnel Visions will be a great way for people to connect with the canal location and potentially learn something new about it.”

Interesting to see how a younger generation has reacted to historical events and locations.

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SUPPORTING STUDENTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

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Led by Associate Professor Anna Francis, all BA Fine Art Level 5 students undertake a professional creative placement. These range from traditional work experience placements through to creative projects, in a variety of public contexts. The placements aim to provide students with relevant experience and networks in line with their career aims and goals. Simone Rowley Simone Rowley undertook a placement in the Art and Design Department at Thomas Telford School, working with GCSE and A-level students. The student supported the teachers in the classroom, and was able to share her own practice and skills by planning and delivering a cyanotype workshop for the children.

Ricky Chen Ricky undertook a creative residency in Hanley Park. Working closely with the Parks Liaison Officer and community groups using the park, Ricky planned and delivered a series of public workshops, and created a participatory sculpture installation within the Community Hub in the park. Ricky was invited back to continue supporting community events and activity beyond the placement, and the feedback from the Parks Liaison Officer about Ricky’s contribution to one particular event demonstrated the value to the community.

Neil Travis and Gemma Smith Neil and Gemma undertook a residency with community arts organisation B-Arts, leading workshops with the public in lantern making, and supporting the delivery of a public event – a Lantern Parade.

Eve Vacquier Gould and Chloe Egerton Eve and Chloe undertook a placement at Adventure Clubs Pre-School, which involved working with the nursery staff to plan and deliver sessions for the children aged 2-4 around animal themes. The students also created a Makaton session for less verbal children to engage with.

Thank you to Staffordshire University for being part of this event, the families had a wonderful time.

Overall Ricky Chen, though out of his comfort zone, made a dynamic contribution to the community life of Stoke-on-Trent.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Keeley Churm Keeley undertook a research residency at The Ancient High House Stafford. Keeley visited the heritage site and documented the collections, and spent time engaging with the curation of its history. This led to the creation of a series of documentary images.

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COMMUNITY GIVING AND EVENTS Staffordshire University is situated right in the heart of the community in Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire. Our campuses have facilities, assets and resources that can benefit not only our students and staff but

also our wider communities. In 2022- 2023 Staffordshire University hosted 103 public events and shared facilities with communities, including buildings and sports facilities.

BUGFEST STAFFORDSHIRE INVERTEBRATE SCIENCE FAIR STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

This annual wildlife conservation event run by the Staffordshire Invertebrate Group is aimed at families, students, amateurs and enthusiasts alike. A range of charities and societies were on hand to offer help and advice including Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Buglife and the Butterfly Conservation, with expert talks throughout the day. Other activities ranged from making seed bombs to help pollination, creating bumblebee hats, indoor pond dipping, discussions with conservation groups and identifying insects. Senior Lecturer in Biology Dr Dave Skingsley, also known as the “Bug Botherer”, has helped to organise the event along with Andy Jukes of the Staffordshire Invertebrate Group.

It is a fun day out for enquiring minds of any age to learn about our insect population and discover simple ways to help protect it. We know that insect numbers are in decline so it’s really important that we do what we can to help wildlife thrive locally, especially in urban environments.

The variety of stands, creatures and activities was fantastic, as was the enthusiasm and willingness to engage and share their knowledge of everyone there. Thank you and hope to see you next year!

We came away with some fantastic resources to continue our learning.

CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES The University has hosted a number of cultural and religious activities aimed at students, however, these have very often been opened up to local communities, too. These include: STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT 24

• • • • • •

Diwali Ramadan Iftar (in collaboration with Staffordshire Police) Eid Event Chinese New Year Celebration of African Culture: Spotlight on Nigeria LGBTQ+ Bingo

Feedback from attendees shows how the sharing of cultures was valued, and that people were happy to learn about different cultures and improve understanding and community cohesion.

CONFERENCES AND WEBINARS In 2022-2023, the University has been host to some inspiring and innovative conferences and webinars, both online and offline. These include:

• • • • •

• •

Centre for Health and Development’s webinar series (in collaboration with the Faculty for Public Health). Centre for Crime, Justice and Security Conference and public seminars Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies conference and seminar series Catalyst Collaborations – a series of public lectures covering topical issues Law Conference Computer Science in Schools Conference which brings together teachers and educators to network and share ideas on the delivery of Computer Science in schools across all levels, from primary through to secondary and post-16. Work-based learning conference TedX

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•

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

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As well as the above larger-scale events, the University has delivered some lower-key initiatives to try to give back to the local community and to ensure that the local area can benefit from the presence of the University on their doorstep. These include things like guided walks, where community groups have been taken on an educational tour of the University’s nature reserve, with reports of a positive impact on mental wellbeing.

