GroundsWell: Community-engaged and Data-informed Systems Transformation of Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: Centre for Public Health
Abstract
There is strong evidence that natural environments within urban areas, such as parks, woodlands, lakes and beaches, have positive impacts on health. These urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) could be huge assets for protecting and equalising health if they were available, accessible, valued and well-used, particularly by less advantaged groups. The problem is that they are not. This is largely because the many policies, organisations and communities involved in designing, creating, managing, promoting, maintaining and using UGBS are disconnected. Also, the voices of less advantaged communities that UGBS could be helping most are either not heard or not persuasive. Perhaps as a consequence, those communities are much less likely to benefit from these spaces. We know that the UGBS we have are not the UGBS we need to make the best possible contribution to better and more equal health. GroundsWell aims to change that. We propose a new partnership - researchers working together with communities and those who currently create and control UGBS, to plan, design and manage it better so that it benefits everyone, especially those who need it most.
The main research will take place in three cities - Belfast, Edinburgh and Liverpool. These have sufficient similarities (such as large and diverse low-income communities) but also distinct features (such as geography and culture) making them, collectively, an ideal laboratory. Each city already has policies and programmes in place to improve UGBS, but there is much room for improvement. GroundsWell will take a systems approach. This means understanding the multiple and interconnecting components of policy-making, practice, perception and people which together affect the presence, location, character and use of UGBS. It also means working to transform the system so that the components function together. To do this, GroundsWell will mix co-development of new theoretical frameworks, novel data science including simulation, health economics and policy analysis, but at its heart will be community engagement and partnership. We will develop and use meaningful community engagement, co-production and citizen science to understand the system, identify how and where it is broken, and co-create solutions. We anticipate interventions aimed at how the UGBS system operates, and small-scale interventions around actual spaces and their use.
Data play an important part in understanding systems. GroundsWell will develop an accessible, trustworthy and policy-relevant system to collate, collect, house and share data on UGBS across the three cities. These data will be used to help the whole Consortium understand the UGBS there, identify possible interventions, and then assess whether they work, for whom and why, creating feedback loops to help us continually monitor, learn and adapt what we do. Novel simulation approaches will also be used to suggest interventions, and in particular what could be effective beyond the three cities. Health economics will suggest what would be best value for money.
An important part of putting actions and solutions in place is understanding if they work (or not). Evaluation of our actions and the Consortium as a whole will be undertaken in partnership with our communities, drawing on the new data system we establish, and enabling them to directly see whether and how the process has benefited them. In particular, we will assess and share our impacts on health inequalities. We are realistic about the likely scale of our impacts. Small actions within existing UGBS and local communities are unlikely to affect population level health and inequalities within our funded period. That is why we are going to focus on improving the UGBS system as a whole, laying foundations for long-term benefits. We know that the use and enjoyment of UGBS is something that adults pass on to their children. If GroundsWell can improve and equalise the role of UGBS, it will achieve a lasting impact.
The main research will take place in three cities - Belfast, Edinburgh and Liverpool. These have sufficient similarities (such as large and diverse low-income communities) but also distinct features (such as geography and culture) making them, collectively, an ideal laboratory. Each city already has policies and programmes in place to improve UGBS, but there is much room for improvement. GroundsWell will take a systems approach. This means understanding the multiple and interconnecting components of policy-making, practice, perception and people which together affect the presence, location, character and use of UGBS. It also means working to transform the system so that the components function together. To do this, GroundsWell will mix co-development of new theoretical frameworks, novel data science including simulation, health economics and policy analysis, but at its heart will be community engagement and partnership. We will develop and use meaningful community engagement, co-production and citizen science to understand the system, identify how and where it is broken, and co-create solutions. We anticipate interventions aimed at how the UGBS system operates, and small-scale interventions around actual spaces and their use.
Data play an important part in understanding systems. GroundsWell will develop an accessible, trustworthy and policy-relevant system to collate, collect, house and share data on UGBS across the three cities. These data will be used to help the whole Consortium understand the UGBS there, identify possible interventions, and then assess whether they work, for whom and why, creating feedback loops to help us continually monitor, learn and adapt what we do. Novel simulation approaches will also be used to suggest interventions, and in particular what could be effective beyond the three cities. Health economics will suggest what would be best value for money.
An important part of putting actions and solutions in place is understanding if they work (or not). Evaluation of our actions and the Consortium as a whole will be undertaken in partnership with our communities, drawing on the new data system we establish, and enabling them to directly see whether and how the process has benefited them. In particular, we will assess and share our impacts on health inequalities. We are realistic about the likely scale of our impacts. Small actions within existing UGBS and local communities are unlikely to affect population level health and inequalities within our funded period. That is why we are going to focus on improving the UGBS system as a whole, laying foundations for long-term benefits. We know that the use and enjoyment of UGBS is something that adults pass on to their children. If GroundsWell can improve and equalise the role of UGBS, it will achieve a lasting impact.
Technical Summary
Urban environments are powerful contexts that influence lifelong health and wellbeing. They are not consistently nor equitably beneficial for communities, driving social inequalities in non-communicable disease (NCD). Our interdisciplinary researchers, collaborating with stakeholders and citizens, will use urban green/blue spaces (UGBS) as an exemplar to optimise innovative systems-based approaches that work with, and for, communities at high risk of NCD. We will transform systems and community approaches to create urban environments optimising health and co-benefits, while reducing inequalities. Initiating a step change in inclusive research and policy, we work towards the democratisation of research and evidence use. Communities as partners will enable delivery of optimal solutions to inform and innovate action on health inequalities and NCD prevention. Whole system mechanisms of action will be determined through interconnected work packages: 1) co-developing a systems-oriented framework of how UGBS impacts NCD; 2) agent-based modelling to simulate complex adaptive systems to explore how UGBS transformations will reduce inequalities; 3) working with communities and stakeholders to co-develop and evaluate local UGBS interventions using citizen science approaches; 4) curating a shared data repository with UGBS features valued by policy and communities, developing health and NCD indicators at multiple scales to inform and evaluate UGBS interventions; 5) generating evidence on economic impacts of UGBS interventions; 6) identifying pragmatic, systems-level actions to improve policy- and decision-making for equity and sustainability; 7) implementing a stakeholder-informed impact strategy. Our cross-cutting health inequalities theme will embed the consideration of inequalities throughout GroundsWell. Groundswell will be shaped and developed in 3 pioneer cities (Belfast, Edinburgh, Liverpool), with embedded translational mechanisms to ensure UK-wide and global reach.
