Engaging Communities Research Centre
A research and knowledge exchange centre working at the interface of social, community, health and occupational psychology.
About us
Formed in 2023, the Engaging Communities Research Centre (ECRC) brings together researchers conducting innovative and world-leading research and knowledge exchange at the interface of social, community, health, and occupational psychology.
Our work seeks to makes a difference to communities and society, by developing psychologically and community-informed solutions to contemporary social issues, through theoretically informed and methodologically sound innovative social research.
Our aim is to build a research and evidence base that details the ways in which our actions and experiences and our health and wellbeing are not just determined by our individual psychologies but also by the social structures and systems in which we live.
The work of ECRC spans different contexts and communities worldwide, and we have a strong reputation for developing meaningful community involvement and engagement approaches, including amplifying marginalised or silenced voices.
Our work is challenge-led, arising from our strong collaborative partnerships with communities, the voluntary and community sector, health organisations and structures, local government, and other key stakeholders. As a result, our research is informed, owned, and used by our partners, feeding into collaborative research agendas, the development of interventions and solutions, and regional, national, and international policy agendas.
LATEST NEWS
June 2024
The Impact of Transport on Loneliness: the Challenge of Sustainability
On 20 June, Dr Debra Gray presented the extensive learning on delivering interventions aimed at tackling loneliness. Between September 2022 and August 2023, we piloted three community transport initiatives aimed at reducing loneliness in isolated older adults by providing increased access, through transport, to social opportunities, community, connectedness, and services. All projects were delivered entirely through electric vehicles, to understand more about how this could be taken forward sustainably.
This public event celebrated the positive impact that these pilot schemes have had in the lives of those it supported, and presented some of the challenges of delivering sustainable community transport. The legacy of this work was discussed, and the implications for future loneliness services.
Communities Tackling Loneliness with Transport in Hampshire was a Department of Transport-funded collaborative project between Action Hampshire, the Good Neighbours Network, MHA Hampshire, Age Concern Hampshire, and the University of Winchester.
More information, including details of the pilot schemes, the final report and the recording and slides of the presentation, can be found on the Action Hampshire website.
March 2024
ECRC providing training in community-led research - approaches, insights and impact
The centre is currently providing participatory research training for University of Winchester staff. The training, which is entirely co-produced with community co-researchers, draws on insights from the Raising Voices in Research project, which brought together regional health services, the voluntary sector, community and research organisations to reach underrepresented communities, with the aim of increasing diversity in research. The project was led by Action Hampshire and funded by NHS England Innovation Research and Life Sciences. In 2023, Dr Gray carried out an evaluation of the project.
Call for researchers to participate in new study
The ECRC is undertaking research on the problem of imposter participants and fraudulent data in applied qualitative research. You do not need to have experienced this issue yourself.
We would love to have participation from researchers from ANY discipline, including colleagues working in applied qualitative research, and across all levels of experience. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
Find out more and take part in the survey.
Contact us
To find out more about our work and how you can work with us, contact the Conveners:
Dr Debra Gray, Reader in Psychology
Dr Margaret Husted, Reader in Psychology
Explore more
Psychology research
- Department of Psychology
- Healthy Lives Research Group, a collaboration between our health psychologists and the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing
- Social and Organisational Psychology Research Group
- Childhood and Youth Psychology Research Group
- Brain and Cognition Research Group
- Volunteering Research Hub
Public engagement with Research