ACCESS TO FACILITIES As part of Staffordshire University’s commitment to supporting our immediate neighbours, a number of initiatives have been put in place: • • • • •

Facility use – summer sports sessions, ladies only netball sessions, charitable facility hire rates, Engage and SPACE Scheme Charitable support – charitable facility hire rates, Sports Teams charitable fundraising and awareness schemes Gym membership – Blue Light discounts Partnership work - SCFC Community Trust and PVFC Community Trust for facility provision for community football sessions Disability Sport Programme - Goal Ball and Boccia coaching courses

YOUR HEROES AWARDS

It recognises Children of Courage, Carers, Community Groups, Inspirations in Education, NHS Heroes, Future Stars, Charity Champions,

Volunteers, Uniformed Heroes, Sporting Icons and individuals and organisations demonstrating civic pride. Every nominee is interviewed by the Communities and Commercial Engagement team and an article written – shared on the website and across social media. This is wonderfully positive for the University and is likely to result in development opportunities – while strengthening our links with key civic stakeholders. The event is funded by external sponsorship brought in by the Communities and Commercial Engagement team.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

The Your Heroes Awards organised by the Communities and Commercial Engagement team, took place in Autumn 2022. It reinforced Staffordshire University’s position as a Civic University and reached right into the heart of Staffordshire communities in a way that might ordinarily be difficult for a university.

PLACE SHAPING STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT 28

In 2022- 2023 Staffordshire University worked in partnership with a range of community, voluntary, civic and private sector organisations to shape Stoke-onTrent and Staffordshire to be a great place to live, work and study. These initiatives include a large-scale government funded digital inclusion project, a scheme to

support community members into Higher Education and a leadership for a network of creative industries and arts organisations. Together, these projects, and others, help us to understand our place, raise aspirations for its future and work together to create a vibrant place for all residents to live, work and study.

STEP UP TO HE

Step Up has a long history in supporting access and participation for harder-to-reach demographics, working with local stakeholders, councils, businesses, charities, and more notably, the YMCA through our recent successful UK Community Renewal bid. As well as the societal impact of providing study opportunities to students, many Step Up students progress into societally important professions, with big ambitions to positively give back to the community. One past Step Up student, Hannah Booth is currently studying the BA (Hons) Working with Children, Young People and Families degree and ultimately hopes to become a social worker to support children from minority backgrounds. Alongside her studies, Hannah has gained employment at the Gingerbread Centre, working with young vulnerable parents based in Hanley. The charity strives to help individuals to nurture and promote independence and life skills, with a particular focus upon parenting – working with individuals with complex needs, such as those suffering with drug and alcohol misuse, mental ill-health, survivors of abuse and sex trafficking. Hannah feels the Step Up course been lifechanging. It has helped build her confidence to interact with the most vulnerable individuals across the city.

Step Up’s impact can also be seen in the journey of David Davis, director and therapist at Emerging Dreams Ltd., an organisation that he co-founded with his wife. David’s academic progress was made possible by the solid foundation that Step Up laid for him. The experience and knowledge gained empowered him and cemented his commitment to the mental health sector where they had both previously served. David fed back that the opportunity to attend instilled in him a renewed confidence to realise his ambitions. The ripple effect of this confidence is evident in how he is now giving back to the community. Through Emerging Dreams, David actively supports individuals in Stoke on Trent and neighbouring regions who are experiencing poor mental health, initiating weekly community groups dedicated to the holistic development of recovering addicts within our community. Both Hannah and David’s journey through university and onto professional settings is testament to the impact of education both on individuals, but also on the wider communities that they serve.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Step Up to HE provides accessible academic transition routes for individuals who want to make the move into higher education. The programme enables participants to develop their writing, referencing, research and critical thinking, while helping learners build their academic and personal self-confidence.

STOKE CREATES STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT 30

Acting as a ‘landing platform’ for the regional, national and international resources that aim to support cultural development, Stoke Creates aims to secure a proper share of resources, by identifying and up-scaling appropriate opportunities that may focus on or arise for the city. Stoke Creates is a growing network of anchor organisations that have expertise in culture, industry, education and civic leadership, all with outstanding track records of success, that come together in

Stoke Creates for their common goals. It will launch initiatives and projects that support and develop advocacy in Arts, Creativity and Culture. The aim of Stoke Creates is to maximise the city’s chance to secure new funding from external sources, channel funding and expertise to address unmet needs in the city, help the region take high potential existing projects to scale, and act as matchmaker for other activities that satisfy their mission.

CREATE PLACE CREATE Place was a leadership programme that supported 98 early and mid-career creative and cultural professionals funded by Arts Council England’s Transforming Leadership Fund. The programme was led by Staffordshire University and a consortium of 17 organisations, including Keele University, Cheshire East Council, Stoke-on-Trent City

Council, British Ceramics Biennial, B-ARTS, Cheshire Dance, New Vic Theatre, Appetite, Spare Parts, Stoke Creates, Staffordshire Coaching & Mentoring Hub, North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, Arts & Heritage, The Audience Agency, Voluntary Arts Network and XTRAX.

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DISCOVER Discover Digital was designed to boost digital inclusion in Stoke-on-Trent by identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to digital access. Funded by the Community Renewal Fund, Discover was led by Staffordshire University in partnership with 9 local organisations. The “digital divide” has resulted in significant inequalities in education, wellbeing, work or access to opportunities. Discover addressed this digital inequality by providing: • STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT 32

• •

•

Digital Skills Training designed to be different to the standard offer of traditional providers, which is often meaningless for those most digitally disengaged. Instead, Discover focuses on bespoke, convenient, accessible, meaningful sessions where people can be supported in a welcoming environment. Grants which provide people with equipment and connectivity or enable local community organisations to run their own digital inclusion projects. A Community Connector Programme that allowed us to amplify the voices of those most digitally disengaged, learn about the barriers to digital access that they faced, then feed that learning back into the project. A Digital Champions Programme where those who are more digitally able can share their knowledge with those less confident.