Organisations
- Queen's University Belfast (Lead Research Organisation, Project Partner)
- Administrative Data Research Centre for Northern Ireland (Collaboration)
- Translink (Belfast) (Collaboration)
- groundWork (Collaboration)
- EastSide Partnership (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- NHS Scotland (Collaboration)
- University College Cork (Collaboration)
- Street Fit Scotland (Collaboration)
- Teagasc (Collaboration)
- THE CYRENIANS LTD (Collaboration)
- Public Health Agency (PHA) (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW (Collaboration)
- Belfast Healthy Cities (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Collaboration)
- Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- LIVERPOOL CITY REGION COMBINED AUTHORITY (Collaboration)
- BELFAST CITY COUNCIL (Collaboration)
- BELFAST HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE TRUST (Collaboration)
- The Mersey Forest (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Sustrans (Collaboration)
- World Health Organization (WHO) (Collaboration)
- City of Edinburgh Council (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- University of Manchester (Collaboration)
- Department for Infrastructure (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Greenspace Scotland (Collaboration)
- AGRI-FOOD AND BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE (Collaboration)
- Changes Community Health Project (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Colorado State University (Collaboration)
- National University of Ireland, Maynooth (Collaboration)
- Scottish Government (Project Partner)
- Public Health Agency (Project Partner)
- Global Innovation Institute (Project Partner)
- Liverpool City Council (Project Partner)
- Wirral Council (Project Partner)
- Greenspace Scotland (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Cycling UK (Project Partner)
- NatureScot (Scottish Natural Heritage) (Project Partner)
- University of Liverpool (Project Partner)
- Ashton Community Trust (Project Partner)
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust (Project Partner)
- Climate Northern Ireland (Project Partner)
- University of Bristol (Project Partner)
- Aecom (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Resilient Belfast (Project Partner)
- Heath and Social Care (HSCNI) (Project Partner)
- Translink (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- University of Glasgow (Project Partner)
- Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnrshp (Project Partner)
- Health Data Research UK (Project Partner)
- Sustrans (Project Partner)
- The Scottish Forestry Trust (Project Partner)
- Newcastle City Council (Project Partner)
- Anaeko (Project Partner)
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (Project Partner)
- Belfast Innovation Team (Project Partner)
- Warrington Borough Council (Project Partner)
- Spotteron Gmbh | Citizen Science Platfor (Project Partner)
- Liverpool Health Partners (Project Partner)
- Carlisle City Council (Project Partner)
- Public Health Scotland (Project Partner)
- Regenerus (Project Partner)
- The Paul Hogarth Company (Project Partner)
- Glasgow Centre for Population Health (Project Partner)
- Belfast City Council (Project Partner)
- National Institute for Health Research (Project Partner)
- NHS Liverpool CCG (Project Partner)
- Moai Digital Ltd (Project Partner)
- Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Project Partner)
- Economic and Social Research Council (Project Partner)
- HDRUK Wales and Northern Ireland (Project Partner)
Publications
Tate C
(2022)
The Contribution of Urban Green and Blue Spaces to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals: An Evidence Gap Map
in SSRN Electronic Journal
Slevin, A.
(2022)
'What next for NI's first Climate Change Bill?
Slevin, A.
(2023)
Journal Article: Climate, Communities, and Capitalism: Critically imagining and co-creating pathways for a sustainable Ireland'
in Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review
Slevin, A.
(2022)
'Collaboration key to NI's first Climate Change Act'
Rahtz E
(2023)
What is known about what works in community-involved decision-making relating to urban green and blue spaces? A realist review protocol
in Systematic Reviews
Hunter RF
(2023)
Advancing urban green and blue space contributions to public health.
in The Lancet. Public health
| Description | Active Travel Grant |
| Amount | £18,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Sustrans |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Active Travel Grant |
| Amount | £18,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Sustrans |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| Description | Department for Economy Northern Ireland - 6 leveraged PhD studentships |
| Amount | £360,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2022 |
| End | 09/2026 |
| Description | Department for the Economy PhD studentship - leveraged (mental ill-health) |
| Amount | £60,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 10/2023 |
| End | 09/2026 |
| Description | ERSC Social Science Festival |
| Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| Description | ESRC Festival of Science - Climate Action - Belfast, Nov 22 |
| Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | ESRC Festival of Science - intergenerational time capsule, Belfast, Nov 2022 |
| Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | GroundsWell consortium - Opportunity-led Award (QUB) |
| Amount | £516,846 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | COM/5634/20 |
| Organisation | Northern Ireland HSC R&D |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2022 |
| End | 03/2026 |
| Description | Health Data Research UK (HDR UK): UKRI Innovation/Rutherford Fund Fellowship |
| Amount | £195,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | STL/5528/19 |
| Organisation | Public Health Agency (PHA) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2019 |
| End | 08/2023 |
| Description | Researcher Links Challenge Pize UK - Germany |
| Amount | £9,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| Description | Researcher Links Challenge Prize UK-Germany |
| Amount | £9,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Scottish Research Programme |
| Amount | £19,250 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Sustrans |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | University of Edinburgh - Travel Grant |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2022 |
| Description | UoE Community Grant |
| Amount | £5,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2022 |
| Title | Our OutDoors - part of it is a psychometric assessment of how people feel in outdoor spaces |
| Description | Our Outdoors is a citizen science App which aims to find out more about what you and others experience when you are in public spaces such as parks, beaches, canals, and town squares. It was developed by researchers in the Scottish Collaboration of Public Health Research and Practice (SCPRHP) at the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Sustrans, and citizens like yourself. |
| Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Sustrans (https://www.sustrans.org.uk/) is now a major partner, and wishes to use it to characterise its cycle routes and walkways. It will also be used as a measurement and outcome tool for the GroundsWell Consortium |
| URL | https://www.spotteron.com/ouroutdoors/info#%2Finfo |
| Title | Connswater Community Greenway - Causal Loop Diagram |
| Description | We have co-developed a causal loop diagram with stakeholders in Belfast of the impact of the Connswater Community Greenway. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This model has been used to inform the wave 3 evaluation of the Connswater Community Greenway. |
| Title | NCDs and Climate Change |
| Description | We have co-developed a causal loop diagram with the WHO NCD Office and Environment Office detailing the pathways between climate change and NCDs. |
| Type Of Material | Computer model/algorithm |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This work is being written up for publication and further developed as part of a formal working group led by the WHO. |
| Description | Access Place |
| Organisation | NHS Scotland |
| Department | NHS 24 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Started process of co-production and evaluation of greenspace improvements at the Access Place primary care practice. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Offered assistance in accessing facilities, gaining permissions, collaborated on logic model building. |
| Impact | None as yet |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Access Place |
| Organisation | The Cyrenians Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Started process of co-production and evaluation of greenspace improvements at the Access Place primary care practice. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Offered assistance in accessing facilities, gaining permissions, collaborated on logic model building. |
| Impact | None as yet |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Administrative Data Research Centre (ADRC) NI |
