Co-POWeR - Consortium on Practices of Wellbeing and Resilience in BAME Families and Communities

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leeds
Department Name: Law

Abstract

Two viruses - COVID-19 and discrimination - are currently killing in the UK (Solanke 2020), especially within BAMEFC who are hardest hit. Survivors face ongoing damage to wellbeing and resilience, in terms of physical and mental health as well as social, cultural and economic (non-medical) consequences. Psychosocial (ADCS 2020; The Children's Society 2020)/ physical trauma of those diseased and deceased, disproportionate job-loss (Hu 2020) multigenerational housing, disrupted care chains (Rai 2016) lack of access to culture, education and exercise, poor nutrition, 'over-policing' (BigBrotherWatch 2020) hit BAMEFC severely. Local 'lockdowns' illustrate how easily BAMEFC become subject to stigmatization and discrimination through 'mis-infodemics' (IOM 2020). The impact of these viruses cause long-term poor outcomes. While systemic deficiencies have stimulated BAMEFC agency, producing solidarity under emergency, BAMEFC vulnerability remains, requiring official support.
The issues are complex thus we focus on the interlinked and 'intersectional nature of forms of exclusion and disadvantage', operationalised through the idea of a 'cycle of wellbeing and resilience' (CWAR) which recognises how COVID-19 places significant stress upon BAMEFC structures and the impact of COVID-19 and discrimination on different BAMEFC cohorts across the UK, in whose lives existing health inequalities are compounded by a myriad of structural inequalities. Given the prevalence of multi-generational households, BAMEFC are likely to experience these as a complex of jostling over-lapping stressors: over-policed unemployed young adults are more likely to live with keyworkers using public transport to attend jobs in the front line, serving elders as formal/informal carers, neglecting their health thus exacerbating co-morbidities and struggling to feed children who are unable to attend school, resulting in nutritional and digital deprivation.
Historical research shows race/class dimensions to national emergencies (e.g. Hurricane Katrina) but most research focuses on the COVID-19 experience of white families/communities. Co-POWeR recommendations will emerge from culturally and racially sensitive social science research on wellbeing and resilience providing context as an essential strand for the success of biomedical and policy interventions (e.g. vaccines, mass testing). We will enhance official decision-making through strengthening cultural competence in ongoing responses to COVID-19 thereby maximizing success of national strategy. Evidenced recommendations will enable official mitigation of disproportionate damage to wellbeing and resilience in BAMEFC. Empowerment is a core consortium value. Supporting UKRI goals for an inclusive research culture, we promote co-design and co-production to create a multi-disciplinary BAME research community spanning multi-cultural UK to inform policy.
CO-POWeR investigates the synergistic effect on different age groups of challenges including policing, child welfare, caring and physical activity and nutrition. WP1 Emergency Powers investigates these vague powers to understand their impact on practices of wellbeing and resilience across BAMEFC. WP2 Children, Young People and their Families investigates implications for children/young people in BAMEFC who experience COVID-19 negatively due to disproportionate socio-economic and psychosocial impacts on their families and communities. WP3 Care, Caring and Carers investigates the interaction of care, caring and carers within BAMEFC to identify how to increase the wellbeing and resilience of older people, and paid and unpaid carers. WP4 Physical Activity and Nutrition investigates improving resilience and wellbeing by tackling vulnerability to underlying health conditions in BAMEFC. WP5 Empowering BAMEFC through Positive Narratives channels research from WP1-4 to coproduce fiction and non-fiction materials tackling the vulnerability of BAMEFC to 'mis infodemics'.

Publications

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Akhter S (2022) Being Cared for in the Context of Crisis: Austerity, COVID-19, and Racialized Politics in Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society

 
Title 'I CARE' 
Description I CARE is a short poetry film co-created and produced as part of the Positive Stories by the research team in Work Package 5. It was screened as part of the 'Inspiring Stories by Inspiring People' event which took place on 31 October 2022. The event showcased Black Professionals in the College of Health, Science & Society at UWE Bristol was organised as part of Black History Month. A short poetry film, 'I Care' - the poem was written by the event organiser, Emmanuel Adukwu, and focused on the research themes of Work Package 3. Emmanuel was also a focus group research participant for Work Package 1 Adeola Dewis give a strong and moving lead performance, and the film was produced and directed by WP5's Florence Ayisi. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The film was screened in Bristol as part of the 2022 Black History Month's 'Inspiring Stories by Inspiring People' which took place on 31 October 2022 at the Bristol City Council Hall. The showcase of Black Professionals in the College of Health, Science & Society at UWE Bristol was organised as part of Black History Month where academics as well as different community groups were invited to celebrate. A short poetry film, 'I Care' - the poem was written by the event organiser, Emmanuel Adukwu, and focused on the research themes of Work Package 3. Emmanuel was also a focus group research participant for Work Package 1 Adeola Dewis give a strong and moving lead performance, and the film was produced and directed by WP5's Florence Ayisi. Here is the link to the film: https://co-power.leeds.ac.uk/news/i-care/ 
 
