Community Leadership

When we talk about community-based research, it’s about more than just involvement—it’s about building ongoing partnerships that make research meaningful and driven by real community needs.

First, we take time to understand the community before we even start talking about research. That means engaging early with voluntary, community, and social enterprise groups who can help us connect and listen.

We also know that community priorities don’t always match traditional research agendas. So, we work to align with lived experiences and the greatest needs.

Power dynamics matter. We acknowledge and address the imbalance between researchers and communities, especially those who are vulnerable or marginalized.

Active involvement is key—communities help shape research questions, design, implementation, interpretation, and even how findings are shared. In short, we do research in ways people say are important to them.

We’re honest about what’s possible and set clear expectations together. And we go further—inviting communities into leadership, governance, and decision-making, while tackling barriers that keep people out.

This isn’t a one-off. We create mechanisms for feedback and long-term partnerships that adapt as needs change. We invest in community organisations with the expertise to lead, and we make sure those who’ve been missing from the conversation get the support they need to take part