Read our reports

In their own words: removing barriers for ‘more able’ disadvantaged students in secondary schools (April 2025)

This scoping review highlights the need for change in addressing the systemic barriers faced by learners from disadvantaged backgrounds who demonstrate high potential in secondary education. This research was conducted as part of a Community Research Grant in collaboration with NACE.

Download the report: In their own words NACE Report (PDF, 4.2 MB)

More Door 84 (October 2024)

This collaborative project aimed to understand how local people engaged with and valued York youth and community centre Door 84.

Download the report: Re-imagining Door 84 Report (PDF, 8.8MB)

Nature Champions: Empowering Ethnically Diverse Communities to Improve Health through engaging with the Natural Environment (July 2024)

This report outlines the training sessions that were delivered as part of the Nature Champions project and explains the approach to evaluating its impact on the confidence and knowledge of community leaders about the natural environment of the Humber region, and the impact of the outdoors on mental health. The aim of this project was to empower and upskill ethnically diverse communities to engage with the natural environment.

Download the report: YSJ Nature Champions Report 2024 (PDF, 3.3 MB)

Understanding peer support at York in Recovery (July 2024)

The report explores the processes and efficacy of York in Recovery’s peer-support and peer-led addiction recovery group in York. Amongst its findings, the report describes how YIR members see the experience as a community based on friendship, rather than a service marked by professional distance. The research was conducted by the Converge Evaluation Research Team through an ISJ Community Research Grant.

Download the report: York in Recovery (PDF, 1.4 MB)

Menfulness Evaluation of Service Report (July 2024)

Conducted by Dr Gary Shepherd and Holly Murphy in collaboration with the charity Menfulness, this report focuses on men's mental health support and suicide prevention impacts. Funded through the ISJ Community Research Grants programme.

Download the report: Menfulness Evaluation of Service Report (PDF, 1.5MB)

The Dancefloor Project 2023-24 Report

The Dancefloor Project worked with arts collective Bolshee and psychology researchers at YSJU to explores ways we can make everyone feel safe and reduce sexual harm in public spaces. Funded through the ISJ Community Research Grants programme.

Download the report: Dancefloor report (PDF, 4.9 MB)

Listening to community perspectives (May 2024)

Conducted in collaboration with Give a Gift through our Community Research Grants, this report explores how inequalities in health and wellbeing for refugees and asylum seekers can be addressed from the perspective of these communities themselves.

Download the report: Listening to community perspectives (PDF, 2 MB)

Therapeutic Green Social Prescribing Programmes (February 2024)

A feasibility study of therapeutic green social prescribing for migrants with lived experience of psychological distress: participatory methodology and evaluation of the impact of NHS charities Funded Green Activities Programmes.

Download the report: YSJ Therapeutic Green Social Prescribing Programmes (PDF, 5.1 MB)

Learning and Impact Study of the Community Research Grants Programme 2022-2023 (November 2023)

The Community Research Grants programme serves as a vital platform for nurturing collaborative partnerships between YSJ and VCSE organisations. Reviewing the outcomes and lessons from six CRG collaborations, this report emphasises the CRG programme’s significance and offers insights into effective community-academic collaborations.

Download the report: Community Research Grants Programme (PDF, 4MB)

Rural Health Inequalities (September 2023)

Conducted in collaboration with Healthwatch North Yorkshire through our Community Research Grants, this report explores the relationship between in-land rurality and people's experiences of accessing and using local healthcare services, including GPs, dentists, pharmacies, or hospital care.

Download the report: Rural Health Inequalities (PDF, 2.1 MB)

Does my body count? (September 2023)

Led by Dr Ruth Knight, this project was a collaboration between researchers and local charity GeneraTe. The project explored how gender influences trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming peoples' experiences of disordered eating. This zine shares the findings with the community (zine designed by Roma Loudun.)

Download the zine: Exploring the disordered eating experiences of the trans community (PDF, 1.8 MB)

Migrants identifying challenges and establishing research priorities (September 2023)

Researchers at York St John organised a World café with migrants living in York to find out about the challenges they face, and their perspectives on research priorities. This event was organised as part of an ongoing partnership between York St John University and Our City Hub in York, a support hub run for and by migrants.

Download the report: 'Bring your voice to the World café' Report (PDF, 2.3 MB)

Disability Access to Blue Spaces (July 2023)

This report is from a Community Research Grant project in collaboration with Open Country exploring disability access to blue spaces (lakes, seas, lidos, reservoirs and rivers).

Download the report: Disability Access to Blue Spaces Report (PDF, 2 MB)

School Transition for Autistic Young People in Mainstream Settings (October 2022)

This report presents findings from a longitudinal study exploring the experiences of autistic young people as they progressed from primary school through the first three years of mainstream secondary school.

The research aimed to uncover factors that promote, or act as barriers to, positive educational outcomes for autistic young people in mainstream schools.

Download the reflection report: School Transition for Autistic Young People in Mainstream Settings (PDF, 4.9 MB)

Living Lab: Learning at the Junction (August 2022)

The Living Lab is an interdisciplinary network of York St John University staff and students, external organisations, local activists, and City of York councillors and officers, which aims to find innovative solutions to real-life problems.

For our Living Lab's inaugural year, the project focused on the air quality at the Lord Mayor's Walk junction immediately outside the campus, and how the urban environment could be improved.

Download the reflection report: Living Lab: Learning at the Junction Report (PDF, 4.9 MB)

Suitcase Stories: Independent Evaluation Report (August 2022)

Suitcase Stories is a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded public engagement project that used storytelling to explore climate adaptation with young people.

For this independent evaluation, SOS-UK worked with the project team at York St John University to devise a range of data collection methods to feed in to this evaluation.

Download report: Suitcase Stories: Evaluation Report (PDF, 0.7 MB)

Suitcase Stories: Teachers’ Resources (July 2022)

Suitcase Stories explored climate adaptation through participatory storytelling with young people. We have produced resource packs for young people aged 7 to 11 and 11 plus, that you can download below:

Resource pack for ages 7 to 11 (PDF, 2.1MB)

Resource pack for ages 11 plus (PDF, 1.5MB)

Together While Apart: The Creative Doodle Book and Inclusive Online Arts during Covid-19 (Nov 2021)

In 2020-21, York St John University worked with Mind the Gap Theatre Company to develop and deliver inclusive online community arts during Covid-19.

Download report: Together While Apart: The Creative Doodle Book (PDF, 11.8 MB)

Theatre Hullabaloo: Baby Pack Evaluation (July 2021)

This evaluation was commissioned by Theatre Hullabaloo to consider the impact of the Hullabaloo Baby Play Pack Programme on the experience of new parents and their babies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Download report: Theatre Hullabaloo Baby Play Pack Evaluation Report (PDF, 8.7 MB)