In total, 254 individuals received digital skills support. Grants have provided 243 individuals with over £158,000 worth of equipment and data, and 14 community organisations with equipment worth over £54,000. Furthermore, 154 community voices were heard through the Community Connector Programme which helped shape large parts of the project. A number of steps were taken to ensure that the project reached far into the community: Pop up Shop: the programme team opened a pop-up shop. Managed by Staffordshire University and delivered by the Digital Engagement Manager, consortium partners and digital champions (Staffordshire University Student Ambassadors), the Discover pop up shop was located in the Potteries Shopping Centre in Hanley for five weeks in April and May 2022. The pop-up shop attracted in excess of 94 people, with at least 191 interactions being recorded where beneficiaries returned to the shop more than once. The project evaluation report highlights the value of the Discover Pop up Shop in relation to raising awareness of, and supporting people to apply for, Get Connected Grants, and reaching community groups that would not have come in contact with the project in any other way. Visitors to the shop stated that they found their visit to be useful, and 70% said they had used their learning from the pop-up shop following their visit. The pop-up shop was also instrumental in re-formulating the digital training offer.

Community venues: In addition to the pop-up shop, Discover also extended their community reach by working through existing community projects and venues. VAST brokered the relationships between community groups requiring training, the community venues and trainers.

Digital on your Doorstep: Staffordshire University led Digital on Your Doorstep that used digital hooks (such as 3D printing, VR and drones) to engage community members with digital technologies and offer technical support. Three Digital On your Doorstep sessions were delivered, two at Staffordshire University and one in Fegg Hayes.

The independent project evaluation report provides extensive details on how Discover has achieved its outcomes in improving digital inclusion in Stoke-on-Trent through access to equipment, improving digital skills and confidence and understanding motivations for digital engagement. Impacts of the project on It wasn’t beneficiaries are clear. However, a school in addition Discover has had a approach, significant impact on the ability it was a really of the partnership to respond comfortable to issues of digital inclusion and setting. have contributed to learning for the wider sector. Furthermore, Digital Champions were instrumental to the project and many of them talked about the impact it had on themselves. From Computer Science students to amateur tech enthusiasts, the champions felt a sense of pride from being able to help people in the community with basic digital skills and confidence building. Although the consortium existed through the Digital Inclusion subgroup of the Collaborative Network, Discover has solidified and strengthened the partnership, and provided an opportunity to test new innovative approaches to Digital Inclusion and identify future priorities for the partnership. The reflective learning report outlines the partnership’s intentions and aspirations to use the learning from Discover to collectively continue to address digital inclusion across the city. Finally, Discover has generated extensive learning on how digitally excluded communities engage best with digital skills, and disseminated this learning locally and nationally through face to face events. This learning and additional digital resources contribute to Discover’s legacy and are freely available on the Discover website - https://discoverdigital.org.uk/. Discover was delivered in partnership with VAST, Beth Johnson Foundation, Wavemaker, YMCA, Stoke-on-Trent College, Dove Service, Stoke North Big Local, Keele University, Caudwell Children, WEA and the Community Foundation for Staffordshire.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Because I’m a pensioner I wouldn’t be able to afford a laptop, let alone know how to use one. But with having a laptop it’s made such a huge difference. I’ve been able to do online shopping, online banking. That then gave me the confidence to do other things too, which I’ve always been dreaming to do but never really done. It’s been good for my mind to concentrate on other things, learning skills, and it’s been absolutely terrific.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH OUR RESEARCH

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As a civic university it is important to us that as well as being excellent in its own right, our research benefits all our communities by resulting in positive changes for the economy, society, public policy or services, health, the environment or general quality of life. In 2022, we submitted our research to REF 2021 (one year delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic), including a series of Impact Case Studies. 87% of Staffordshire University’s research impact identified through these case studies was rated as “very considerable” or “outstanding”. Some of the case studies, and their impacts on communities locally, nationally and globally can be found below. Tackling environmental inequality: reducing risk in deprived areas Since 2003, Staffordshire University has worked with a range of government agencies, including the Environment Agency in England and Wales (EA), Scottish Natural Heritage and government departments, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), to provide research and outputs on environmental inequalities and sustainability. Professor Jon Fairburn’s research demonstrated that people living in deprived areas disproportionately experience poor air quality and are at greater risk of their homes being flooded. Using new analysis and methods, it has developed a more detailed understanding of the distribution of environmental quality as measured against socio-economic groups in the UK. Through collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, the research has extended to address environmental inequalities internationally.

The Philip Astley Project – Using heritage for town regeneration Philip Astley (1742-1814) is known internationally as the ‘father of the modern-day circus’, but his roots in Newcastle-under-Lyme are less recognised, both in the circus world and in his hometown. Previous efforts to harness this connection to anchor tourism and business development were difficult to sustain. In preparing for the 250th anniversary of the modern circus in 2018, efforts redoubled. A steering group, led by Staffordshire University and including a range of local partners initiated the Heritage Lottery (HLF) funded Philip Astley Project. Understanding the lives of families living with dementia in the British-Pakistani Muslim community This pilot project, led by Professor Peter Kevern, seeks to find out what influences people caring for relatives with dementia in Muslim families. It is the latest project in an on-going programme of research addressing Dementia Friendly Churches. The Portland Inn Project The Portland Inn Project (2016-ongoing) is a collaboration between Associate Professor Anna Francis, professional artist Rebecca Davies, and the community of The Portland Street area of Stoke-on-Trent. The project, part of an ongoing programme of research since 2007, takes place in Hanley, an area facing multiple social and economic disadvantages. Anna uses action research approaches to support community development in the area. She applies arts practices to empower community members to strengthen and revitalise public assets, including the derelict Portland Inn pub. The Portland Inn Project shows how co-creation can lead to secure, sustainable buy-in from funding partners and community stakeholders and help to address local issues including social isolation, economic exclusion, skills deficits, and criminality.