| Organisation | Administrative Data Research Centre for Northern Ireland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Regular discussions have taken place between the GroundsWell Belfast WP4 team and ADRC-NI re: joint projects. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ADRCNI provide expertise on health and education data sources and access guidance in NI, and UK-wide proposals. |
| Impact | To date, a joint paper has been submitted to Environmental Research Letters exploring the UGBS spatial disparities and health outcomes. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Belfast City Council - Belfast Innovation Team |
| Organisation | Belfast City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell Belfast team have met with Deborah Colville and Ciara Campbell in the Smart Cities team on a number of occasions to discuss potential collaborative opportunities between GroundsWell and their Lighthouse projects. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Innovation Team lead Belfast Smart Cities Lighthouse Projects which are city-wide big data demonstrator projects. |
| Impact | Further discussions re: big data linkage for evaluating the Stranmillis Embankment initiative. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Belfast City Council - Resilient Cities team |
| Organisation | Belfast City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter has met with Mura Quigley and Richard McLernon from the Belfast City Council Resilient City team on 22nd June, 26th July and 23rd Sept 2022 to discuss collaborative projects such as co-design of the Belfast Million Trees project with the GroundsWell team in Belfast. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Belfast City Council are leading the development and implementation of the Belfast Million Trees project. |
| Impact | Further discussions are planned. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Belfast Healthy Cities |
| Organisation | Belfast Healthy Cities |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell team have meet with Belfast Healthy Cities on many occasions. Prof Ruth Hunter is an executive board member of Belfast Healthy Cities, and GroundsWell in Belfast are partners in the Greening the City programme, co-delivered with Belfast Healthy Cities. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Belfast Healthy Cities co-lead WP7, lead on the development of the GroundsWell Ambassador programme, and co-lead the joint partnership model, Greening the City in Belfast. |
| Impact | A draft action plan and terms of reference for the Greening the City programme has been developed. This is part of the WHO Phase VII Healthy Cities programme. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Belfast Urban Greenway |
| Organisation | Belfast City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell team in Belfast met with Cailie Persic, Martin O'Neill and Chris McNaney from Belfast City Council Parks and Leisure team to introduce GroundsWell and discuss possible support that we can provide for co-design and evaluation of the Belfast Urban Greenway building on our extensive knowledge and expertise from the Connswater Community Greenway. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Belfast City Council are leading on the development of the Belfast Urban Greenway as part of the Belfast Bolder Vision programme. |
| Impact | Further meetings have taken place re: the potential role of GroundsWell to collect baseline data for the Belfast Urban Greenway project. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | CHANGES |
| Organisation | CHANGES Community Health Project |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We are working closely with CHANGES to identify areas where we can add benefit in helping them either evaluate their work or develop and evaluate new interventions |
| Collaborator Contribution | CHANGES have been a partner in the original Consortium proposal and were very active in the community conversations which took place during our Consortium Development Grant phase. We are currently working with them to see how they can help us test out the citizen science App and also the standardised outcome measures. We also hope that in the future we can develop and test interventions with them |
| Impact | We have worked for many years with CHANGES which is a community health project specifically working with people with mental health issues |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | City of Edinburgh Council |
| Organisation | City of Edinburgh Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell researchers have attended a number of events with CoEC and invited representatives to our Hub meetings. We have also hosted events to link this organisation with other UGBS stakeholders of their interest. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided various examples of UGBS and health case studies and overview of CoEC GS policies. |
| Impact | Overview of key projects; contacts; field work staff |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Collaboration to add new module |
| Organisation | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We are working together to develop another domain to add into the app that considers the quality of the space |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have developed the domains |
| Impact | None as yet |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Colorado State University [Team Science] |
| Organisation | Colorado State University |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Prof Jeni Cross, Colorado State university is a partner on GroundsWell leading on embedding principles of Team Science throughout the Consortium. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our collaborators have provided training and intellectual input regarding Team Science and Leadership training. |
| Impact | Prof Jeni Cross was a collaborator on our Stage 2 UKPRP consortium application, and has continued to work with the team embedding principles of Team Science across the consortium, including leadership training, developing a shared language, facilitating our 1st in- person consortium workshop and conducting a social network analysis across the consortium. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Consultant Public Health Nurses across the NI Health and Social Care Trusts |
| Organisation | Belfast Health and Social Care Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter and Prof Frank Kee have met with Catherine Magennis, a consultant Public Health Nurse in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust to discuss possible collaborative opportunities for UGBS interventions/policies and NCD prevention, which is a central remit of their work on 2 Aug 2022. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each Health and Social Care Trust has just appointed a consultant public health nurse to work specifically on NCD prevention. |
| Impact | Further discussions have taken place re: provision of public health training on systems science to the consultants. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Cyrenians |
| Organisation | The Cyrenians Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell researchers have discussed the potential of the project to assist Cyrenians evaluate their work, particularly re individuals experiencing homelessness |
| Collaborator Contribution | Offered access to UGBS interventions for evaluation. Provided examples of successful community working and advice on how best to engage with people experiencing homelessness. |
| Impact | Health and well-being data; access to marginalised groups |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Department for Infrastructure - NI Greenways Strategy |
| Organisation | Department for Infrastructure |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell team in Belfast met with Liz Loughran (Head of Planning, DfI) and Andrew Grieve (Head of the Walking/Cycling Unit, DfI) to introduce GroundsWell and discuss possible opportunities for GroundsWell to support the implementation and evaluation of the NI Greenways Strategy. |
| Collaborator Contribution | DfI are leading a £100m investment in new UGBS infrastructure across NI. |
| Impact | Further discussions have taken place, and small pilot projects identified. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | EU Go Green Routes (GGR) consortium |
| Organisation | Maynooth University |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell members have provided presentations at the GGR Academy and Autumn School. Discussions are taking place led by Prof Ruth Hunter about possible future collaborations and training opportunities with the GGR consortium. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Maynooth University lead the EU GGR consortium. |
| Impact | GroundsWell members have provided presentations at the GGR Academy and Autumn School. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | EU UPSURGE - Belfast City Council |
| Organisation | Belfast City Council |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell team members in Belfast have attended co-design workshops for a new redevelopment site at the Stranmillis Embankment. GroundsWell are providing expertise on public health intervention design and evaluation for the nature-based solution site. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Belfast City Council have received funding from the EU UPSURGE project to design the nature-based solution site. |
