About Groundswell
GroundsWell is made up of a team of researchers, local community members and policymakers working together to create a collaborative cycle of positive action. We aim to identify and implement actions to maximise health and wellbeing benefits from urban green and blue spaces (UGBS) such as parks, community gardens, canals and rivers. From collecting data and conducting community research, to creating policies and supporting active citizenship, we are learning more about how UGBS impact economic, social, cultural, environmental and health systems. Our research and decision-making processes are democratic, ensuring that the voices of individuals and communities are heard. We believe in collaborating with community and policy stakeholders in all areas of our work, from research and design to implementation and evaluation of research findings.
GroundsWell has four guiding principles:
Health and inequalities
Addressing issues including social & environmental
Creating a positive cycle
of research, policy, implementation and active citizens
Co-production
Co-implementing, co-evaluating and co-translating
Acknowledging complexity
of urban environment and how communities live in it
GroundsWell’s main research takes place in three cities – Belfast, Edinburgh and Liverpool. These have sufficient similarities (such as large and diverse low-income communities) but also distinct features (such as geography and culture) making them ideal case studies. Each city already has policies and programmes in place to improve UGBS, but there is much room for improvement -- and this is where GroundsWell is helping. We seek to understand the interconnected systems that come together to affect the nature, location, characteristics and uses of UGBS. Areas of interest include policymaking, the use of UGBS in practice, the perception of UGBS by various groups in society, as well as the experiences of people who interact with these spaces.
At the heart of GroundsWell’s work is community engagement and partnership. We work with communities to understand how these systems function, whether they are broken and how they can be mended or improved for benefit of community members. We also believe in preventative measures; we anticipate interventions that will enhance the use and management of UGBS, at a policy level and in everyday life of community users.
GroundsWell splits it's work into work packages. You can find further detail about each below.
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Systems framework (Work Package 1)
Collaborating with stakeholders, we will develop a systems-framework that brings together multiple interconnected pieces of evidence to build a shared understanding of the links between UGBS and health and wellbeing. Co-led by Jeremy Hilton and Prof Mike Clarke
- Agent-based modelling (Work Package 2)
Using agent-based models that simulate the behaviour of individuals, community groups and organisations to inform the changes to UGBS systems. Co-led by Prof Ruth Hunter and Dr Leandro Garcia
- Community innovation (Work Package 3)
To co-develop and evaluate processes for meaningful partnership working and participatory research leading to UGBS interventions that enhance health. Co-led by Prof Ruth Jepson and Prof Catharine Ward-Thompson
- Data repository (Work Package 4)
Develop a repository of data that is relevant to policymakers, researchers and community groups that will inform the co-design and evaluation of UGBS interventions in cities. Co-led by Prof Sarah Rodgers, Dr Mark Green and Dr Rebecca Geary
- Economic evaluation (Work Package 5)
Examine the potential for UGBS interventions to provide economic benefits across a range of systems. Co-led by Prof Ciaran O'Neill and Prof Alberto Longo
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Political decision-making (Work package 6)
Explore political and decision-making contexts that impact UGBS and their effects on health actions and other related benefits. Co-led by Dr Ben Wheeler and Dr Alex Nurse
- Embedding impact (Work Package 7)
To co-develop, implement, monitor and evaluate a stakeholder-informed impact strategy to assess GroundsWell's impact within the 5-year project and beyond. Co-led by Prof Ruth Hunter, Prof Ruth Jepson and Prof Sarah Rodgers
- Health inequalities (Cross-cutting theme)
Health inequalities is at the core of GroundsWell, ensuring that social, economic, environmental and access inequalities are addressed in UGBS interventions and that any improvements to UGBS encourage diverse communities to use them. Co-led by Dr Ana Porroche-Escudero and Prof Richard Mitchell
