Current funded projects

Our projects:

• Understanding Community Loss and its implications for communities and policy makers, with Coast and Vale Community Action
• A co-produced evaluation and mapping of democratic educational tools for young people – in preparation for votes at 16, with Youth Work Unit
• Violence against women and girls and the far right, with Together Women
• Developing a co-participatory impact measurement framework for a community-based martial art and mentoring charity supporting boys aged 11–18, with The Mental Shift

Understanding Community Loss and its implications for communities and policy makers

VCSE Partner: Coast and Vale Community Action (CaVCA)

York St John Researchers: Dr Amy Skinner and Martha Cattell

This project explores community loss, recovery and renewal in Scarborough. It draws on the concept of ‘solastalgia’, which is a sense of loss caused by change in the place where you live. The project aims to understand how people and communities in Scarborough experience solastalgia, and the impact of community loss on perceptions of the town’s present and future.  Residents will participate through ‘walk-shop’ events, photography and postcard making.

A co-produced evaluation and mapping of democratic educational tools for young people – in preparation for votes at 16

VCSE Partner: Youth Work Unit

York St John Researchers: Dr Carole Pugh and Dr Charlotte Haines Lyon

As Votes at 16 is introduced for the 2029 election youth work is vital to support young people’s political socialisation. However, there is lack of democratic education resources that are designed for youth work environments. This project works alongside young people using participatory methods to identify, map and test the resources and tools that exist and assess their suitability for use in a range of youth work environments, allowing for a timely roll out ahead of 2029 elections.

Violence against women and girls and the far right

VCSE Partner: Together Women

York St John Researchers: Dr Isobel Clare and Dr Amy Holmes

This project investigates how narratives of fear, protection, and victimhood can make far-right ideas appear appealing or legitimate to women and girls experiencing violence, and how this may increase their risk of offending and criminal justice involvement. Through co-produced methods with women and frontline practitioners a better understanding of these factors will be developed to identify opportunities for early intervention in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Developing a co-participatory impact measurement framework for a community-based martial art and mentoring charity supporting boys aged 11–18

VCSE Partner: The Mental Shift

York St John Researchers: Dr Gary Shepherd

The purpose of the project is to co-produce a practical impact measurement research handbook The Mental Shift can use to evaluate its effectiveness and monitor how young males -experiencing challenges, including poor mental health, school disengagement, behavioural difficulties, exploitation risk, and low confidence- are positively affected by the intervention. The project will create a structured set of qualitative and quantitative assessment tools the charity can use to consistently capture meaningful outcomes and evidence of impact. This CRG project will run over a period of two years.