Annual Lecture. July 2024

In this year’s lecture Dr Emma Wincup, Qualitative Insight Manager at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation spoke about her experience of moving from an academic career into the voluntary and community sector.

Dr Emma Wincup moved to the voluntary and community sector in 2019 after spending almost all of her career to that point in academia. In this talk she reflects on her journey over the past five years undertaking qualitative and participatory research on poverty and hardship in a fast-paced environment where evidence and insights are needed quickly. Emma will reflect on how she has navigated these challenges as co-lead of JRF’s Grassroots Poverty Action Group (a lived experience group who support JRF’s research, policy and campaigning work) and co-lead of Grounded Voices. an innovative online research programme aiming to capture in real-time what matters to people struggling to afford what they need.

Watch the Recording on U Tube here

 

 

ARVAC has been running a number of invited only roundtable discussions on issues which we think are important for those of us engaged with community based and participatory research or enquiry .

 

We are planning to run the second Roundtable with a specific focus on the ethical issues – raised by such work . We recognise that there are number of important questions raised for participants , community based networks or organisations , those leading an enquiry , those supporting or supervising them as well as those organisations who host or facilitate such an approach. We want to explore themes with the intention of drafting a set of principles of practice which we would share and promote .

 

 

 

 

ARVAC Events in 2022

 

Throughout the pandemic in 2020 and 2021  ARVAC ran its usual key public events on line . We intend to continue this approach in 2022 and the ARVAC Trustees have decided to increase the number of events we offer and the nature of them too. We recognise that for practical and reasons of personal choice it is entirely appropriate that we continue to  offer free events on line. We have decided to change the nature of events as well expand our offer  and we hope the following descriptions help as you navigate around the offer we have to you all .

We made two important decisions too at our 2021 AGM: we recognise that we have a responsibility to make our contribution to strengthening the principles of Equality , Diversity and Inclusion within our own practice and  across the sectors we work in . The events we have planned are part of our contribution to meeting these expectations and commitments made . Secondly , we recognise too that often our events reflect a particular focus on the UK and we are committed to internationalising where it’s appropriate the content and remit  of our events.

ARVAC TYPE OF  EVENTS :

 

OPEN : all ARVAC events which are described as ‘open’ are freely available to all those who wish to attend . They will , always, include our ANNUAL PUBLIC TALK and our ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING . We will be hosting a number of other events during the year which will be open to any one who would like to join us .

IN CONVERSATION : in 2021 we started our ‘ in conversation ‘ events which will be open to anyone who would like to join . They are short ( usually 1 hour ) and are a conversation between ARVAC and an invited guest – either a practitioner or a researcher –  but someone with experience and insights who are very willing to share their experiences.

ARVAC BRIEFINGS : we are launching these in 2022. They are intended to be short and topical and designed to raise questions and encourage reflections on policy questions informed by practice . We will draw on these to draft ARVAC Positioning statements which will be disseminated via the ARVAC website .

ARVAC ROUNDTABLES : we will be running at least one Roundtable in 2022. They will be ‘closed’ events and the summaries of discussions and key points will be disseminated through the ARVAC website .

ARVAC WEBINARS : we will be running at least one of these in 2022. They will be ‘open ‘ events and the key points and discussion summaries will be disseminated through the ARVAC website .

OPEN EVENTS

 

ARVAC AGM 24th November 12.30-1pm 

Our ARVAC Annual General Meeting was held online.

ARVAC Annual Lecture: Turning Personal Passion into Action: 24th November 4-5pm 

 Sarah L. Young, Ph.D. & Carly L. Redding, Ph.D.

The Black Lives Matter movement, the #MeToo movement, and the growing cries to address

climate change indicate a swelling undercurrent of community unrest. The recent turmoil

demonstrates a demand for meaningful systemic change to the bedrock of society. How can

researchers work with communities in ways that inspire social innovation and equity efforts?