| Impact | A co-designed NBS site report. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | EastSide Partnership |
| Organisation | EastSide Partnership |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Members of the QUB team have over 12 years experience partnering with EastSide Partnership. We bring expertise in intervention co-design and evaluation, and natural experiment of the Connswater Community Greenway wave 3 (5 year follow-up). The QUB team are also working closely with EastSide Partnership re: the GoEastSide webinar series, co-design of interventions of UGBS for sustainability and use of greening at conflict interfaces. |
| Collaborator Contribution | EastSide Partnership chair the GroundsWell community steering committee and provide expertise re: development of greenways and community engagement. |
| Impact | 12 year natural experiment evaluating the public health impact of the Connswater Community Greenway including supporting many stakeholder and community engagement activities. |
| Start Year | 2009 |
| Description | Edinburgh & Lothian Health Foundation |
| Organisation | Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell researchers have attended a number of events with ELHF and invited representatives to our Hub meetings and provided opportunities to discuss various UGBS projects in the city. We have also hosted events to link this organisation with other UGBS stakeholders of their interest. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provided various insights on emerging trends in UGBS policy and research. |
| Impact | Overview of key projects; contacts; field work staff |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GALLANT - NERC funded consortium |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter met with the PI (Prof Jaime Toney) from the NERC-funded Glasgow as a Living Lab Accelerating Novel Transformation (GALLANT) consortium re: possible future collaborative projects in the areas of systems science methods and city dialogues re: UGBS for climate action. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof Jaime Toney is the PI of the GALLANT consortium. |
| Impact | Further discussions are planned re: collaborative opportunities, particularly in the application of the systems science methods. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Greening the City Partnership Model |
| Organisation | Belfast Healthy Cities |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell team in Belfast have formed a formal partnership with Belfast Healthy Cities to co-deliver the Greening the City programme, a WHO PHASE VII Healthy Cities programme. Prof Ruth Hunter co-chairs the partnership. The partnership involves members from Belfast City Council, Department for Infrastructure, EastSide Partnership, Department for Communities, Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland Environment Link, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, RSPB NI, West Belfast Partnership, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners provide expertise on UGBS and fed into the joint action plan. |
| Impact | Agreed Terms of Reference and Action Plan. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Greenspace Scotland |
| Organisation | Greenspace Scotland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell researchers have opened communication pathways between GS Scotland and other key UGBS stakeholders . |
| Collaborator Contribution | Attendance at key events. Various contributions including GS data, policy overviews and general guidance. |
| Impact | Overview of key projects; contacts; field work staff |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Groundwork Collaboration |
| Organisation | Groundwork |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Pete Dixon attended a meeting to establish if there were synergies between Groundwork and GroundsWell. There is a lot of synergy with the work undertaken by various groups within and aligned to ARC NWC and GroundsWell. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Potential for work in Merseyside as well as planned work on the PeaceLine in Belfast to link with the GroundsWell project - potential to link in with Work Package 3 Community Innovation, co-production and citizenscience for Urban Green Blue Interventions and Work Package 4 Developing a dynamic data repository for pioneer cities to evidence system-wide benefits of UGBS interventions. |
| Impact | Groundwork would like to become more involved in projects such as nature-based therapy for hospital patients and its continuation in the community once they are discharged. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | HEA North-South research programme grant [Strand II] - CREATE |
| Organisation | Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter is the work package lead and Dr Leandro Garcia co-investigator for the Strand II application entitled "Shared Sustainable Future: Combining Renewable Energy Technologies for Net-Zero Solutions for Agriculture, Heavy Transport and Enterprise (CREATE)" - awaiting outcome. The work package explores the public and planetary health impacts of net-zero solutions, including green and blue space policies. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UCC are the lead administrative partner for the application, and led the overall bid. The various named partners provided policy and practice expertise. |
| Impact | Submitted application to the HEA North-South funding scheme. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | HEA North-South research programme grant [Strand II] - CREATE |
| Organisation | Teagasc |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter is the work package lead and Dr Leandro Garcia co-investigator for the Strand II application entitled "Shared Sustainable Future: Combining Renewable Energy Technologies for Net-Zero Solutions for Agriculture, Heavy Transport and Enterprise (CREATE)" - awaiting outcome. The work package explores the public and planetary health impacts of net-zero solutions, including green and blue space policies. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UCC are the lead administrative partner for the application, and led the overall bid. The various named partners provided policy and practice expertise. |
| Impact | Submitted application to the HEA North-South funding scheme. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | HEA North-South research programme grant [Strand II] - CREATE |
| Organisation | University College Cork |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter is the work package lead and Dr Leandro Garcia co-investigator for the Strand II application entitled "Shared Sustainable Future: Combining Renewable Energy Technologies for Net-Zero Solutions for Agriculture, Heavy Transport and Enterprise (CREATE)" - awaiting outcome. The work package explores the public and planetary health impacts of net-zero solutions, including green and blue space policies. |
| Collaborator Contribution | UCC are the lead administrative partner for the application, and led the overall bid. The various named partners provided policy and practice expertise. |
| Impact | Submitted application to the HEA North-South funding scheme. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Liverpool City Region Authority |
| Organisation | Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are currently leading a development of a large scale improvement to bus networks in Liverpool. One strand of this project involves a new green bus network and green infrastructure from South Liverpool to Liverpool City Centre. GroundsWell will evaluate the health and well-being impact of this project with a particular focus on NCD risk. GroundsWell researchers will also provide training in and assist in promoting the use of Our Outdoors (a citizen science tool), which LCRCA intend to use to gather data on perceptions of well-being in and around the new bus route. |
| Collaborator Contribution | LCRCA have provided internal overviews of their bus route plans and have provided approx. 30 hours of staff time to support meetings with GroundsWell this year. |
| Impact | The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are currently leading a development of a large scale improvement to bus networks in Liverpool. One strand of this project involves a new green bus network and green infrastructure from South Liverpool to Liverpool City Centre. GroundsWell will evaluate the health and well-being impact of this project with a particular focus on NCD risk. GroundsWell researchers will also provide training in and assist in promoting the use of Our Outdoors (a citizen science tool), which LCRCA intend to use to gather data on perceptions of well-being in and around the new bus route. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Public Health Agency - Relink project |
| Organisation | Public Health Agency (PHA) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter met with Dr Frances Dowds and David Tumilty from the Public Health Agency on 25 May 2022 to discuss possible collaborative opportunities between GroundsWell and the Relink (greening of bridges for mental health improvement) project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Public Health Agency commissioned the co-design work for the Relink project. |
