Grapevine and the University of Warwick
Pictured: Local people organised a litter pick as part of their ongoing, wider work with Grapevine. Picture courtesy of Grapevine.
Grapevine and the University of Warwick: A ‘Fresh’ approach to participatory research
Project Collaborators: University of Warwick Researchers, Grapevines Connecting for Good Team and the Ball Hill Environment Group.
Project Dates: January 2023 - September 2023
Community organisation Grapevine and the University of Warwick have teamed up to enable Ball Hill residents in Coventry to investigate issues around local air pollution. By measuring pollution levels around a local school and high street at different times of day, they hope to gain a better understanding of air quality and to advocate for change through a citizens’ jury. This project blends elements of both participatory research and citizen science, with non-professional scientists in Ball Hill undertaking scientific work with a focus on empowerment, education, and change.
New connections, new conversations, new ideas…
Since Autumn 2022, Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research Jackie Hodgson, and Institute for Global Sustainable Development (IGSD) Director Elena Korosteleva have been developing a relationship with local charity GrapevineLink opens in a new window and exploring ways of working together.
Sian Lewis (pictured), Grapevine Community Organiser for the Connecting for Good Team explains how towards the end of 2022 the team decided “…to shake up our way of working. We wanted to try our hand at place-based organising and focus our energy onto turning groups of people into constituencies that have the power to make significant change.”
The Connecting for Good team began engaging with the Ball Hill area in StokeLink opens in a new window, Coventry, listening to locals and helping them create teams around emerging themes. Community residents were keen to create a Ball Hill Environment Team focussed on air pollution and learn how to “become citizen scientists in the area, collaborating with schools and the community to raise awareness and think of ways to use data to make change.”
Grapevine works across Coventry and Warwickshire to “help people build power to spark movements for change in their communities.”
Getting started: Lots of listening, talking and flexibility…
Following a successful application to the University of Warwick Participatory Research Fund, a small core team with members from Grapevine and Warwick was created. The team met first on campus to get to know one another and start to plan a timeline for the project. UoW researchers then attended a Connecting for Good local community meeting with the Ball Hill Environment team to scope out ideas for their Air Pollution Citizen Science project.
This collaborative project has been a remarkable process of mutual knowledge-exchange, flexibility, listening and understanding; having flexed and changed throughout whilst being led by a local community.
As the needs of the project and community aspirations evolved, additional researchers have been brought on board. The team now has 11 members from Grapevine and Warwick alongside various community participants, from residents to school children, teachers, and local businesses. This agile and responsive project has been concurrently developed with the Connecting for Good team ensuring that all decisions have been community-led.
Project Delivery: Organising, collaborating and co-creation…
Between April – July 2023, the Ball Hill Environment Team will receive a series of Warwick-led workshops and equipment to help them prepare to undertake their own Citizen Science project and deliver a Citizen’s Jury.
Listening to the Ball Hill Environment Team, Grapevine and the researchers co-created a workshop schedule. Rosa Fernandez- Martin (Global Sustainable Development, UoW) has delivered workshops on research methods and currently available Coventry air pollution data etc., whilst Elena Korosteleva and Vangelis Pitidis (IGSD, UoW) will share their knowledge around other Citizen Science projects and help the team plan for the Citizens’ Jury.
Eco-Club children at Stoke Park Primary are being trained as Community Organisers by Grapevine and visiting Warwick’s Campus for an air pollution workshop, sustainability tour and lunch run by Lory Barile (Economics).
"Working with Warwick University to introduce research skills to people in Ball Hill is another key way we can help them become advocates and informed spokespeople for the needs of their area." Clare Wightman, Grapevine CEO.
A 'Fresh' approach...
Following multiple discussions between James Covington (Engineering) and community participants, a mix of indoor, personal, and outdoor monitors have been selected to help measure air quality in and around the school and community area.
James’ team at Warwick are creating two high-spec ‘Fresh System’ outdoor monitors from scratch which will be loaned to the Grapevine Ball Hill Environment Team. The indoor and personal monitors will be Grapevine’s to keep.
The result? A Citizens’ Jury on Air Pollution, lots of creativity and a pathway to change via participatory Citizen Science action research…
Following the workshops, more meetings and data collection, the final phase of the project with Warwick will culminate in a Citizens’ Jury on air pollution at Stoke Park Primary School. Here the Ball Hill Environment Team will prepare creative displays and engage in discussions with local policy makers around their findings, concerns, and the way forward.