Posts tagged: project

Photo of a flooded Irwell by Dr Luke Blazejewski

Researchers from UPRISE are collaborating with colleagues from the School of Environment and Life Sciences, Research and Innovation and SHUSU (Sustainable Housing & Urban Studies Unit) on a HEIF-funded project to explore local and regional approaches to ecology and flooding.  This project will involve engaging with organisations, agencies and communities in the Salford and wider Manchester region to understand how ecological principles can be applied to the issues surrounding floods, and the wider functioning of a city.  This diverse partnership draws from a pool of expertise, and demonstrates precisely the interdisciplinary approach required to look at 21^st century urban issues – keeping in spirit with the ICZ strategy of the University of Salford. read more

In the first of a series of blogs about our research on urban poverty in Uganda, Sophie King talks about the project’s inclusive research process and methodology:

In January 2016,  a group of us came together to begin a process of co-producing knowledge on how governments can better support the improvement of living standards in Uganda’s informal settlements.  Specifically, we are looking at the ways in which national and local government, usually in partnership with transnational actors, have gone about the delivery of water and sanitation projects in two divisions of Kampala and in two secondary towns. In the secondary towns, we are considering the outcomes achieved through the Transforming Settlements of the Urban Poor in Uganda (TSUPU) programme.

In an attempt to combine expertise in research methodology, urban planning, and social movement practice, our research partnership brings together a Western female academic, a Ugandan male academic, a team of NGO professionals from ACTogether Uganda, and leaders from the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda (NSDFU). Building on existing ESID research in India, our overarching research question has been:‘What shapes state vision, commitment, and capacity to reduce urban poverty in Ugandan towns and cities?’

Through a co-productive process, we hope to produce a richer understanding of ESID’s core research questions than a more extractive research strategy might have generated. In a sometimes
clumsy, necessarily adaptive, and occasionally systematic way, we are trying to move forward in a research team that reflects the composition of our overall partnership. Mistakes … we’ve
made a few. But we’re also excited and energised at the power of research to be transformative when it works this way. It is not easy, and with so many constraints on getting these kinds of projects financed and off the ground, we are lucky to have this opportunity.

The Harold Riley Awards for Community Engagement are specifically aimed at our colleagues who have excelled in engaging with our community in Salford. For this category there was one winner, and one highly commended award made.

The judging panel were struck by the level of industriousness and engagement we, as a University, have committed to our community, and how the evidence provided clearly demonstrates the benefits and impact that this gives.

The  shortlisted candidates for this award, presented as part of the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards at University Day (8 June), were:

• Salford Community Christmas – Dr Tracy Collins and Amanda Jarvis (School of Health Sciences);
• The Careers & Employability Team – Julia Spencer, Tahira Majothi, Rachel Martin and Arron Pile  (Student Life);
• In the Making Project – Dr Ursula Hurley (School of Arts & Media);
• The User and Carers Partnership Team – Dr Julie Wray, Dr Elizabeth Collier, Dr Michelle Howarth, Maureen McMahon, Dr Celia Hynes, Mel Rushton, Dr Mary Braine (School of Nursing, Midwifery, Social Work and Social Sciences).

The winner was The User and Carers Partnerships Team. This is an outstanding project which has demonstrated longevity and sustainability which has tuned into the topical issue of the need to involve users and carers to improve their experiences, knowledge and ensure their voices are embedded in learning and practice.

It has developed a support network that bringing people together who can empathise and assist one another and brings the community into the University through the conference and user/carer garden at the Mary Seacole building.

Despite changes in social attitudes in many other areas, there remains a deeply engrained stigma attached to suicide. Ian Cummins has been involved in working with a range of local agencies in the Stockport area to tackle some of these issues. 

Stockport Suicide Prevention Leadership Committee is a collaboration of Stockport and Manchester organisations working together to prevent suicide in Stockport and Ian Cummins (Lecturer in Social Work) represents the University of Salford on the group.  The Project has a vision that Stockport will become a place in which people never see suicide as the only option; nevertheless, in the rare event of a completed suicide, bereaved relatives and friends will have timely, easy access to                                          effective local support and information.  

The Project has developed a website:  http://www.stockportsuicideprevention.org.uk that provides information to anyone who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or is concerned about family members, friends, colleagues or other members of the community.  The website provides clear information about local resources, but also the important message that there is support available. Ian Cummins and Elysabeth Williams (Public Mental Health Advisor at Stockport MBC) presented some initial findings about the use of the site at the National Suicide Prevention Alliance conference in London in February 2016. The group is now working to engage other local organisations in this work. Public Health England (PHE) has issued guidance for all areas on how to develop a local suicide prevention action plan; this work shows that Stockport has made significant progress towards achieving this.

If you have been affected in any way by the issues raised in this article then the Samaritans can help:  http://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/contact-us