Title A Day in March 
Description As part of Co-POWeR (Consortium on Practices of Wellbeing and Resilience in Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Families and Communities), Research Fellow Dr Alda Terracciano worked in collaboration with the graphic artist Edgar Lushaju and with Research Fellows from other Co-POWeR work packages to produce graphic narratives and educational materials channelling young people's personal experiences of the pandemic through graphic outputs. Themes explored in A Day in March include~ Impact of stop and search experiences on young people's mental health. Frustration of school homework due to lack of access to wi-fi and computer equipment at home for children from low-income families. Perception of school as boring and waste of time during the pandemic and preference to socialise with friends online. Feelings of missing out on being social with friends, having to engage with family member. Feelings of sadness due to the inability to visit family abroad due to pandemic. Display of 'adaptive resilience' during the pandemic and opportunity for self-development, for example learning new skills such as music production. 
Type Of Art Artwork 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The narratives complemented Co-POWeR reports and research papers, breaking down linguistic and cultural barriers to reach wider audiences in the UK and beyond. Integrating illustrations into research has the potential to make research outcomes more accessible to different audiences. 
URL https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/projects/co-power/graphic-narratives/a_day_in_march
 
Title Co-I Ayisi Film - 'Now You Sleep' 
Description The artistic product is a poem, Now You Sleep, written by one of Co-POWeR's Community Engagement Representatives, Akulah Agbami, the artistic director of Sheba Soul Ensemble. Now You Sleep is an elegy; Akulah's creative response to the tragic death of her daughter, Batenga Catherine Nassolo. These poignant lines from the poem "now you sleep, you one of its direct indirect victims, slipping through the safety net," refer to Batenga's poor mental health and the lack of support from the relevant services, which led to her suicide during the pandemic. The poem has been transformed into a short film to produce a stronger representation of the content. The film uses music, words, voice, images, and other filmic aesthetics to enhance the meaning of the poem and the mood and feelings of a family tragedy. This poetry film has been co-created and co-produced by Co-POWeR and Sheba Soul Ensemble. The filming took place along the banks of the River Parrett as this is a significant local area for Akulah and, at her suggestion, provided many visual elements related to some of the lines in her poem. Choosing the location as well as suggesting images to express and symbolise her loss and grief reflects Co-POWeR's approach of co-designing and co-creating work with communities and individuals. For example, the author suggested laying down a colourful patchwork quilt from her home during the recurring motif 'now you sleep', to represent death as sleep and pouring and drinking tea and putting the spare cup away to highlight the loss of the other person. Her ideas have been encapsulated in the poetry film by the creative team. Hence, Now You Sleep, is a collaborative effort between one of Co-POWeR's creative teams in Work Package 5, and Sheba Soul Ensemble. The result is a powerful visual reflection of loss, a tragedy that has touched many families during the Covid-19 pandemic. 
Type Of Art Creative Writing 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The development of the artistic product, based on the poem, Now You Sleep, has helped to facilitate a close and unique collaboration between Co-POWeR and Sheba Soul Ensemble through Akulah Agbami. Sheba Soul Ensemble has been delivering FLY! Festival of Black* Women's films, promoting the work of BLACK* and indigenous women film makers, and theater festivals for several years now. Akulah Agbami is a former lecturer in English at the University of the French West Indies, former editor of Spare Rib magazine, and is now the artistic director of Sheba Soul Ensemble. Akulah's knowledge and expansive connections in the creative industries and community groups have been a useful resource for undertaking fieldwork research in several communities. For example, facilitating connections with individuals, community groups and centres such as The Bristol Rain Forest and Malcolm X Community Centre in Bristol - we have positively engaged with people from these organisations who are keen to be involved with Co-POWeR to share their pandemic experiences and stories. These organisations are also potential venues for community outreach acitivites such as disseminating research findings, especially to culturally specific audiences. Another notable impact resulting from developing and co-creating the poetry film has been establishing useful links with media organisations that are exptremely useful exhibition venues as part of Co-POWeR's dissemination activities. For example, Watershed cinema in Bristol, media arts festivals in several towns and cities such as Trowbridge, Exeter and online festivals. The completed film, Now You Sleep, has been elected to be screened during The Parrett Women's Poetry Fiesta (an online event) on March 21st; this is a special programme dedicated to International Women's Month (March 2022). This screening will be the world premiere of Now You Sleep. 
URL https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-parrett-womens-poetry-fiesta-presents-fly-into-poetry-tickets-272...
 
