All posts by Tony Chapman

Third Sector Trends in Cumbria

25th October 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

The Northern Rock Foundation Third Sector Trends study has been running since 2008. A new report has been published on the situation of Third Sector organisations in Cumbria. The report considers the size of the sector, the scope of its work and the benefit brought to the area over the last six years. The research underpinning this report was jointly funded by Cumbria Community Foundation.

The report also considers the extent to which the sector has responded to challenges produced by a long period of austerity. For many charities, the report shows, a measure of stability has been enjoyed in spite of government austerity programmes. However, small to medium sized charities operating in the poorest areas of Cumbria have been much more likely to suffer loss of income due to cuts in government spending at national, regional and local level. The report can be read here: Third Sector Trends in Cumbria (November 2015)

Headline findings from the report will be presented at The Forum, Barrow in Furness on 5th November by Professor Tony Chapman at the Cumbria Council for Voluntary Services Annual General Meeting.

Social mobility for whom, and at what social cost?

19th October 2015Young People & Society Study GroupTony Chapman

The Young People & Society Study Group meets once a term to discuss contemporary issues of interest to researchers at Durham University. The interdisciplinary group draws on expertise from seven University Schools, Departments and Colleges.

The first event this academic year will take place on Thursday 10th December in St Chad’s College and will tackle controversies surrounding the social mobility agenda.

The debate will be led by Dr Vikki Boliver of the School of Applied Social Sciences who will talk about equal access to elite universities. Professor Stephen Gorard from the School of Education will talk about the resurgence of political support for grammar schools and will assess its likely impact on social mobility. Professor Tony Chapman of St Chad’s College will talk about what counts as social mobility for many young people from deprived and marginalised communities and how such achievements are generally dismissed by politicians.

We then have a presentation by Professor Gina Porter and Dr Kate Hampshire of the Department of Anthropology to report on research they have recently completed. The title of their talk is: Exploring young people’s mobile phone usage in sub-Saharan Africa.

Social mobility for whom, and at what social cost?

19th October 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

The first event this academic year will take place on Thursday 10th December in St Chad’s College and will tackle controversies surrounding the social mobility agenda. The debate will be led by Dr Vikki Boliver of the School of Applied Social Sciences who will talk about equal access to elite universities. Professor Stephen Gorard from the School of Education will talk about the resurgence of political support for grammar schools and will assess its likely impact on social mobility. Professor Tony Chapman of St Chad’s College will talk about what counts as social mobility for many young people from deprived and marginalised communities and how such achievements are generally dismissed by politicians.

If you would like to know more about the study group and its members, and join in the debates, look at the Young People and Society Study Group pages on the St Chad’s website which can be located here.

Participatory Action Research Hub Training Event

14th October 2015Young People & Society Study GroupTony Chapman

Would you like to develop a participatory research project with partners from theuniversity and/or other community groups, but are wondering where to start? Thisfree training responds to feedback from those who have joined the Hub so far thathas indicated a high level of interest in participatory research, but a need for morepractical training on how to make their own projects happen. This training will:

– Help you develop a practical resarch question for your project.
– Work through key steps for turning a research idea into a researchproject, including a plan for making it happen.
– Enable you to consider what methods are best, and how to overcome challenges you may face (e.g. obtaining funding).
– Provide opportunities to meet others interested in being partners in similar research, from other organisations/university.
– Provide opportunities for academics and community members to learn from each other, through practising participatory approaches.

Programme
2.30 Arrival, tea and coffee (10 mins)
2.40 Introduction
2.45 Framing and refining the research question
3.15 Methods
3:45 Tea/coffee & pastries (10 mins)
3.55 Overcoming issues, challenges and barriers (incl. ethical issues in carrying out the research)
4.25 Funding and follow-up
4.55 Conclusion

We have a number of people who have expressed a particular interest in youth and community related topics, and Investing In Children will be joining us on the day to share their research experience and expertise. We hope that this might be a way of supporting research to develop in these areas. To book your free place, please email c.l.alexander@durham.ac.uk, with brief details of any topic/s on which you might be interested in developinginto a participatory research project.

Young People & Society Participatory Research Hub Training

7th October 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

On the fringes of the “Northern Powerhouse”?

