Impact of Keele’s research showcased to MPs and community leaders

The impact of Keele University's research and initiatives in North Staffordshire were demonstrated to parliamentarians and partners from the charity, voluntary and educational sectors in a first-of-its-kind event.

Around 50 people – including Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Adam Jogee and Stoke-on-Trent South MP Allison Gardner – attended the event held at Keele in Town, where they found out more about how Keele’s Institute for Social Inclusion is sharing its expertise and working with partners to support the local community and improve people's lives.

The event featured updates from 12 Keele academics, who are working on projects rooted in the local community. These include: 

• Working collaboratively with Stoke-on-Trent based community interest company Expert Citizens, Dr Phil Catney, a senior lecturer in politics at Keele, has been researching how people with lived experience of issues like homelessness and addiction, seek to have their voices heard and how they can help shape public services. Through a series of workshops and interviews, the collaboration has explored how individuals' personal journeys can inform and improve policymaking;
• More than 2,800 young people have shared their experiences of everyday life and hopes for the future in what is thought to be the largest youth consultation undertaken in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire. Dr Emma Head, a lecturer in sociology at Keele, was a co-author on the project, that involved collaboration between the YMCA North Staffordshire, Keele University and the University of Staffordshire. Ten key recommendations were developed from the project and included the need to improve public spaces, embed life skills into education, and to ensure young people have a voice in local decision-making. The project’s outcomes are informing the work of a new Youth Consultation Taskforce, bringing together organisations from across the region to work with young people for positive change. 

The event also provided an opportunity for Keele academics to discuss future collaborative efforts with partners, aimed at enhancing the well-being of local communities.

Speaking at the event, MP Adam Jogee said: "The work the Institute does helps to bring people together, and that has never been more important than it is now. Keele is a real jewel in the North Staffordshire crown and the research, ideas and ground-breaking work that take places at Keele is something we should all be very proud of."

Professor Helen Parr, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History and Director of the Keele Institute for Social Inclusion, said: "It was fantastic to be able to showcase some of the impactful work that is taking place at Keele through the Institute for Social Inclusion, and demonstrate how we are working closely with partners to respond to some of the challenges facing our local area.

"There is a real sense of momentum now behind a lot of the work we are doing and there were some very positive conversations with our partners on how we can continue working together, to ensure we achieve positive impact in the future for our local communities."

Organisations represented at the event included the Beth Johnson Foundation, the New Vic Theatre, Cheshire East Council, YMCA North Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent College, Emmaus North Staffs and VAST.