From Seed to Impact: The BVSC Research Journey into Community Research
At BVSC Research, we are proud to share our journey in establishing, developing, and growing a vibrant community research activity hub. Our work in this area has empowered residents across Birmingham to take an active role in research that affects their lives and communities. Through collaboration, co-creation, and a commitment to inclusivity, we’ve built a model that is as much about listening and learning as it is about action and impact.
Planting the Seeds of Community Research
The journey began back in 2023, with funding from the Fusion21 Foundation and Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC). This support allowed us to co-create a comprehensive Community Researcher (CR) training programme and recruit our first cohort of community researchers. Together, we piloted training modules that equipped individuals with the tools to conduct research rooted in their lived experiences and local knowledge.
Piloting the course allowed us to seek feedback from the initial cohort of trainees, something that proved invaluable, as their insights shaped the changes we needed to make. Following the feedback workshop, we altered some group activities, the look of the slides and some of the language that we used on the training course. The changes were then signed off by our pilot cohort, submitted to the accreditation centre AIM to be given the Quality Mark, and the training package was complete! Not that we’re resting on our laurels. We’re still tweaking the course as more trainees complete the training, and give us their suggestions for improvement.
Our vision was ambitious but clear: to establish a Community Research Hub where the voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector and the citizens they serve, could actively participate in shaping research agendas, designing projects, and influencing policy decisions.
Growing Stronger Roots
The training programme itself has been a game-changer. Collaborating with a range of academic and community partners, as well as citizens that had completed community research in the past, we co-developed a three-day training course called the Foundations of Community Research. This ensured that participants left the training with valuable, recognised and applicable skills. This training has now achieved the Quality Mark status from AIM. Over time, we have further enhanced the training with additional modules, such as qualitative interview coding and analysis, facilitating focus groups, and creative methods like photo elicitation. These additional training modules have allowed the Community Researchers to develop and expand their skillset and focus on methods and approaches to research that suit their specific learning styles.
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants describe the training as a safe, supportive space where they could grow in confidence, build connections, and become part of a community of practice. Participants have established their own WhatsApp group to stay connected—a small but powerful testament to the sense of belonging fostered during the process.
Piloting Success
Real-world application has been key to demonstrating the value of community research. For example, through the Reach Out Project, we trained our researchers to gather data for BCHC, producing reports that directly informed healthcare services. Similarly, we have been commissioned by Birmingham City Council’s Public Health to deliver a range of community research projects concerned with local public health issues and topics.
Each project reinforced the untapped potential within communities: the skills, expertise, and deep local knowledge that can only emerge when we engage residents as equal partners in research.
Not that it’s all been easy along the way! On only the second day of our initial pilot course, one of the training staff came down with Covid, meaning a member of the Research Team had to step up and co-host the course. This ended up being a blessing in disguise, as they could see firsthand just how comprehensive the course materials were, how engaged the trainees found the course, and just how important tea, coffee and a high calibre of biscuits are to a successful day’s training!
Building a Strong Canopy
Our efforts have informed a long-term vision: the Community Hub for Engagement in Research Practice (CHERP). CHERP aims to create a thriving ecosystem where research is driven by communities, for communities. It’s about fostering collaboration, challenging power imbalances, and ensuring tangible benefits for participants.
The CHERP model emphasises inclusivity, from providing translation services to ensuring participation is accessible to underserved and marginalised groups. Community researchers are fairly compensated for their time (following guidelines from the National Institute for Health & Social Care Research), and the hub will support their continued development through a dedicated website, networking events, further training, and project opportunities.
Looking to the Horizon
We’ve already seen the incredible impact that community research can have. From the Urban Greenroom event, where community researchers led discussions on access to nature, to partnerships with major institutions like Natural England, BVSC Research has demonstrated that community-led inquiry is transformative.
Next, working with colleagues from across academia, the voluntary & community sector and public sector partners (who collectively form the Community Research Advisory Group) we’re co-developing the Principles of Community Research, a Community Research Charter and toolkits to set the standard for best practices in Birmingham. We’re also exploring exciting collaborations with international partners like the University of Michigan’s Urban Research Centre.
How You Can Get Involved
We invite the voluntary and community sector in Birmingham to join us on this journey. Whether you’re an organisation looking to partner on research, a citizen eager to train as a community researcher, or someone interested in seeing the power of community voices in action, there’s a place for you at BVSC Research.
Together, let’s continue to grow this movement, ensuring that research not only represents our communities but also drives meaningful change for everyone.
To read the full blog, click here From Seed to Impact: The BVSC Research Journey into Community Research | Birmingham Voluntary Service Council
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