5th October 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

Tackling the challenges facing rural & remote areas in Northern England: A seminar organised by the Institute for Local Governance
Kirkley Hall Campus, Northumberland College, Ponteland, Friday 16 October 2015 9.30 – 1.00

This seminar will explore the economic, social and environmental challenges facing rural and remote areas of Northern England and consider the role the public, private and voluntary sectors must play to address them. Confirmed speakers include Professor Mark Shucksmith, Newcastle University; Professor Frank Peck, University of Cumbria; Graham Haywood, Director, Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership; David Sharrod, Director, Yorkshire Dales Millennium trust, Doff Pollard and Rita Lawson, Chief Officers, Tees Valley Rural Community Council; and, Professor Keith Shaw, Northumbria University. The seminar will be opened by Councillor Allan Hepple, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth, Northumberland County Council.

The timing of the seminar is important, following the recent publication of the Government’s wide-ranging 10 point plan for boosting rural productivity. So, to achieve a strong regional focus, the seminar’s debate will centre on one key question – how will rural and remote areas be affected by proposed devolution to “Northern Powerhouse” Local Enterprise Partnerships (six of which work in or across the boundaries of Cumbria, North East England and North Yorkshire ).

The seminar will draw on policy analysis and case studies from across Northern England to explore how rural and remote areas are faring in a period of public sector austerity. But this is not merely an opportunity for people to complain or sympathise about the difficult social and economic situation people can face in rural areas. What we want to do is to debate what people in rural and remote areas should do about it and how to get their voices heard.

Below this top-line issue, we want people to discuss a range of themes including: business and finance, housing and community wellbeing, young people’s education and routes to the labour market, transport and communications, and maintaining a strong civil society. There’s also room for analytical depth, by discussing, for example: the difference between rural rich areas (where affluent urban commuters and retirees generally live) and rural poor areas (with a focus on housing, work, transport and health issues); the situation of isolated industrial towns and villages in rural areas (such as Barrow and Workington, Ashington, Loftus and Skinningrove); and, issues surrounding business and enterprise development in more isolated areas.

The debate needs to be wide ranging, so we’re interested in welcoming attendees with different perspectives: political, local authority, business and the voluntary sector. The seminar is free to attend, but places are limited and they tend to book up quickly, so please register your attendance via: Janet Atkinson, Institute for Local Governance, Durham University janet.atkinson@durham.ac.uk.

The Institute for Local Governance is a North East Research and Knowledge Exchange Partnership established in 2009 comprising the North East region’s Universities, Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services. Further information about the content of the event can be obtained by contacting:- tony.chapman@durham.ac.uk or john.mawson@durham.ac.uk.

The Power Point slides from this successful event can be downloaded here: Frank Peck, Graham Haywood, Keith Shaw, Doff Pollard & Rita Lawson, Mark Shucksmith.

A Northern Echo leader article discussed the outcome of the seminar which can be found here.

Developing digital capability in small and medium sized businesses

5th October 2015PRG NewsTony Chapman

Policy Research Group and BMG recently published research on Digital Capabilities in small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). The digital economy is increasingly important to the UK; that means that all UK businesses, particularly small ones, should be able to confidently use technology, and trade online in the modern interconnected world. But a lot of small businesses are not making the most of the opportunities that are open to them, and the country risks falling behind in the global marketplace.

The research found that a quarter of SMEs do not possess basic digital skills; and there is a clear, positive link between digital skill levels and growth in sales. Not only do many lack the skills, however, but there is an attitudinal barrier amongst a large minority of SMEs towards developing an online presence; a lack of awareness about the benefits and opportunities available; and a lack of understanding about online security threats.

The rollout of superfast broadband is helping things, as long as small businesses get the training ad skills they need to get the most out of it. That means delivering courses locally through existing networks, and finding out what works well – to date, there has been a lot of activity in developing digital skills but very little evaluation of the impacts in business, or which delivery methods work best.

At the sharp end of small business growth

5th October 2015PRG NewsTony Chapman

The Policy Research Group recently presented their research on growth dispositions of small business owners at a mini-conference organised by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills at the Shard. The research, conducted in conjunction with the prestigious Enterprise Research Centre at Aston University, analyses why some owners want to grow their business while others don’t – ‘why many businesses fail to become more productive and fail to grow despite having the potential to do so’, as the research brief outlined.