Title Exposing the Hidden Stories of the Pandemic 
Description This short animation was created to bring together all of the research findings and highlight the synergy between them. It was first shown at the ESRC Festival of Social Science in Leeds on March 7th 2022 and then again subsequently at a seminar with the UKHSA BSIU on Nov 24th 2022. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The video was described as 'powerful'. It sparked much interest and debate whenever it was shown. 
URL https://vimeo.com/769429591/4434f2ac7b
 
Title Photobook 
Description The Photobook - will be divided into chapters focussed on BAME 12-19 years. Each chapter will focus on a theme - with parallel pages focussing on the positive and the negative. The above will be pertinently articulated using Quotes, Sketches and Photographs within each chapter. 
Type Of Art Artefact (including digital) 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact Issues of Wellbeing, family relations, self-awareness, Friendships and relationships, 
 
Title Plant Power is a documentary film about community resilience and wellbeing. It is a collaborative documentary film co-created with a community of activists in Bristol. 
Description The documentary film captures the personal stories of what people did to build their resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic. It explores how people coped with isolation and loneliness during lockdown. Judith and Amrish are two Bristolians, who re-discovered the power of plants during lockdown. Now, Judith, a guerrilla gardener, is on a mission to reclaim dead public spaces, and to safeguard the environment in her neighbourhood in St. Paul's in Bristol. She initiates a 'Memorial Roses' project in memory of black people who died from coronavirus. Her goal is to make communal spaces greener, more pleasant to be in, and to uplift community spirit, especially after the troubling times of the pandemic. Is she nervous about encroaching on Council property? Judith is fearless! She feels the Council should be helping to create green and healthy spaces for community wellbeing. Her other initiative is a private garden at the Malcolm X Community Centre, which she and others developed to provide accessible green spaces for increasing community resilience and wellbeing. Now, Amrish, from the Bristol Rainforest, is passionate about cultivating Banyan trees and bringing these into learning and leisure spaces. He is introducing Banyan plants into schools where children are reported to be calmer and quieter as observed by a head teacher. A Banyan tree Amrish planted during lockdown is now housed at the Bristol Aquarium. He calls it a "living sculpture", which was proudly transported to the Bristol Aquarium by community members. In their own ways, Judith and Amrish have been transformed by their personal experiences of growing and caring for plants during lockdown. They are now busily doing the same and sharing their ideas about how plants promote better mental health and wellbeing. 'PLANT POWER' is part of Co-POWeR's positive narratives about community resilience and the wellbeing of individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact There have been two important screening events. 1) Co-POWeR ed of research project Conference in Leeds: 25 to 27th January 2023 2) Exclusive Community screening event in St. Paul's, Bristol - at the Dockland Community Centre These events provided a unique platform for community engagement, and a space for the research participants in the film to share their feelings, and feedback on being filmed and sharing their lived experiences of lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic. The password for the link below is Here is the link to view the film. The password is PlantPower https://vimeo.com/796564974 Plant Power has just been selected to be screened at the New York African Film Festival in May. Here is a statement from the festival: "We are pleased to invite your film Plant Power to the 2023 New York African Film Festival. Your film will screen at Maysles Cinema on Saturday, May 20 at 4:30pm as part of the shorts program. Please note that this screening time is subject to slight change and we will notify you of all updates regarding this." 
URL https://vimeo.com/796564974
 