| Impact | Further discussions are planned to further develop the evaluation work. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Street Fit Scotland |
| Organisation | Street Fit Scotland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | GroundsWell research team members have engaged with the organisation and shared proposed research plans and community engagement activities that will likely involve the organisation this coming year |
| Collaborator Contribution | CEO of Street Fit Scotland has met with a member of the research team to discuss potential for SFS to be involved in GroundsWell |
| Impact | advice on recruiting vulnerable groups to resaerch (homeless) |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Sustrans |
| Organisation | Sustrans |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | "A number of GroundsWell researchers had previously worked with Sustrans and Sustrans were a supporter of the initial GroundsWell funding bid. This partnership has been extended further over the last year and a number of research projects have been planned. GroundsWell will assist in the development of a strategy for Sustrans to evaluate projects in Edinburgh related to green space interventions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Sustrans have allocated staff time to engage closely with GroundsWell in evaluation related work in Work Package 3 and attend Edinburgh Hub meetings where overviews of projects and suggestions on the direction of GroundsWell have been provided. |
| Impact | Hub attendance |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | The Mersey Forest Advisory Group |
| Organisation | The Mersey Forest |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Advisory Group for their Planning Refresh in 2022 onwards TTMF have emphasised the need to have funds to pay for social prescribing activities. Including green gym leaders or yoga teachers, or sustainable gardening leaders. Or to buy materials (e.g. planters, compost, hall hire) to create the activities to be prescribed to. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof Rodgers and the team ensured that there is funding for the time of Clare Olver to be recompensed written into the GroundsWell application. Additionally, we added in a community innovation fund for £20,000 in each city. The rules for applying to this fund will be created within our Community Stakeholder Group meeting. |
| Impact | Invited to become member of Advisory Group |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Translink |
| Organisation | Translink (Belfast) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell Belfast team are working with GroundsWell re: programmes, including UGBS, to support public transport use and mixed mode use with Damien Bannon. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Translink are co-developing plans to connect cycle and footpath networks with public transport routes. |
| Impact | Discussion have def into a citizen jury taking place on 8-9th Oct and a future plenary discussion on 18th Nov 2022. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UKPRP SIPHER consortium |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Prof Ruth Hunter met with Prof Petra Meier (PI of the SIPHER consortium) on 6th June 2022 to discuss possible collaborative opportunities between the GroundsWell and SIPHER consortia, particularly in the area of systems science methods. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Prof Petra Meier is PI of the SIPHER consortium and an expert in systems science applications in public health. |
| Impact | Further discussions are planned re: collaborative opportunities. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | University of Manchester - Wellcome Trust Fellowship application |
| Organisation | University of Manchester |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Members of the GroundsWell team in Belfast are supporting a postdoc researcher from the University of Manchester in the development of a fellowship application to the Wellcome Trust. This wok includes the use of video imagery to capture use and issues of safety in UGBS, and partners with the Connswater Community Greenway as a test site. |
| Collaborator Contribution | University of Manchester is leading the funding application. |
| Impact | A funding application will be submitted in October 2022. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | WHO Collaborating Centre on Complexity Science and Network Science for NCD prevention and control |
| Organisation | World Health Organization (WHO) |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | QUB have formally been awarded WHO Collaborating Centre status in Complexity Science and Network Science for NCD prevention and control. The WHO Collaborating Centre is directed by Prof Ruth Hunter, and includes GroundsWell team members Dr Leandro Garcia, Prof Mike Clarke, Prof Ciaran O'Neill and Prof Frank Kee. |
| Collaborator Contribution | This is a 4-year collaborative programme including research, training and capacity building activities. |
| Impact | QUB have formally been awarded WHO Collaborating Centre status in Complexity Science and Network Science for NCD prevention and control. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Title | OurOutdoors |
| Description | https://www.spotteron.com/ouroutdoors/info#%2Finfo Our Outdoors is a citizen science project which aims to find out more about what you and others experience when you are in public spaces such as parks, beaches, canals, and town squares. It was developed by researchers in the Scottish Collaboration of Public Health Research and Practice (SCPRHP) at the University of Edinburgh in partnership with Sustrans, and citizens like yourself. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | Is now part of the measures and tools used in GroundsWell Consortium. It is currently being updated and further piloted. |
| URL | https://www.spotteron.com/ouroutdoors/info#%2Finfo |
| Description | 'Making peace with people, planet and place' seminar, 23rd Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell team were invited to speak and attend the Belfast City Council led seminar on 'Making peace with people, planet and place' 23rd Sept 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | 49th Spanish National Congress of Parks and Public Gardens (PARJAP) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 'Healthy Parks and Open Space: the Salutogenic Environment'. Invited keynote to 49th Spanish National Congress of Parks and Public Gardens (PARJAP) on theme of 'Parks and Gardens - Natural Health Systems', Asociación Española de Parques y Jardines Públicos (AEPJP), Madrid 2023, 15-17th February 2023. Presented to an international (but mostly Spanish) audience of c. 200 parks, gardens and public open space planners and managers, public authority representatives and a few academics. https://twitter.com/AEPJP/status/1625957285775257601 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.aepjp.es/parjap-2023/ |
| Description | AI at Queen's (AIQ) seminar - 2nd Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter was invited to provide a seminar on the use of satellite and imagery data to capture urban green and blue space metrics to a multi-disciplinary, cross-faculty audience of over 30 researchers from computer science, maths, physics, philosophy, economics, public health. This has resulted in further discussions around future grant applications using computer vision techniques. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | BBC Inside Science - 24 November 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Inside Science Interview with BBC Radio 'Inside Science Programme'. Dr Elly King provided an overview of the work of GroundsWell on 24 November 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001fd08 |
| Description | Belfast Hub Meeting - 20th September 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting among researchers to discuss green space and health projects in Belfast and present work being carried out by all parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Belfast Hub Meeting - 21 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting among researchers to discuss green space and health projects in Belfast and present work being carried out by all parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Belfast stakeholder meeting - 6-8 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Large meeting between GroundsWell researchers and 7 key Belfast-based stakeholders (including East Side Partnership and Belfast Healthy Cities). Presented planned action of work for different GroundsWell Work Packages and allowed for input and direction from Stakeholders. Stakeholders also shared opportunities for future research. 6-8 June 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Belfast-Liverpool KE |
| 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 | Meeting held between Eastside Partnership and Wirral Council to exchange knowledge between GroundsWell and staff working on two large infrastructure projects in Belfast and Liverpool. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Belmont Forum - Unlocking the potential of UGBS scoping workshop - 14 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell consortium were invited to attend the Belmont Forum, including small group discussions which help shape future international funding directions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ukri.org/publications/unlocking-the-benefits-of-urban-green-and-blue-spaces/ |