Addressing inequalities through creative, place-based participatory action research Get Talking, which has featured in several case studies in this report, is an approach to community-led participatory action research, designed and developed by Staffordshire University. It uses creative and artistic consultation techniques (often developed with artists) to engage with people who might be sceptical or excluded from formal academic research. The programme includes training and support for a wide range of people with lived experience of the research subject as community researchers. It empowers them to influence projects which affect their lives.

Building on their earlier research on local and regional economic development, Professor David Etherington and Professor Martin Jones have researched economic and social restructuring in cities. They have focused on how austerity policies affect social inequality.

The impact case study, led by Associate Professor Nicola Gratton, highlights the social impacts of engaging communities in research, using Get Talking. These include improving access to arts and culture, changing organisational policy and enhancing skills and confidence in community research teams.

Shaping practice and policy of stakeholders working to improve health in Stoke-on-Trent Stoke-on-Trent faces considerable health challenges and inequalities. Researchers in the Centre for Health and Development (CHAD), led by Professor Chris Gidlow, developed a strong, research evidence base, using collaborative and participatory approaches. Research projects focused on natural environments, physical activity/ neighbourhood environments, asset-based community development, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The findings led to better understandings of health issues in deprived communities at individual, community, and environmental levels, resulting in impacts in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Tackling austerity, welfare and work in contemporary Britain ‘Austerity’ policies have had a disproportionately negative and deep impact on Midlands and Northern cities, which have also been seriously impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. Staffordshire University research, led by Professor Martin Jones, has examined recovery strategies and policies for employment and social responses. New strategies and policies under study include income safety nets, expanded access to health and safety at work, job and training guarantee programmes, and compensation schemes for Northern cities.

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The Horizon Fund supports students in a variety of ways. From helping students achieve their potential to supporting them through financial struggles, it is an important part of the University’s support for students, and it can only exist thanks to the generosity of its donors.

Over the past year, it has supported students to build stronger connections out in the community and has enabled our students to make a lasting societal impact. The Social Action Bursary provides financial support to students who want to create lasting impact on poverty through the Action on Hardship and Poverty degree, where lived experience is combined with activism and advocacy skills to make the biggest possible impact when it comes to ending poverty in the UK.

ACTION ON POVERTY Staffordshire University is committed to supporting action on poverty and hardship. Representatives from across the University are part of the Hardship Commission for Stoke-onTrent and collaborate with other community organisations and charity representatives to discuss and take action on hardship and poverty in Stoke-on-Trent. The University has played host to regular meetings of the Hardship Commission, exploring steps towards addressing hardship in the area through collective action. Through the Hardship Commission Staffordshire University co-led two projects: Get Talking Hardship (2019) and Raising Voices,

Changing Minds, Ending Poverty (2022). Several prominent Staffordshire University researchers focus their research on hardship and poverty, working in partnership with local voluntary and charity sectors to create an impact for people in the city. Staffordshire University hosts the Action on Poverty Conference which brings together community members, activists, practitioners and researchers, voluntary and public sector leaders, public health specialists, academics, students, and next generation leaders in tackling poverty to learn about the current UK poverty landscape and to share knowledge on addressing hardship and poverty.

INTERNATIONAL IMPACT – BRITISH COUNCIL PROJECT

The project resulted in: • A comparative report of English and Chinese language provision and purposes • A needs analysis undertaken with Chinese teachers of English • The design and development of a comprehensive teacher manual • The design and development of an underpinning pedagogical framework for primary teachers’ CPD • Several joint online and in-person conference presentations in the UK and China including one led by Jo Basford and Duncan Hindmarch which had 150,000 participants! Following on from this project Gill Forrester gained a British Council travel grant to visit Chengdu this October with a view to promoting the teacher manual, supporting its implementation through workshops with teachers, conducting further research, and a research presentation at Sichuan University. For the IoE, this builds on our existing work in Chengdu where a successful teacher training course and Education Masters is already run with the Chengdu University of Design and Technology (CDUT).

Further steps include: • Presentations by Veronica Poulter, Mark Barlow and Tina Richardson at the British Council’s China Teaching English Online Conference, Autumn 2023 • Duncan Hindmarch contributing to a British Council discussion panel at the 2024 International Teaching English as a Foreign Language Conference • Publication of academic articles relating to policy developments and empirical research with teachers The project demonstrated a collegial and very effective partnership which met fully the British Council’s remit. We’re looking forward to further opportunities to work with our partners in Chengdu.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Professor Gill Forrester, from Staffordshire University’s Institute of Education (IoE) led a bid to British Council’s English Materials Development Award (EmaDA, 2021), in collaboration with the Chengdu Education Center for International Exchanges (CECIE) to support the development of English language skills in Chengdu primary schools. The rationale for the project relates to British Council work with the International Understanding Core Competency within the new Chinese primary curriculum.