Title Revoke~ Stories of Wellbeing and Resilience 
Description A short video made with REVOKE, an NGO which supported young refugees during the pandemic, showing the practices adopted to maintain well-being during the national restrictions. Revoke is a grassroots organisation advocating for the rights and welfare of underserved young people, particularly refugees, asylum seekers, and those in the care system, living without advocates, families, power, or a voice. Revoke is founded by a team with lived experience of migration; racism; learning English as an additional language; and the trauma of displacement. This creates a strong connection to the young people they work with. They aim to give the young people the tools, education, and confidence to advocate for themselves and restore the rights they've had revoked. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The video was launched at the anniversary celebration of REVOKE at The Barbican on August 24 2022. Over 100 people attended this event. The process of interaction with Co-POWeR and creation of the video had a positive impact upon the participants - it increased their sense of wellbeing by making the stories of their lives audible and their experiences visible. 
URL https://mymedia.leeds.ac.uk/Mediasite/Play/969a137a0402486c873050e5b8c4eb3f1d
 
Title breaDth 
Description Written by Raminder Kaur (Sohaya Visions) and directed by Mukul Ahmed (Mukul & Ghetto Tigers), the play explores the grip of two interconnected viruses currently killing in the UK; COVID-19 and racial discrimination; and the importance of oxygen for our lungs and for life. The fictionalised experiences in this play are based on comprehensive research by the Consortium on Practices of Wellbeing and Resilience of BAME families and communities (Co-POWeR) and was co-developed with research participants from BAME families and communities across England and Wales. 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2022 
Impact The play was performed at The Brady Arts Centre on May 23rd and Birkbeck University on May 24th 
URL https://co-power.leeds.ac.uk/events/breadth/
 
Description The key findings have not changed significantly from those reported previously, listed below:

1. Positive Impacts:
There were surprisingly some positive changes emerging from the pandemic: one key insight is that community support and engagement made a real difference to the COVID experience. The ability to use Individual agency also made lives better during national restrictions (for example, organising for face-to-face sports classes to continue online). Working from home meant that for some physical activity increased (mainly those in the middle class). The use of technology increased across all age groups - to access care as well as education. Finally there was increased appreciation of public art: murals and statutes of BAME figures service as a source of pride and motivation.

2. Unequal impacts:
There were many challenges. Poor communications & information, especially the lack of translation resulted in a lack of clarity of rules - information from family abroad was trusted more than official sources here. The changing rules resulted in inconsistency of application across time (eg. when and where is wearing face-masks guidance or mandatory?) and place - different police forces had different interpretations of the rules. Community and grassroots organisation stepped in to provide support when social services were unavailable but over time these sources of support became depleted. Stay at home rules were not designed with the living realities of BAME families in mind - families living in multi-generational homes lacked space to self-isolate. There was no relief: community centres were closed and being on the street exacerbated vulnerability to policing for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people of all ages. For carers, physical activity increased but was not restorative: workloads of 50/60 hours resulted in exhaustion which was not alleviated upon return to busy homes. Time dragged for elders who might otherwise have visited places of worship, open air markets or indeed their countries of origin - this led to loneliness. Nutrition was impaired due to lack of access to culturally appropriate foods and food banks often did not stock these. Villification by media affected relationships between young people and undermined positive race relations within communities.
Exploitation Route Materials and outcomes were produced that can be used to stimulate discussion and educate on the importance of cultural competence in public health policy and planning for an emergency.

The research was taken forward through presentation at various engagement events organised by government departments, the NHS and research bodies. Insights were shared at:
- Keeping Communities Safe event with the UKHSA
- ESRC/GSR Actionable Insights Seminar
- UK Behavioural Science and Insights Unit (BSIU)
- Ministerial Roundtable (event with the Vaccines Minister)
Insights are therefore being used to inform planning by the government, NHS England and others for the forthcoming year.

A submission was also made to the COVID Inquiry and to the government consultation on the Coronavirus Act (available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42506/pdf/ ) - we hope that results will be put to use to determine future policy.

Outcomes can continue to be disseminated through educators, civil society activists, policy makers and officials at local, regional and national levels.
The Co-POWeR Community Engagement Panel continues to be a key resource for this.

Our Bank of materials is easily accessible on out web-site and can be used with audiences of all ages. The Policy Brief and Synergy Report has also been translated into 8 other languages.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
URL http://co-power.leeds.ac.uk/
 