| Description | Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Environments for Mental Wellbeing: Salutogenic Landscapes. Invited talk as part of Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival 2022, organised by Cambridge Public Health, on the theme of 'Climate change - what's health got to do with it?' 14th October 2022. (Presented online to a virtual audience of 6 panellists and 24 academics and policy-makers/advisors.) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://climatechangefestival.zero.cam.ac.uk/ |
| Description | Climate NI seminar - 11 Aug 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter provided a seminar on the GroundsWell consortium and role of UGBS for climate action. The seminar is part of the Climate NI roundtable discussion series and includes attendees from multi-sector organisations. Since the seminar, future discussions have taken place with the Department for Infrastructure and involvement in their £1.4bn Living with Water programme, and Derry and Strabane District Council re: urban farming. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Connswater Community Greenway Group Model Building workshop - 8 Aug 2022 |
| 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 the GroundsWell team hosted a group model building workshop with 18 attendees representing the local community living along the Connswater Community Greenway and multi-sector organisations who have a role in the management and maintenance of the greenway. The workshop helped co-develop a causal loop diagram representing the impact of the greenway. The workshop discussions and outputs have helped inform our wave 3 evaluation (including new measures on biodiversity and social identity) and identification of priority actions to inform future co-designed interventions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Connswater Community Greenway field trip - 6 Oct 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell team will participate in a field trip to the Connswater Community Greenway, hosted by EastSide Partnership. This will provide the team the opportunity to learn more about the greenway and future research needs in the area. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Creating an atlas for environmental change workshop - 6 July 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell team attended the workshop for a MRC-funded project creating an atlas for environmental change, including discussions about the possibility to extend this resource to Northern Ireland. RH has been invited as a member of the project advisory committee. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Cross Cutting Theme on Health Inequalities Steering 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 | Our inaugural steering group meeting brought together representatives from research, policy and practice in the field of greenspace, including colleagues from Public Health Scotland, Greenspace Scotland, Forest Research etc. The meeting aimed to: i) establish our steering group; ii) discuss the wider GroundsWell project and the role of the cross-cutting theme on health inequalities; and iii) provide feedback on a theoretical model exploring factors that drive low and non-use of urban green and blue spaces. The meeting sparked discussion on barriers and facilitators to greenspace for those, in particular, who don't use or have low-use of these spaces. We will continue collaborative discussions in this area to advise on wider applicability and ensure the relevancy of our work. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ERSC Social Science Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Discussed project and objectives with general public at multiple locations across Edinburgh. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | ESRC Festival Event - "Climate Crisis in Conversation" 3rd November 2022 |
| 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 | On 3rd November 2022, the Belfast GroundsWell team, in collaboration with EastSide Partnership, organised a townhall meeting in East Belfast, discussing the climate crisis and how it impacts on the community in East Belfast. Dr Niamh O'Kane gave an overview of the GroundsWell project to kick off the evening, including the role of environmental injustice and inequalities. Jacqueline O'Hagan from EastSide Partnership then provided an overview of EastSide Partnership's role in the community, the Connswater Greenway and the opportunities for climate action it provides. Prof John Barry discussed the climate crisis and highlighted the impact on people's day to day lives. Participants then designed and displayed poster boards on which they were asked to highlight their key concern with regards to the climate crisis. It was a lively evening with lots of discussion on climate change and how GroundsWell might be able to integreate some of the concerns and actions raised by community members. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | EU GoGreenRoutes Academy presentation - 1 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter gave a seminar on the GroundsWell consortium, and the role of UGBS for NCD prevention and reducing health inequalities to the GoGreenRoutes Academy (EU funded consortium re: nature-based solutions). Approx 50 early career researchers across Europe (Ireland, Bulgaria, Sweden, Estonia, France) attended. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | EU GoGreenRoutes Autumn School 10-12 Oct 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter has been invited to attend and present at the EU GoGreenRoutes Autumn School, Maynooth, 10 Oct 22. The audience includes all members of the GoGreenRoutes EU consortium on nature-based solutions from Ireland, Sweden, Bulgaria, France and Estonia. There will also be a working group discussing possible future collaborations with GroundsWell. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Edinburgh Garden Partners |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Short conversation with 4 Edinburgh Garden Partners explaining aims and objectives of GroundsWell and demonstrating Our Outdoors Citizen Science App at Saughton Park. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Edinburgh Hub Meeting #1 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting between researchers and 8 policy makers to discuss green space and health projects in Edinburgh and present work being carried out by all parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Edinburgh Hub Meeting #2 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting between researchers and 8 policy makers to discuss green space and health projects in Edinburgh and present work being carried out by all parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Edinburgh Lothian Green Space Event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Invited to contribute to policymakers event in Edinburgh to discuss and promote GroundsWell project and build connections. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Engagement with GPs from Liverpool Medical Council |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Meeting with members of the Liverpool Medical Council to discuss GroundsWell's data needs and ability to help patients Prof Rodgers and Craig McDougal met with two members from the Liverpool Medical Council to discuss benefits of partnering with GroundsWell. This resulted in general support and an invitation to present at the next formal LMC meeting to get all regional GPs on board. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Engagement with Liverpool Public Health Team |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Sarah and Mark met with the Public health team, presented and were given directions on how to gain access to the GP data needed. They were also advised on who would be useful to engage going forward and what upcoming interventions there were across Liverpool. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Future of UGBS in NI workshop - 4 Oct 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Members of GroundsWell have been invited to attend the Future of UGBS in NI workshop hosted by NI Environment Link (NIEL). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Future of UGBS in NI workshop - 5th Dec 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Ruth Hunter was invited to participate in the second workshop to co-develop a strategic plan led by the Northern Ireland Environment Link on the future of UGBS in NI. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | GoEastside Climate workshop - 7th Oct 2022 |
