How Are You?
This work was developed from the understanding that enabling people to tell their story contributes to greater resilience and is mentally healthy, not just for the story teller but for those who hear stories in which they recognise their own situation and receive a comfort from knowing they are not alone. [3]
As well as sharing the key insights from the research we also wanted to find a way of keeping the conversation going. By hearing reflections on the findings and continuing the dialogue about the services and activities that they would find most useful and how these might be developed and designed.
Voices for Change aims to move away from the "extractive" model of social research and works to empower people to affect social change by participating in research. One of the tools used by Peer Researchers at BDCA were Speech Bubbles, a light touch tool using open prompts exploring challenges and hopes. Peer Researchers used this tool to prompt short conversations, typically undertaken during existing activities (ie during the elders coffee morning, parents craft sessions or following a keep fit class) or online forums.
We invite you to take part in our wider conversation,
We used a range of tools, using face-to-face and digital platforms. The analysis was conducted by the community researchers, ensuring that the themes, findings and all aspects of the project were designed and delivered by local residents. The initial plan was to organise a series of community events including sports and fitness activities to engage local people in the research. However, the government restrictions introduced as part of the winter lockdown led to a comprehensive redesign of the engagement plan. We worked through the food-bank to reach people who might prefer traditional paper-based methods. The team also devised a range of creative online approaches including poetry and music workshops, which provided rich material with nuanced insights.
Bonny Downs Community Association
bonnydowns.org
The Well Community Centre, 49 Vicarage Lane, London E6 6DQ
Tel: 0208 586 7070 | Email: info@bonnydowns.org
Charity Reg No: 1071625 | Company Limited by Guarantee No: 3625785