Description Our findings have contributed to the effectiveness of public services and policy, as well as the quality of life, wellbeing and creative output. Effectiveness of policy: It has been possible to share our findings with key groups across government and public health (eg. Cabinet Office; the vaccines minister and UKHSA groupings such as BSIU). Our findings were used for a submission to a Coronavirus Act Inquiry and included in the final report of that Inquiry. Creative Output: Co-POWeR research was used to create an online photo-book, graphic narratives, documentary videos and a theatre play, (BreaDth) which was performed twice during the life of the project in London and continues to engage audiences. One documentary film has been awarded a prize. The Policy Brief and Synergy Report were also translated into different languages to improve accessibility. Quality of Life and Wellbeing: Our emphasis on Community Engagement has been used to contribute to the improvement of wellbeing and resilience of those in our Community Engagement Panel, especially the young black men who worked with us. Inclusive research culture: The ongoing willingness of the CE partners to continually engage with Co-POWeR and our research suggests that we had some societal impact in creating an inclusive research community.
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural,Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Submission to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Consultation on the Coronavirus Act 2020 Two Years On inquiry
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/42506/pdf/
 
Title Collaborative Creation in Research as a Tool for Healing 
Description One of the most positive aspects of Co-POWeR was community engagement. The Co-POWeR co-production process was enhanced by the engagement of research participants and research fellows across all the work packages. This built trust and community alongside the collection of the substantive data. These processes enhanced voice and agency and increased the visibility of issues and communities that are often marginalised and invisible; in-depth narrative interviews allowed for the co-creation of content, foregrounding the lived experiences and issues of concern to research participants. Our collaborative processes enabled the sharing of traumatic experiences for research participants, as well as positive stories from different communities. It provided avenues to begin healing and ameliorate mental health issues through community-building, sharing and exchange of stories. Use of creative and artistic practices helped to raise participants' self-esteem as well as identify their potential and abilities to communicate their personal experiences. Ultimately, methods of collaborative documentary filmmaking and dramaturgy served as mechanisms to promote individual wellbeing and rebuild resilience. Seeing one's own ideas come to life in the form of illustrations, theatre characters and fictionalised stories validate the person and their experience as well as offering potential solutions to get out of difficult circumstances. The anonymising and fictionalising of real people and their experiences also meant that participants could trust the process, and raise difficult subjects of race and racism, without fear of individual backlash or embarrassment. The research participants who chose to take part in the documentary felt that they were offered a unique platform in which to actively co-create and share their stories of life during a pandemic. Adoption of these methods used by Co-POWeR to build trust amongst Black, Asian and minority ethnic families and communities could potentially make a significant difference to the pandemic experiences of racially marginalised people, as well as to their engagement in future research. 
Type Of Material Improvements to research infrastructure 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact There was a notable impact in the confidence of the participants, especially the young Black men from Wales: while at the start of Co-POWeR they were shy and reticent, by the time they attended the final conference they were keen to share their stories in public. Because of the time taken to build a relationship with them, they felt that they were in a safe space and behaved accordingly. 
 
Title Co-POWeR Survey on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Families and Communities During COVID 
Description This dataset was created in the course of Co-POWeR and features the results of a survey with 1000 BAME residents across the UK. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? No  
Impact One notable finding from the survey concerned levels of trust: Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, trust in official health guidance and the UK government dropped, with those agreeing they have low trust in Official Health Guidance rising from 11% to 32%, and those agreeing they have low trust in the UK government rising from 23% to 38%. This suggests that given existing disproportionate policing of people from BAME FC, strengthening police powers reduces trust in all public authorities and undermines the overall effectiveness of laws introduced to deal with public health crises like the pandemic. When combined with public health measures, police powers are counterproductive and inappropriate to the task. 
URL https://doi.org/10.5518/1213
 
Description Voice Trial - Patient and Public Involvement/Engagement Team 
Organisation NIHR Leeds Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Co-POWeR Work Package 4 (WP4: Physical Activity & Nutrition) brings messaging on physical activity and healthy eating co-produced with people with lived experiences from Black Asian and other Minority Ethnic communities. Prior to publicising these messages, the opportunity was sought to obtain feedback from independent members of the public also from BAME communities.
Collaborator Contribution VOICE is a global online platform used to involve patients, carers and members of the public in the development, design and distribution of health research. As part of a trial scheme run by the Engagement team at Leeds NIHR Biomedical Research Unit, WP4 applied for and was successful in being selected for the opportunity to run a Community Engagement (CE) / Patient Public Involvement (PPI) project using the VOICE platform. This opportunity enables WP4 to be more efficient and effective by involving independent members of the public in the development of targeted and relevant public health messages for BAME communities. This will expand reach nationally and help to produce more public-focused and relevant public health messages. As Voice is a global platform, the Co-POWeR WP4 project will benefit from worldwide exposure.
Impact No outcomes at this stage, as activities have yet to be completed.
Start Year 2021
 