| 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 | Prof John Barry will lead a workshop, co-hosted with EastSide Partnership, involving a community dialogue around the role of local communities for climate action. The audience includes local community members living along the Connswater Community Greenway. The workshop is a continuation of the GoEastSide webinar series that Prof Ruth Hunder co-hosted with EastSide Partnership during the consortium development phase. The workshop discussions will help shape the future programme of research in partnership with EastSide Partnership and the local community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Greening the City advisory committee - 20th Jan 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter co-chairs the Greening the City advisory committee. This is a joint partnership between QUB and Belfast Healthy Cities, established as part of the GroundsWell consortium. The advisory committee meeting discussions included reviewing the Greening the City Action Plan and Terms of Reference, discussing Green Walking for Health maps, and a Belfast City Council demonstrator project. The committee was attended by partners from policy, implementation and the third sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Greening the City advisory committee - 30 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter co-chairs the Greening the City advisory committee. This is a joint partnership between QUB and Belfast Healthy Cities, established as part of the GroundsWell consortium. The advisory committee meeting discussions included agreeing the terms of reference for the committee and 3 year action plan. The committee was attended by 15 partners from policy, implementation and the 3rd sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Greening the City webinar - 29 March 2022 |
| 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 | Belfast Healthy Cities hosted a webinar series, involving members of the GroundsWell team, providing an overview of the Greening the City programme. This involved speakers from different sectors, and small group discussions which helped shaped the future programme. The Greening the City programme is co-led with QUB (RH) as part of the GroundsWell consortium. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DqLozp9xMo&feature=youtu.be |
| Description | Greening the City workshop - 10th August 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Greening the City workshop led by Belfast Healthy Cities (with input from GroundsWell - Prof Ruth Hunter) - representation from Belfast City Council, Outdoor Recreation NI, EastSide Partnership, WestSide Partnership Board, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, DfI. Discussed priority actions for the Greening the City programme (2022-2025) and generated interest in GroundsWell. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | GroundsWell OPENSpace seminar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The GroundsWell Consortium: Transforming Urban Green and Blue Space for Population Health Exposures to urban green and blue spaces have the potential to positively influence health and wellbeing, particularly in the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, maximising the benefits of such exposures requires that access to such spaces is maximised across society. The GroundsWell consortium aims to use community-engaged and data informed systems transformation of urban green and blue space for the benefit of population health. The consortium consists of seven interlinked work packages, each working towards the collective long-term aim of reducing NCDs through the appropriate utilisation of urban green and blue space. The consortium will consider impacts at both population and individual level, and use approaches such as co-design and citizen science to increase the sustainability of any interventions that are developed within GroundsWell. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Groundswell Blog |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Hannah Burnett wrote a blog for the GroundsWell website discussing the tour of Dock Branch Park in Feb 2023 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.groundswelluk.org/GroundsWellBlog/ATourofDockBranchPark.html |
| Description | How Can We Future Proof The Connswater Greenway? 1st March 2023 |
| 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 | GroundsWell partnered with EastSide Greenways and the Paul Hogarth Company to run a full-day workshop with drop-ins and five structured discussions targeting various groups: community sector, interest groups, professionals and academics, councillors and MLAs, and local businesses. Two primary school classes from a local school also came along. All provided insight into how we can best future-proof the Connswater Community Greenway in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis. We also ran an online survey to gather insights from those unable to attend the event, which captured approximately 200 responses. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Interview on BBC Radio 4 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Discussion about how to improve access to and use of green spaces, particularly for health benefits in areas left behind |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001fd08 |
| Description | Invited seminar - Maynooth University/EU Go Green Routes - 3 March 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Ruth Hunter was invited to give a seminar on environment and health showcasing the GroundsWell consortium at the Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Ireland on 3rd March 2023. There were also discussions re: future collaborations with the EU Go Green Routes consortium. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Joint Public Health Conference - Healthy People, Healthy Planet, 30 Nov 2022 |
| 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 | Prof Ruth Hunter and Prof Frank Kee are invited members of the Joint Public Health Conference - Healthy People, Healthy Planet scientific advisory committee. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Liverpool University Hub Meeting - 17 October 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting between researchers and policy makers ato discuss green space and health projects in Merseyside area and present work being carried out by all parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Liverpool University Hub Meeting - 25 January 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting between researchers and policy makers to discuss green space and health projects in Merseyside area and present work being carried out by all parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | MRC Participatory Systems Mapping workshop - 25 Jan 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell team participated in the workshop developing MRC Participatory Systems Mapping workshop to help inform future guidelines using these methods. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | MRC Updating Natural Experiment guidelines expert workshop - 17 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell team participated in expert panel workshops re: updating the natural experiments MRC guidance. This guidance will help guide future research in the consortium. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Making peace with people, place and planet seminar - 23 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Prof John Barry co-hosted (with Belfast City Council) a half-day seminar and discussion on the role of green and blue spaces to address issues of health, climate, peace and inequalities. Further discussions have taken place re: how GroundsWell can support future work in this area working in partnership with Belfast City Council. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Meeting Architects developing a masterplan for Seacombe "left bank" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Meeting between researchers and policy makers to discuss the masterplan design for the regeneration of Seacombe and how the blue space and health focus can fit into those designs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Mersey Forest Advisory Group Meeting held on 26th September |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Sarah Rodgers represented the GroundsWell Consortium at this Advisory Meeting - she hoped to provide longitudinal data to evidence to Mersey Forest as to whether Poorer communities could be forced out of their areas by rewilding because of "green gentrification" (by linking health and environment data at individual level and household levels via GroundsWell) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Newham Fabian Society panel debate |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk and Q&A session for Panel event organised by Newham Fabian Society, 3rd February 2022 Active Design: Building Healthier Cities. It was advertised as follows: "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us," said Sir Winston Churchill in his speech to the meeting in the House of Lords, October 28, 1943. People have the power to design our built environment. But how we design our homes and cities can also have power over us, from our health to how we socialise. A University of Cambridge study found that about 676,000 deaths each year were down to inactivity, compared with 337,000 from carrying too much weight. He said eliminating inactivity in Europe would cut mortality rates by nearly 7.5%, or 676,000 deaths, but eliminating obesity would cut rates by just 3.6%. So with that in mind, how can we design a healthier, active built environment? Come join us as we find out! On Thursday the 3rd of February Newham Fabians will be joined by Kris Sangani, LCC Trustee and former coordinator for Redbridge LCC, Councillor Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest Council, and Prof Catherine Thompson, Professor of Landscape Architecture. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Poster teaser session on developing and piloting the Our Outdoors citizen science App Urban Transitions congress 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This consisted of a traditional poster presentation preceded by a 2 minute powerpoint presentation about the Our Outdoors citizen science App and its development. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Presentation of Data Asset Request Form to the Data Asset and Access Group/ NHS Cheshire and Merseyside |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Sarah Rodgers presented the project commissioned by Liverpool's City Council and briefly talked about GroundsWell. Request approved to start the process of obtaining access to Combined Intelligence for Population Health (CIPHA) database |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Public engagement at Balmoral Agricultural Show - 11th May 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Niamh O'Kane, Belfast-based science communication officer was involved with the Queen's University Belfast stand at the annual NI Balmoral Agricultural Show. "Body MOTs" were conducted with members of the general public, where they were then engaged in discussion about GroundsWell and the health benefits of urban blue and green space. Key audience was members of the general public but also schools and pupils, and individuals in the food industry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | QUB Planetary Health Winter School: 9-13 Jan 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter is leading a Winter School entitled Transdisciplinary Solutions for Public & Planetary Health, 9-13 Jan 2023. This is an interdisciplinary Public and Planetary Health Summit, designed to stimulate thinking and accelerate key debate on the health impacts of human-caused disruptions of the Earth's natural system. A number of members of GroundsWell (Ruth Hunter, Leandro Garcia, John Barry, Amanda Slevin) and partners including the WHO and NI Human Rights Commission, will present live interactive seminars from areas as diverse as improving human and environmental health, tackling infection and disease, building healthier and sustainable cities using UGBS, addressing health equity issues, and ethics and data challenges. This virtual interdisciplinary event is open to any student across all disciplines studying at any university. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.qub.ac.uk/International/International-students/Studyabroad/mhls-winter-school-2023/ |
| Description | QUB Research Insights seminar series - 22 Feb 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter gave a presentation on the development of the GroundsWell consortium application as part of a research insights seminar series at QUB. Over 50 academics and students across the university attended. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Quench Event held at Anglican Cathedral, 22nd September 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Sarah was one of the Keynote Speakers at the QUENCH Meeting on 22nd September held at the Anglican Cathedral - this event showcased some of the research projects that have emerged from QUENCH and Sarah was given opportunity to introduce GroundsWell'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Research Software Engineering (RSE) in Data and Artificial Intelligence Workshop 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Roberto presented part of his work about using Google Map reviews to better understand the usage of local green spaces, and explore the feasibility of using this information to inform the local authorities about necessary changes in the existing infrastructure. The RSE in Data & AI Workshop provided an excellent opportunity for networking and knowledge exchange. Participants gave talks that highlighted the contribution of RSEs/DRIs (Digital Research Infrastructures) in facilitating Data & AI research, for example: Tools, software, and pipelines developed for applications in data & AI Data stewarding/management Systems for big data Good practices for open and reproducible research Software sustainability and contribution to open source Communicating with academics and industrial partners Training in data science skills." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/research/data-science/warwick-data/news/events/research-software-engineering-w... |
| Description | SLU Landscape Architecture 50th anniversary talk |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Landscape architecture in the 21st century - creating salutogenic environments. Invited keynote presentation to the Landscape Architecture department of Swedish Agricultural University (SLU), as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of their Landscape Architecture Programme, given as part of the 'Landscape Days' event, Alnarp, Sweden,12th-13th October 2022. (C. 40 attendees, mostly faculty of the University). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Stranmillis Embankment (Belfast) co-design workshop - 16 Sept 2022 |
| 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 | 2 members (RH, RW) of the GroundsWell team attended the co-design workshop (n=28 attendees) of the Stranmillis Embankment. This is an area identified by Belfast City Council as a redevelopment site for a nature-based solution. The GroundsWell team are leading on the public health theme of the co-design and evaluation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | UKPRP Communities of Practice |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A number of members of the GroundsWell team are active members of a number of the UKPRP COP, including Systems Development Theme (co-chaired by 2 members of GroundsWell), Impact Theme and Management Theme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| Description | UKPRP Community of Practice presentation - 27 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter gave a presentation to the UKPRP COP introducing the GroundsWell consortium and work conducted to date. The audience included researchers and partners from several other UKPRP consortia and networks. There was discussions around the integration of our systems science methods, team science, data integration and citizen science methods. Connections have since been established with the VISION consortium around potential future collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | UKRI Planetary Health advisory committee |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter was invited to be a member of the UKRI Planetary Health advisory committee since March 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.ukri.org/publications/ukri-planetary-health-workshop-report/ |
| Description | Urban Transitions Conference - Integrating urban and transport planning, environment and health for healthier urban living |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Sarah Rodgers presented a paper on "The impact of exposure and access to green/blue spaces on mental health inequalities: a population-wide dynamic longitudinal panel study with linked survey data" to the Urban Transitions Conference in Sitges, Barcelona on 9th November 2022. Urban Transitions 2022 aimed to promote healthy urban development by bringing together different disciplines working within cities. Meet world leading experts on urban and transport planning, architecture, environmental exposure assessment, environmental epidemiology, physical activity, climate change, and public health and governance to discuss current challenges and solutions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.elsevier.com/events/conferences/urban-transitions/programme |
| Description | VSM verification workshop (Belfast) - 9 Aug 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Members of the GroundsWell team held an expert dialogue meeting with stakeholders involved in the development, management and maintenance of the Connswater Community Greenway to verify the Viable Systems Model (VSM) which details the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders involved at each stage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | WHO Climate Change and NCDs workshop - 1-2 Dec 2022 |
| 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 | Ruth Hunter and Leandro Garcia co-led a workshop with ~40 WHO delegates to co-develop a causal loop diagram detailing the pathways between climate change and NCDs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Website development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Our Outdoors website has been developed and is being updated to share information internationally about the Our Outdoors Citizen Science App. A review of website traffic and Our Outdoors data suggests international engagement. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | invited presentation: AI at QUB - 2nd Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Prof Ruth Hunter was invited to present at the AI at QUB seminar series about AI-related research in the area of health and environment which included showcasing this research project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |