The Community Research Initiative started as a way for master's students to do something different with their dissertations. In 2023-24, we started a new programme of shorter, less academic research projects which students undertake outside of their studies, as volunteers. Read on to learn how student volunteers are meeting data, evaluation and research needs in the third sector.
Building a Diverse Volunteer Community at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice
The task
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice reached out to CRIS because they wanted to understand how to diversify their volunteer pool. Hospice volunteers are a crucial part of their support for babies, children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Noah's Ark knew their volunteer pool was limited in diversity, but now how to fix this.
The outcome
We matched Noah's Ark with a team of student researchers for the project. The researchers first reviewed the gaps in the current volunteering pool. Each team member then conducted scoping into how Noah's Ark could better engage with underrepresented populations, creating a set of recommendations for the organisation to take forwards. Noah’s Ark has already implemented many of the team’s suggestions during the research process, and now looks forward to fully responding to the recommendations. It’s also the first time Noah’s Ark has engaged with a university, and they’re now excited to collaborate on more research with CRIS and beyond.
Noah's Ark Children's Hospice and their student volunteers posing with their research poster
Mapping youth mental and sexual health needs for Naz
The task
Naz wanted to gather evidence on youth mental and sexual health needs to support with the development of their youth programmes. We matched them with a group of student researchers to engage their fellow students in a comprehensive youth consultation and inform the design of Naz's interventions.
The outcome
The students first created a data collection tool to collect information on youth health needs, split into the categories of sexual health, mental health and dating apps. They used virtual channels and in-person outreach sessions to engage their fellow students. They then analysed the data and produced a comprehensive report. Naz will be using this research to inform the design of their youth interventions and develop their youth engagement strategy going forwards. They hope to work with CRIS again to undertake more research, since it's important to them that all their interventions are evidence based and community engaged.
Naz student volunteers standing at a stall to promote their research survey
Making meaning of a mountain of data for Coaching for Unpaid Carers
The task
Coaching for Unpaid Carers needed support analysing four years worth of data on their services for unpaid carers. As coaching is a new intervention for this group, they sought credible evidence to raise awareness and demonstrate the benefits and value to funders and commissioners.
The outcome
Our volunteer, PhD student Jon Mella, created a single database for all our data. He then used our Theory of Change and evaluation framework to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data. For the first time we are now able to show credible evidence of improvements in key areas for participants which reinforce the value of coaching as a transformative tool for carers, offering hope and empowerment in challenging circumstances. This is essential for funding applications and reporting.
Catherine Macadam (Coaching for Unpaid Carers) and Jon Mella (UCL) in conversation
Capturing participant voices at the Hackney Shed Slam
The task
The Hackney Shed Slam challenges its young participants to compete in a speaking competition. Hackney Shed was looking for our students to be on the ground at the event, gathering feedback and capturing the voices of attendees.
The outcome
Our volunteer Jordan joined us for the monologue competition finals to observe and write an article. He interviewed participants after their performances and prize announcements, following our planned questions. His interviews were well-handled, resulting in an excellent article that now helps promote the project and update funders.
Hackney Playbus sought a volunteer to explore and organise our extensive 50-year archive. The archive included photographs, reports, news articles, stories, and more. They asked the volunteer to provide recommendations on the best ways to preserve, organise, and use the archive as a source of information.
The outcome
Our volunteer Chaiti organised all our historical information from 1972-73. She arranged all the files chronologically within 5 different different themes. Chaiti not only catalogued all the information relating to the start of our charity in the early 70's, she researched the local and national political and social framework which gave rise to the project and wrote it all up in a document called 'Hackney Playbus makes a start' . She gave us her ideas about how the information could be presented on our website and 'next steps' for the archive project.
African Community School · Bankside Open Spaces Trust · Bedford House Community Association · Been There · Bright Futures UK · Camden Canals Narrowboat Association · Camden Council · Camden Disbility Action · Castlehaven Community Association · Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust · Centre404 · Club Kali Network · Community Association for West Hampstead · Compass Wellbeing · DutchPot Stories · Dyspraxic Me · East London LGBT Seniors · EcoCounts · Elevate Community Productions · ELHAP Every Life Has a Purpose · ELOP · Green Schools Project · Hackney Playbus · Hackney Shed · Hammersmith Community Gardens · Human Trafficking Foundation · Khadys Dream · Laamiga · LifeLine Community Projects · London Borough of Newham · London Clean Air · London Federation of Housing Cooperatives · London Nightline · London Play Design · Mediorite · Mosaic LGBT+ Young People's Trust · National Federation of Parks & Green Spaces · Naz · Noah's Ark Children's Hospice · Patina People · People and Planet · Peoples' Museum Somers Town · Pro Touch SA CIC · ReachOut2All CIC · Regents Park Time Bank · Rise Projects · Sister System · The Wellbeing Hub for Global Majority Women in Redbridge · Trapped in Zone One
Full list 23-24 collaborators:
Bedford House Community Association · Being the Cure · Black Women Kindness Initiative · CALM – Campaign Against Living Miserably · Camden Canals · Camden Giving · Centre 404 · Coaching for Unpaid Carers · Dadvengers · Green City Projects · Hackney Playbus · Hackney Shed · Happy in Your Body · Hepatitis C Trust · Institute of Imagination · Islington Council Community Wealth Building · Jami · Lifeline Projects · School of Sexuality Education · The Line · The Mix · The New Black Film Collective · The People's Classroom · The Power Project · Transform Drug Policy Foundation· Trapped in Zone One · VSO · Your Stance