Description 'Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on BAME families and communities' for Black History Month 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Claudia Bernard and Iyiola Solanke - talk to the Government Legal Department, Home Office, entitled 'Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on BAME families and communities' for Black History Month on 28th October 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description 'The impact of the pandemic and racism on the well-being of Black, Asian and minority ethnic young people and their families: Preliminary findings from the Co-POWeR study' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Anna Gupta - presentation for Children's Social Work Matters regional stakeholder event - 'The impact of the pandemic and racism on the well-being of Black, Asian and minority ethnic young people and their families: Preliminary findings from the Co-POWeR study' - 9th March 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description 2) Seniors' Lunch Club dissemination event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Members of this club had actively participated as either research participants or community engagement partners on the Co-POWeR project. This activity (face-to-face, 8th February 2023) was held to disseminate some of the project materials, share project updates and to appreciate them for their support in research activities. Two physiotherapy students from the University of Southampton also took part and held a group-based exercise session for the elders, which was very enjoyable. They also answered any questions regarding physical activity. This event was in a bid to give back to the community. Project pens, notepads and bags were distributed to the club members. The public health posters, policy brief and graphic narratives produced by the project were also distributed.
CE partners and research participants appreciated being told the findings from the project and not left wondering what the project achieved, as with previous projects they had experienced. They were also pleased to engage in subsequent research related activities, which was a change in attitude towards research for many of them compared to the start of the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description 3) NIHR Southampton BRC Presentation on Engaging Underserved communities in our research 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This presentation to Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre was aimed at highlighting effective ways to engage underserved communities, especially people from ethnic minority communities, in health research. The Research Fellow (OG) explained the methods the WP4 Co-POWeR project Work Package on Physical Activity and Nutrition adopted to engage these communities, some of the challenges experienced along the way and how they were addressed. The outcomes of these engagement activities were also shared, which highlighted the importance of carrying out inclusive and co-produced health research. The speaker received invitations and potential opportunities to collaborate with researchers in efforts to increase the involvement of underserved communities in their research
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Co-POWeR Community Engagement (CE) Launch Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The purpose of this Workshop was to formally launch the Co-POWeR CE Panel, tell CE members about how their activities have contributed to the project so far and discuss how future CE engagement can help to achieve the aims of the Co-POWeR project. The CE Panel formed at the start of the project and now has 49 members from across the UK. This Workshop was organised by a planning group, consisting of five CE Partners (one of whom chaired the event), the CE Co-ordinator and researchers from Co-POWeR WP4, including the academic CE co-ordinator.

The Workshop took place via Zoom on Thursday 10th Feb 2022 (5.30-7pm) and involved 17 CE Partners, 21 Co-POWeR researchers and project staff, and five collaborators.

Updates from each work package (WP) were co-presented by a CE Partner and a researcher. There were some impressive stories on how CE Partners worked with researchers to involve members of the public from different Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and different age groups. Researchers described how progress with their research would not have been possible without the amazing work that their CE Partners did to connect them with communities and individuals. A vital part of their work was to build trust between people from race/ethic minority backgrounds and the researchers, as many had not had good experiences with research. Valuable suggestions were received during breakout room discussions for how we could reach more people and influence change.

Valuable insights were gained during the final discussion session on how Co-POWeR could change the way people (public and government) think and behave, to ensure our recommendations are acted upon. Ideas were also put forward about how to continue the CE Panel after Co-POWeR.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Co-POWeR Final Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact The Co-POWeR Final conference brought together members of the general public with the the research team, the Community Engagement panel and research participants to hear about and discuss the project findings. Around 70 people attended in person and online. A keynote was delivered by Christopher Johnson of Kellogg College, Oxford University. He gave a comparative view of the experiences of BAME communities during the pandemic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Engagement with a Lunch Club for Elders: 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The lunch club in Southampton brings together older people (called elders) from diverse ethnicities and backgrounds once a week for lunch and to share community. The Research Fellow (OG) from Co-POWeR Work Package 4 (WP4 on Physical Activity & Nutrition), gave a presentation on 10th November 2021, and followed up with two other visits to develop a relationship and build trust with the elders. There was some resistance to research from their experiences in the past. The purpose was to inform them of the Co-POWeR project, with a view to recruiting community engagement partners and participants. A presentation was given to raise awareness of the research project and have conversations around how best to reach older people in their community. This activity resulted in the initial recruitment of 3 elders from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority background (a usually underrepresented group in research) to take part in the project. The group is very supportive of the project, interest is increasing, with one being a CE Partner 4 further members stepping forward to become research participants.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description GOSH Wellbeing Webinar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Monica Lakhanpaul- GOSH Well Being Webinar- 10th November 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description HFM Together Supporting mental Health and Promoting Wellness in the Workplace 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Monica Lakhanpaul-HFM Together Supporting mental Health and Promoting Wellness in the Workplace - 7 October 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Leeds ESRC Festival of Social Science - Exposing the Hidden Stories of the Pandemic 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact A workshop was organised as part of the Festival of Social Science in Leeds in November 2022. An interactive activity took place which included 'power-mapping' to plan activities around the policy recommendations. The animation was also screened for the first time.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://co-power.leeds.ac.uk/events/foss-exposing-pandemic/
 
Description Presentation - 'The impact of COVID on BAME children, young people and families: Professionals' perspectives' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact Anna Gupta and Anita Sharma - presentation for the Children& Families Research Cluster, School of Law and Social Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London on 'The impact of COVID on BAME children, young people and families: Professionals' perspectives' - 23rd March 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to Cabinet Office 'Keeping Communities Safe' webinar 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact PI Iyiola Solanke addressed @230 people at a monthly webinar aimed community leaders, especially those who represent disproportionately impacted communities. The presentation sparked interest and debate and resulted in further contacts being made for the empirical fieldwork.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://dhexchange.kahootz.com/CommunityLeadersWebinars/view?objectId=32384432
 
Description Presentation to Cabinet Office 'Local Public Services Briefing' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact PI Iyiola Solanke spoke to around 150 people at a public service briefing where she discussed CO-POWeR's findings and recommendations for black and ethnic minority communities with regards to covid messaging.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to ESRC/ GSR Actionable Insights seminar 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact PI Iyiola Solanke spoke to around 200 people at this event which was part of a seminar series aimed at policy makers and analyst professions across government. The seminars focus on thematic challenge areas of relevance to a range of government departments, in order to provide evidence and to connect researchers with policy makers and officials. We hope these seminars will also create connections across projects within thematic areas, thereby helping to bring insights together.

With a policy audience the aim of the seminar was to present 'actionable insights' from CO-POWeR's research; drawing on research findings, with a focus on opportunities for learning and action.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to European Social Work Research Association conference in Amsterdam - 'The impact of the pandemic and racism on the well-being of Black, Asian and minority ethnic young people and their families 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Claudia Bernard and Anna Gupta - presentation for the European Social Work Research Association conference in Amsterdam - 'The impact of the pandemic and racism on the well-being of Black, Asian and minority ethnic young people and their families- 6th-8th April 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to UKHSA (previously PHE) Behavioural Science and Insights Unit (BSIU) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact PI Iyiola Solanke spoke to @ 70 people from Richard Amlôt's team at UKHSA (previously PHE) Behavioural Science and Insights Unit (BSIU) at a seminar series for an internal audience with the aim of presenting research from a breadth of speakers from across the field of Behavioural and Social Science.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to UKHSA BCIU 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact I was invited back to UKHSA BCIU to present at a seminar sessions - I was specifically asked to talk to the about the progress of Co-POWeR. The presentation took place on 24 Nov 2022, and was attended by around 50 people.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to UKHSA COVID Evaluations and Studies Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact PI Iyiola Solanke spoke to around 100 people within the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA - formerly NHS Test and Trace) evaluation and policy research unit) at a fortnightly evidence working group presentation. The audience was mainly UKHSA and Department of Health evaluation and/or analyst staff, among other government researchers from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England. The meetings act as a forum for sharing key studies and works of interest, which helps to inform both our research and engagement activities on the COVID-19 response.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to the International Public Policy Observatory (IPPO) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact PI Iyiola Solanke spoke to IPPO, a body funded by UKRI/ESRC to provide an overview of COVID-policies, synthesising the best available research, data and evidence from a network of academics and policy makers in over 100 countries, to help guide decision-makers grappling with the social dimensions of the pandemic.

