We are looking for researchers to help us extend our community engagement programme by buddying up with community organisers in their local area, could you help? Our Head of Engagement Ivvet Modinou explains more...

For the last five years, the British Science Association has been building a solid community engagement programme through a series of grants, workshops and leadership schemes. In that time, we have been supporting community organisers to develop and design science engagement that is relevant and responsive to their community’s needs; those communities range from new arrivals to the UK and children with disabilities to people living in rural areas and adults accessing drug recovery services.

From speaking to our community organisers, we notice that they rarely have access to researchers. The appetite to work collaboratively is there, and people are looking for science role models that live locally that they can build into their engagement activities.

If you are from one of the 22 areas below and are interested in being involved, please get in touch at [email protected].

This year, in a new pilot supported by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), we have decided to find those researchers who want to do some deeper engagement with one group in their local area.

We are looking for researchers that live in specific areas to connect with our existing group of Community Leaders. We’ll do the pairing and introductions, and then starting in September we will ask buddy pairs to meet face-to-face (Coronavirus willing) for up to six sessions over a six-month period. What you talk about is up to you; we have no agenda or programme for you to develop.

This is about having access to each other and seeing what that conversation will bring. Perhaps you will go and speak to the group about your work, perhaps you will apply for funding together to develop an idea that you’ve had jointly, perhaps you will learn more about the challenges each of you face which will help guide your work in the future.

The outcome is up to you, but nothing can happen if you don’t know about each other in the first place. Then in March we’ll bring everyone together to a meeting in London where you can share your experiences and learn further from other researchers and Community Leaders.

We are committed to matching all 22 of our current Community Leaders with active researchers who live in their towns or cities. If you live in one of the following areas and would like to get involved, please get in touch at [email protected].

Region	Town/City
East Midlands	Worksop
East Midlands	Chesterfield
East of England	Luton
London	Abbey Wood
London	Sutton
London	Tower Hamlets
London	Barnet
North East	Saltburn-by-the-Sea
North West	Rochdale
North West	Blackburn
Northern Ireland	Derry
Scotland	Ornkey
South East	Banbury
South East	Bexhill
South West	St Austell (Cornwall)
South West	Kingsbridge (Devon)
Wales	Anglesey
Wales	Swansea
Yorkshire & the Humber	Leeds
Yorkshire & the Humber	Hull
Yorkshire & the Humber	Doncaster
Yorkshire & the Humber	Bradford