UNDERSTANDING OUR COLLECTIVE IMPACT As part of the Connected Communities Evaluation Framework, the first draft of this report was presented at the Staffs CAN. Attendees were asked to engage in a SLIPDOT analysis, where they looked at the activities that have fed into this report to identify the following:

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• • • • •

Strengths Areas of Lower Intensity Areas for Potential Development Opportunities Threats

Below is a summary of the discussions. Societal Impact: Many of the University’s initiatives are successful in bringing together people who would not normally have met. Building these networks and connections are beneficial to community members and community organisations and can help raise awareness and aid in signposting to different services. Furthermore, the projects have allowed people with lived experiences to have a voice. However, it was also identified that more needs to be done to reach out to specific groups (veteran and armed forces groups were two that were mentioned) and the hardest-to-reach individuals in the community. There was a consensus that the University needs to improve the way it communicates and engages with different communities, connecting with more individuals and organisations across more districts and across a broader demographic. This extends to our students, and the University needs to look at how we can support students to better engage with the local community for societal benefit. There was also a discussion around making the campus more accessible to the public with better signposting for the public footpaths through the campus. This would help with perceptions and barriers of coming onto campus. Economic Impact: It was identified that there is not enough information available about the financial impact of the University,

and as such it is difficult to measure the real financial difference (positive or negative) that the University is making. The University can have a financial impact on individuals through upskilling and education, providing the skills required for higher paid roles. However, more information needs to reach those from low-income backgrounds who might not see University as an option for them. The University can also have a positive financial impact by supporting charities to demonstrate their own impact to help them access funding. Health and Wellbeing Impact: The group were surprised at the volume of projects that support health and wellbeing. The breadth of the work was recognised and they agreed that more should be done to publicise the work and the opportunity to get involved. As above, there was a desire for this work to extend to harder to reach groups, including individuals with a disability or individuals who are unable to leave the house. Environmental Impact: Staffordshire University has set some challenging targets to help reduce its environmental impact, and is also championing sustainability through research and innovation. The group agreed that, while a lot of good work was happening, this is not reflected through this report. Cultural Impact: In terms of cultural impact, publicity has been an issue for communities, with very few being aware of the larger cultural activities that the University has put on. However, the fact that the University puts on these kinds of events was appreciated. Policy Impact: The group were especially interested in this area and felt that this is where the actions of University staff and University partners could bring about lasting societal change. Again, there was an agreement that there is not enough publicity around this kind of work, and many in the group said that they would like to be informed of these kinds of activities and have the opportunity to be involved where possible.

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TAKING CONNECTED COMMUNITIES INTO 2023-2024

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Both Staffs CAN and staff working across the university have made recommendations for the development of Connected Communities in 2023-2024. We launched the Evaluation Framework to capture our impact in 2022-2023 and have learnt not only about the Connected Communities activity taking place and its impact on the communities it engages, but also about the evaluation process itself. Outlined here are the key recommendations and priorities we will be taking into 2023-2024. Governance of Connected Communities Staffs CAN recommended greater internal communications and connections regarding Connecting Communities and increased engagement with students. Staff have also identified the need for greater awareness and ownership of Connected Communities across all staff teams. The Connected Communities strategy identifies three groups involved in the governance of the work. These are: • • •

Staffs CAN Staff CAN Student Network Connected Communities Operations Group

Staffs CAN was successfully launched in November 2022 and has been central to this evaluation report. The Connected Communities Operations Group is a staff implementation group and was launched in September 2023. Our priorities for 2023-2024 are to strengthen the Connected Communities Operations Group to provide a better line of communication between Staffs CAN and Staffordshire University and to implement actions arising from CAN.

We will also launch the Staffs CAN Student Network in 2023-2024 in partnership with Staffordshire University’s Student Union. Coordinated community engagement for our neighbours Staffs CAN recommended more engagement with young people, a calendar of events and more activities across all areas of impact. Other community groups, in particular Shelton Community Partnership, have requested a more coordinated approach to community engagement activities. Therefore in 2023-2024 we will launch a community engagement programme for our immediate neighbours, including activities such as access to sports facilities, a community warm space, community carbon literacy and CPR training sessions and cultural and religious festivals. PAR Programme and network Following the success of the 2022-2023 PAR programme and the wider impact this has enabled staff to have with communities, we will extend the PAR programme to a second cohort in 2023-2024. This work will build capacity for PAR, embed PAR and ethical community practice into our research culture, grow the support network for PAR researchers, and enable us to meet a further recommendation from CAN, which was to extend our work to ‘harder-toreach’ groups. Publicising our Connected Communities work and increasing engagement Staffs CAN recommended greater internal and external awareness of Connected Communities and the impact the work has. Our priorities for 2023-2024 include: • •

Sharing this report with a broad range of audiences in a variety of formats. Make use of video and audio, easy read formats and other creative means to share the work.

•

Promotion of, and recruitment to, Staffs CAN, including a simple promotional flyer.

Refining the Connected Communities Evaluation Framework The Connected Communities Evaluation Framework was launched in November 2022 and this new and innovative approach has been piloted during 2022-2023. The approach has included staff from across all sections of the University and Staffs CAN during this period. It has involved a baselining conversation with Staffs CAN in November 2022, the development of a clear definition for Connected Communities activity and consistent procedure with a clear focus on impact. The process also encourages collection of demographic data to ensure we are clear that we are reaching a diversity of communities through our work. There has been an extensive training programme for staff on the evaluation process and creative consultation methods to increase engagement with the evaluation events. 104 members of staff have undertaken the training during 2022-2023. While the data collected for this report provides a good overview and celebration of the types of community and civic activity we are involved in, there have been some challenges gathering data during the pilot year. Despite the training programme some staff have not fully engaged with the process due to:

• • • •

misunderstanding what activities should be evaluated through the Connected Communities Framework challenges collecting demographic data from the communities they are engaging being unable to invest time into understanding the impact of the work. finding it difficult to embed evaluation into their activities other evaluation requirements for their work.

We are therefore aware that the findings presented here are not complete, in particular in relation to the breadth of Connected Communities activity happening across the University and the demographic data of those attending. To address these challenges, we will refine the Evaluation Framework for 2023-2024 and: •

• • •

hold a focus group to fully understand any challenges experienced by staff implementing the framework. We will work with this group to simplify the process and make it as easy as possible to capture the collective civic impact of Staffordshire University provide additional support to staff to collect demographic data, economic and impact data. extend the level of detail of data gathered in relation to the SDGs in support of our wider university SDG commitments. conduct consultations with Staffs CAN, the Connected Communities Operations Group and the Staffs CAN Student Network to decide if educational impact should be included as one of the impact categories, as suggested during the SLIPDOT analysis.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Responding to the priorities of our communities Staffs CAN have highlighted the need for Staffordshire University to continue prioritising the rising cost of living and the challenges this causes for communities. In 2023-2024 we will continue to work on our civic priority of addressing hardship and poverty. We will continue our research with local community and voluntary sector organisations and with local people with lived experience of hardship and poverty. We will also continue our support of Stoke-on-Trent’s Hardship Commission and explore opportunities for a Poverty Truth Model for the city.

•

APPENDIX 1: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT EVENTS IN 2022-2023

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Public Lectures and Webinars • British Computer Society and Discover Digital - Tackling the Digital Divide • Catalyst Collaborations (4 events) • Centre for Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Technologies Seminar Series (4 events) • Centre for Crime, Justice and Security Public Seminar (5 events) • Centre for Crime, Justice and Security Public Seminar- SymPUBsium (2 events) • Coaching for Impact Webinar • Creating a Research Eco System for Diabetic Foot in the West Midlands • Culture 3.0 and what this means for HCI/Music, Industry - Academic Knowledge Exchange Meeting • Henry Rothschild Memorial Lecture, Shipley Art Gallery • Inaugural Lecture - Prof Matt Slater • Inaugural Lecture - Prof Sarahjane Jones • Inaugural Lecture - Prof Gill Forrester • Inaugural Lecture - Prof Mohamed Sedky • Playing the game: how to be a good sport - Roland Orlando Butcher • Staffordshire Yeomanry Museum Lecture • TEDx Event • Webinar series co-hosted by the Centre for Health and Development (CHAD) and the Faculty of Public Health, themed around health inequalities Conferences • Apprenticeship Conference • Centre for Crime, Justice and Security Conference • Clay Museum Conference, British Ceramic Biennial • Computer Science in Schools Conference 2023 • Staffordshire Conference on Clinical Biomechanics • Work-based Learning Conference • Law Conference: Constitutional Statutes – Twenty Years On Business Engagement • Staffordshire University Apprenticeship Fair 2023 • National Apprenticeship Week 2023 • Innovation Enterprise Zone Expo 2022 • Pathfinder Celebration Event • KTP Roadshow: Cannock • Staffordshire Higher Skills and Engagement Pathways (SHSEP) • Social Mobility Roadshow • Staffordshire University Business Awards Launch • Staffordshire University Innovation Celebration • The Entrepreneurs Dinner • Digital Marketing for local SMEs - Research Collaboration and Outcomes Event • Manufacturers Forum Networking event • Business Breakfast - Smart Systems, AI and Cyber Security • Supporting Staffordshire Manufacturers Through Innovation

Family Events • Tree planting for biodiversity • BugFest – Staffordshire Invertebrate Fair • Nature reserve walks • Psychology at the Potteries Museum

History, Culture and Religion • Holocaust Memorial Day • International Women’s Day • Ramadan Iftar • Remembrance Day • University Christmas Carol Service • Diwali Celebration Networking • Digital Career Stories International Outreach Event • Games Industry Networking event • Women in Sport and Exercise Academic Network (WiSEAN), hosted at Liverpool John Moores University, June 2023 • Breastfeeding Research and Network Event • World Cafe Event – Diabetes Stigma • Violence Against Women and Girls Hub • Create Place Training in the Community • CPR and AED workshop (2 events) • Create Place Leadership (2 events) • Digital on Your Doorstep (2 events) • Discover Digital Community Support (6 events) • Discover Digital - End of project event • Jubilee Project Digital Day • Stoke Creates Away Day hosting • Digital Marketing for local SMEs Public Workshops • Mindset: Performing under Pressure results feedback and interactive workshop • The New Psychology of Leadership and Team Dynamics half day workshop for Innovation Enterprise Zone with regional SMEs

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Exhibitions • Deep Horizons, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art • Tangible World: New Social Dynamics in Ceramics. 2022 Taiwan Ceramics Biennale. • The Future as Negative Space, ID:I Galleri, Stockholm