The purpose of this roundtable was to understand the key facts, data and issues of COVID inequality to narrow down topics for a detailed rapid evidence review to assist policy stakeholders across the UK, including in devolved administrations. We are specifically looking for feedback and thoughts on 'what the unequal impacts of COVID-19 have been on the UK Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) population.'
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation to the Yorkshire Urban Rural Social Work Teaching Partnership World Social Work Day Lecture - Leaving No One Behind 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Anna Gupta - presentation for Yorkshire Urban Rural Social Work Teaching Partnership World Social Work Day Lecture - Leaving No One Behind - 14th March 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Presentation: 'Voicing the need for culturally responsive support: How Black and Asian youth have navigated pandemic related change in the UK' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Teresa Peres - presentation at the British Sociological Association conference - 'Voicing the need for culturally responsive support: How Black and Asian youth have navigated pandemic related change in the UK' - April 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Telling Untold Pandemic Stories through Art - Black History Month Public Engagement event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Co-POWeR WP4 on Physical Activity and Nutrition (OG, MS) hosted a public engagement online activity to mark Black History Month at the University of Southampton (14th of October 2021). This was in collaboration with WP5 on Creative Narratives (AT, RK, FA, WB). The activity included: 1) a creative video developed by OG to provide details about the project to public attendees in a simple and engaging way; 2) a creative activity called Rainbow of Wishes (led by AT), where participants shared what the pandemic felt like to them through story telling approaches and; 3) a creative conversation session where questions about the research project were posed and answered. A feedback poll was completed by 17 attendees and the activity had an overall rating of 87.3%. As a result of this activity, a person from an underrepresented group volunteered to take part in the project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description The Impact of the Hostile Environment on Child Citizens During the COVID Pandemic 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Claudia Bernard and Iyiola Solanke - talk to the Social Scientists Against the Hostile Environment network, entitled 'The Impact of the Hostile Environment on Child Citizens During the COVID Pandemic' - 15th March 2021
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description The impact of COVID on BAME young people 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Claudia Bernard, Anita Sharma and Teresa Peres - Goldsmiths, University of London Research Café -'The impact of COVID on BAME young people' - 2nd February 2022
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Transformative action workshop hosted by Work Package 4 on Physical Activity and Nutrition 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This transformative action workshop (hybrid meeting, 27th July 2022) was organised to officially wrap up public facing activities on the 'Physical Activity and Nutrition Co-POWeR work package. The aim was to give an overview of research findings and recommendations and to kick-start those recommendations being transformed into action through joint efforts by the government, community, and relevant stakeholders and practitioners. The Research Fellow gave a presentation on project methods, findings and recommendations, followed by a Question and Answer session. A discussion and reflection session was then held to identify what stakeholders and practitioners could do within their health promoting settings to implement some of the recommendations. The workshop ended with a commitment sharing section.
This workshop increased the visibility of the project's efforts on a national and community level. Stakeholders and practitioners present also committed to focus on empowering and enabling smaller community-based groups to deliver programmes and interventions to address the problem of reaching underserved communities.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust 'One Voice BAME Network' presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust 'One Voice BAME Network' presentation (virtual, 9th of June 2021. This network is for interested members of staff from Black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds. The Research Fellow (OG) gave a presentation on behalf of Co-POWeR Project Work Package 4 (WP4) on Physical Activity and Nutrition. This raised awareness of the project within the network. They also posted an internal message on their webpage and tweeted about the project. This resulted in the recruitment of two community engagement representatives to the Co-POWeR project.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Workshop: 'Payment for Involvement in Research: focus on Asian, Black and ethnic minorities, and welfare benefits' 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The problem:
A major barrier to members of the public getting involved in research is the misconception that public involvement in research is work/employment. For example, some organisations that do not understand and consider this as work ask if they should tax payments at source. Organisations can be risk-averse, so the way they deal with payments can result in them not paying people fairly or in a timely manner.
The processes for paying for involvement in research are complex and vary according to employment status. Staff in job centres who misunderstand research involvement as being work can disadvantage those on benefits. Organisations and UK research as a whole are missing out on hearing people's voices, particularly those on benefits, who are excluded due to these complex systems and misunderstandings.
This Co-produced Workshop had two purposes: a. Educate the public and researchers about the regulations on payment for involvement in research to enable greater inclusivity in research and informed choices; b. Explore what value Co-POWeR could add to an existing group (Five Nations Payment Project group) aiming to make payment for involvement in research simpler and fairer. Potentially, Co-POWeR could help make involvement of public contributors in research more inclusive by bringing perspectives from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
The Workshop was organised by a team of five Community Engagement (CE) Partners, the Co-POWeR CE Co-ordinator and two reserchers. The guest speaker and Workshop facilitator was SB (Senior Public Involvement Manager, NIHR Centre for Engagement and Dissemination)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022