A buoyant small business sector is vital to the success of the UK economy, but most small businesses never grow or, at best, achieve only modest growth. So, understanding the factors that drive and shape small business performance is a key concern for not just academics but also policymakers, helping them to devise more effective ways to overcome barriers to growth.

PRG researchers, Paul Braidford, Gordon Allinson and Maxine Houston contributed by focusing on the way in which the owners presented narratives about themselves, their backgrounds and their important life events, giving insights into the sociological reasons lying behind their attitudes and behaviours. In particular their research suggests ways to try and shape more positive attitudes towards business growth – for example, by better informing the way in which business support is targeted and delivered, or developing ‘social spaces’ to promote networking between growth-inclined owners and those who want less growth. The full report is now available here: BIS-15-482-sociology-of-enterprise

In search of Middlesex

24th September 2015Current and Recent Research Projects, Research NewsTony Chapman

Fred Robinson and Richard Else are undertaking an intriguing collaborative project about Middlesex. They’ve worked together on all kinds of things in the past, but nothing quite like this. They wanted to explore a place that’s important but usually ignored –and decided they would focus attention on the North West London suburbs, the area covered by the old County of Middlesex.

Many people think of this area as a boring, monocultural suburbia: Metroland. But actually it’s a complex set of communities. It is home to more than two million people and is, in many ways, a successful part of London. It’s ‘multicultural’ and economically vibrant; it includes Heathrow and Wembley, and also Southall and Enfield. Middlesex may not feature in travellers’ tales, but it actually has a lot going for it.

Fred and Richard want to celebrate the vitality, diversity and importance of this area in a book of photographs (by Richard) and accompanying text (by Fred). They’ve tramped around the area a good deal and gathered a lot of material.

Fred says: ‘We want to show people what the area is really like and why it is worth looking at and thinking about. We hope that the book, and perhaps an exhibition too, will appeal to a wide audience. We want people to think about changing cities and suburbs, geographies and cultures. And we’d like people to find Middlesex as interesting as we do’.

National Youth Agency’s Social Action Journey Fund brings benefits to disadvantaged young people

10th September 2015Research NewsTony Chapman

Young people who completed the National Youth Agency’s Social Action Journey Fund programme reported improved attitude and ability as a result of their involvement in the volunteering programme, a new evaluation has found. The programme which ran from January 2014 to March 2015, was funded by the Cabinet Office to increase the level of social action amongst young people. NYA’s project was delivered in partnership with O2 Think Big, who provided support for young people’s social action ideas.

By the end of the programme young people indicated they had benefitted from their involvement– demonstrating improved levels of cooperation, empathy and problem solving and also wellbeing, educational attainment and grit. The findings, from research carried out by Professor Tony Chapman at Durham University, are significant given the focus of NYA’s SAF project was young people from deprived or socially marginalised backgrounds who do not often engage in voluntary social action.

“Social action brings benefits to both young people and communities but it’s often perceived as being aimed at just a high achieving, middle class group. This evaluation shows that young people from all walks of life can benefit,” said Professor Chapman.

The challenge is that young people from marginalised backgrounds often need more assistance, the report states. “These young people often require more intensive intervention from youth work professionals, who need to compensate for the lack of support young people may receive from families, friends or school,” Professor Chapman continues.

The greater the support required, the more expensive the programme is to resource – but this must not be allowed to mean disadvantaged young people are overlooked in favour of young people who require less help, the report concludes. Amanda Fearn Think Big programme manager at the National Youth Agency said, “Social Action Journey Fund was a great programme because it allowed us to work with the young people who often get overlooked in social action.

“With government targets to increase the number of young people who regularly volunteer it’s important we continue to support social action for all young people not just a privileged few. Otherwise the benefits will only be felt by a small minority and not society wide as they should be.”

The summary report can be found at this website: http://www.nya.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SAJF-NYA-PROJECT-EVALUATION-REPORT.pdf.

The full report can be downloaded here: SAJF NYA PROJECT EVALUATION REPORT (FINAL) 25th June