APPENDIX 2: ORGANISATIONS FEATURED IN THIS REPORT

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Alice Charity Appetite Arts and Heritage Audience Agency B-Arts Beth Johnson Foundation British Ceramics Biennial Canal and Rivers Trust Caudwell Children Cheshire East Council Chengdu Education Center for International Exchanges Cheshire Dance Community Foundation for Staffordshire Department for Communities and Local Government Dove Service Environment Agency in England and Wales Expert Citizens Hanley Park Keele University New Vic Theatre North Staffordshire Chambe of Commerce Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Portland Inn Scottish Natural Heritage Shelton Community Partnership Spare Parts Staffordshire Coaching and Mentoring Hub Staffordshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (SCVYS) Staffordshire Invertebrate Group Stoke Creates Stoke North Big Local Stoke-on-Trent City Council VAST Voluntary Arts Network Wavemaker World Health Organisation for Europe XTRAX YMCA

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APPENDIX 3: IMPACT OF THE PAR PROGRAMME

PAR PROGRAMME Amy Burton

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Dr Amy Burton used the PAR Programme to work with a group from the Breastfeeding Network. Together, they decided that the research would explore how breastfeedingfriendly environments in Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding area are, with the greater aim of normalising and promoting breastfeeding across the city. This is particularly relevant in Stoke-on-Trent, where breastfeeding rates are especially low. PhotoVoice was used to guide the project – a participatory research method which recruits co-researchers to take or gather photographs that represent their views or experiences – and community researchers were recruited to reach the voices that needed to be included in the research. Following PAR principles, the community researchers were involved in every stage of the research process, from planning the questions, collecting and analysing the data, and planning for action. Together, they decided who needs to hear about these findings and what this would achieve. Amy, with the support of her community researchers, has produced a findings report that will go to local policymakers as well as an infographic image demonstrating the key features of a breastfeeding-friendly environment, based on these findings. The intention is that a “top tips” document will go alongside these and be shared with relevant parties. In addition, Amy is in discussions to explore further opportunities to understand barriers to breastfeeding for a variety of diverse groups.

I have become even more passionate about breastfeeding, and I have learnt that businesses need to do a lot more in the area to be more accessible for breastfeeding mothers.

MAKING AND LEARNING AT

SHERWOOD COMMUNITY FOOD GARDENS Rebecca Nunes

With funding from the PAR Programme, Rebecca designed a Making and Learning Day for the community members to get together at the Gardens, to learn, have fun, make art and share food. It was important to the group that art was used as a connector to place, and so artists and growing experts were asked to support the event. Feedback from the event suggests that it was successful in achieving its aims. The group intend to disseminate this event and its outcomes to local organisations who might wish to partner with the Gardens and support its aims. They will also investigate the possibility of ongoing funding via local bodies for a community outreach and engagement role to be funded at the Gardens, to continue building on this work.

Got to know some of the fellow plot holders a bit better, learned so much about my plot with soil testing, advice on retaining moisture, using “worm juice” as feed and got a new Kale plant (thanks Matt!) Plus was fascinated by cyanotype pictures and what can be created from nature.

The Making and Learning Day in the Food gardens was a very affirming event; it re-emphasised for me the power of relational art in supporting a community. This relatively small action had a tangible effect in creating solidarity among relative strangers around a common cause.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Associate Professor Rebecca Nunes used the PAR Programe to reinvigorate the current membership and empower new members of the Community Food Gardens, a charitable organisation with a network of Food Gardens across Nottingham. Rebecca was specifically involved with the Sherwood Community Food Garden which operates in partnership with the Community Gardens at Edingley. The purpose of the Gardens is to foster growing knowledge and to feed the community. A keen interest in gardening, as well as the desire to support the community through socially engaged art and social practices, drew Rebecca to this work.

Such a positive and energising day, with some renewed enthusiasm about what we can collectively achieve in the gardens. Feel more positive and hopeful about my own plot as well as the wider gardens and getting to know more of the other folks involved.

USING MODELS AND GAMES TO UNDERSTAND EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ON MARINE ECOSYSTEMS David White

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Serious Games are video games with a purpose other than pure entertainment, designed to teach, train, or address real-world issues while being enjoyable. In this project, the PAR Programme was used to support the second stage of research into games and environmental changes in marine ecosystems, following a pilot study the previous year. The study follows on from a Serious Game developed at the University of Birmingham, in association with the National Marine Aquarium. This iteration will aim to simulate the same ecosystem, but with the purpose of creating a board game, designed by a group of community researchers formed from a local community group. The board game and the associated model, ideas and principles will be used as a model for developing interactive computer simulations in the next stage of the research. The project has given this community group the opportunity to be involved in a research project, an opportunity which they have welcomed. The group are interested in climate change, and have a typically liberal outlook, but the idea of developing a board game and also being involved in research outputs is of great interest. Apart from the social and environmental impact of such a study, group members have valued the experience as part of their own professional development. This is the second stage in a three-stage research project. The methodology, design and implementation will be written into a research paper with the view for it to be published and will form the basis for future funding applications.

IMPROVING PATIENT EXPERIENCE THROUGH PAR Anna Richards

Members of the SUCT were recruited as community researchers who worked together to design the questions, before reaching out to their peers to gather information. It was surprising to see how emotionally invested both the community researchers and the participants were, and this demonstrated the need for these questions to be asked, and for service user and carer voices to be heard. This PAR Project has given Anna the confidence to work in this way again, co-producing projects with the SUCT who have a vested interest in the issues being discussed. The group aim to create resources to be shared amongst healthcare educators. By involving the group in the creation of these resources, there is a sense of producing something authentic and empowering, where their voices are heard and used to improve healthcare education.

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

Anna used the PAR Programme to effect change amongst health students when working with patients. This was in response to feedback from members of the Service User and Carer Team (members of the public who add value to student learning with their lived experience of using health and social care services), who spoke of wishing to be seen as “a person not a patient” by healthcare professionals. The group wanted this to be communicated to students to help develop skills of empathy and understanding and to embed these skills in their work from the very beginning.

SELF-ESTEEM IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CLEFT LIP Julie Davies

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The PAR Programme allowed post-graduate researcher, Julie Davies, to invite participants to reflect on the findings of her MSc research. This research used photo-elicitation (a method where photographs are used to facilitate discussion, especially around more sensitive topics) to generate discussion with young people with cleft about how they felt about their self-image. The community researchers were recruited through the Cleft Lip and Palate Association (CLAPA), so all had lived experience and a vested interest in the issue being discussed. One of the community researchers in the group was based in Australia, where they did not have access to cleft support groups like the UK participants did. As a result, the community researchers discussed setting up an international CLAPA group, and exchanged details so they could provide that support to each other. Participants fed back that it was empowering to know that others who shared similar experiences felt the same way they did, and that they felt empowered to make changes following the discussion and be involved in further research to address the issues around self-image.

Because the more we can make other people aware of it, hopefully then the stigma will lessen as well, because the stigma doesn’t come from the people with cleft it comes from, the rest of society.

Along with Amy Burton, Julie has successfully secured significant funding to look further into empowering young people with cleft to feel confident about their appearance. They will use PAR to engage young people with a cleft lip with or without palate as coresearchers in a PhotoVoice project to explore and enhance their feelings about their self-image. The young people will be recruited as co-researchers. It will involve a photography workshop and the production of an animation. The co-produced animation will then be shared with the wider community and clinicians working with cleft. In addition, the photographs taken by the young people will be displayed by the coresearchers as an exhibition at the Craniofacial Society of Great Britain & Ireland annual conference for cleft clinicians, to inform and enlighten and provide a catalyst for a greater understanding of what it is like to live with cleft.

LEAF: LIVED EXPERIENCE AND FIBROMYALGIA Patricia Darcy

Through her research, Patricia has identified that there is a general consensus amongst the Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group that Fibromyalgia is poorly misunderstood by healthcare professionals and family members, so the video aims to be an educational resource targeting healthcare professionals primarily, as well as the wider public. Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI), the national representative body for chronic pain in the Republic of Ireland, will also provide input to the co-design process, and will be central to dissemination. During the planning stages, the group explored content that was already publicly available on Fibromyalgia to work out how

Conducting research in this way places research and power at the heart of community. It positions ownership and control of the research with the community, and shares the knowledge that is generated, with the community who generated it.

this video could create a unique and impactful message, to bring about a change that was identified as being needed by the co-researchers. The group will then evaluate the impact of the video to see if a co-designed educational video can promote greater awareness and understanding of the lived experience of Fibromyalgia and if the education components of the video, specifically focusing on the use of environment and place, increase understanding of self-management and self-care approaches to supporting health and wellbeing in people living with chronic pain. It was important to the group that they were part of the process, and this was made possible by utilising approaches and skills discussed during the PAR programme. Having a voice, feeling empowered when their experience of living with their condition is often so disempowering, feeling hopeful that they could effect change and have an impact were key highlights identified by the community researchers. The community researchers felt that they could use their experiences to educate others, specifically healthcare professionals and family members.

STAFFORDSHIRE CONNECTED UNIVERSITY’S COMMUNITIES CONNECTED REPORT COMMUNITIES 2023 REPORT

Post-graduate researcher, Patricia Darcy, is using the PAR programme to co-design a video with people with lived experience of chronic pain. The aim is to promote greater awareness and understanding of Fibromyalgia and propose a more holistic approach to self-management and care by considering environments as an additional tool for supporting health and wellbeing for people living with this condition.

BIDDULPH WORKS TOGETHER: A BIDDULPH TOWN COUNCIL PROJECT Jill Salt

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Jill is using the PAR project to evaluate Biddulph Works Together (BWT), a project instigated by Biddulph Town Council in response to the ongoing cost of living crisis. The aim is to find out what worked, what didn’t, what the barriers were, and how the project could be progressed to help improve the service for the following winter. Funded by Biddulph Town Council, the BWT galvanised a group of 15 organisations to deliver projects that could help communities through the cost-of-living crisis, usually in the form of an activity that included a warm space and a bite to eat. The BWT has been hailed as a beacon of best practice in local governance around Staffordshire, but with no formal project review, this PAR project aims to amplify the voices of service users and produce an output that can be disseminated countrywide to showcase the project to local authorities, town councils and parish councils. This will enable the success of BWT to be replicated up and down the country to help communities stay warm and fed.

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STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY’S CONNECTED COMMUNITIES REPORT

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connectedcommunities@staffs.ac.uk @ConnectedStaffs @ConnectedCommunitiesStaffs @ConnectedCommunitiesStaffs www.staffs.ac.uk/about/ connected-communities 103997 10.23