This webinar presents the translational research and development of an evidence-based

curriculum that teaches community development for the next generation. In the context of their

multi-decade experiences as participatory researchers, the presenters will:

Critically assess the use of Asset-Based Community Development in leading a small

group of students to operationalize a network of 30+ students that registered 1,000+ new

voters in rural sections of the United States

 Lead discussion on the trials and tribulations of participatory community research

approaches in rural areas across the world, with a focus on India, Sri Lanka, and Israel

Provide an overview of using reflexive latent thematic analysis to assess participatory

research experiences when conducting community development research

This webinar highlights the background research behind the presenters’ forthcoming book by

Routledge Press, Turning Personal Passion into Action: A Student Roadmap to Community

Development and Social Change. 

Speaker Biogs: 

Dr. Sarah L. Young is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University. She also serves as the Director of Research for KSU CARES, overseeing the university’s research on students who have experienced foster care and unaccompanied homelessness. Dr. Young is the guest editor for Public Management Review’s forthcoming special issue on social equity and social change and the Journal of Public Affairs Education forthcoming special issue on mentorship in higher education. She is an editorial board member for the academic journals Teaching Public Administration and the Journal of Public Affairs Education. Dr. Young received her B.S. in Management and B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of South Florida (2008), her M.B.A. in nonprofit management from the University of Tampa (2009), and her Ph.D. in public administration and policy from Florida State University (2017). Dr. Young’s research uses systems-based approaches to study the intersection of nonprofit and public management, community engagement, and social equity. She is published in Public Administration, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, American Review of Public Administration, and the Journal of Public Affairs Education among other academic journals and practitioner-oriented outlets.

Dr. Carly L. Redding is an Associate Professor and Department Coordinator for the Department of Sociology and Human Services at the University of North Georgia. Dr. Redding is also the university’s Director of Academic Engagement. She earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and a B.S. and M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Georgia College and State University. In addition, Dr. Redding holds a certificate in Women’s Leadership and Community Development from the Coady Institute at St. Francis Xavier University. Her research is featured in the International Journal of Social Work and Human Services Practice, Journal of Human Services, and the Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice. She is the past president of the Georgia Sociological Association and is a nationally renowned speaker on human rights advocacy. Her research focuses on community development and using evidence-based resources, tools, and ideas to inform actions that strengthen asset-building for practitioners and policymakers to mobilize support in needed communities. As a clinical psychologist and academic, Dr. Redding worked nationally and internationally on community development, organizational change, project design, monitoring, and evaluation projects throughout her multi-decade career. She has led numerous nonprofits in building the capacity of volunteers and trustees. 

 

ARVAC Public Talk :  Levels and Mirrors – Inclusive Leadership in Action. Jeanette Bain-Burnett, Director of Participation Trussell  Wednesday 15th June 2-4pm ZOOM. 

Description: In this talk I’ll share reflections and insights from 15 years working to increase equity and inclusion across the arts, culture, higher education, social policy and political spheres. What strategies and approaches should we hold on to; which ones could we let go; and how can we draw on what’s been learned over the years across sectors to imagine and enact an equal future for all?

 

Watch the recording of this event 

Speaker Biography. Jeanette Bain-Burnett

Jeanette joined the Trussell Trust in March 2021 as Director of Participation following five years leading social policy and community engagement programmes for the Mayor of London, including as Assistant Director, Communities and Social Policy; Head of Community Engagement and Communities Lead for the Mayor’s Violence Reduction Unit. Jeanette’s background is in the dance and theatre sector. She served as Director/CEO of the Association of Dance of the African Diaspora (2007-2014) and has been a trustee of several theatres and dance organisations. Jeanette has also worked as a senior consultant for Arts Council England, BBC Arts and Voluntary Arts (now Creative Lives).  She was born in London, grew up in Jamaica and is currently based in Bristol.

CLOSED EVENTS.

Governance and the Sector : Learning Lessons  and Anticipating Challenges for Trustees. How can we support and promote good practice across the sector – irrespective of size , remit and location?

Governance challenges for the Sector : Working through some irreconcilable issues

The importance of good governance within the sector and for the sector is understood and valued. One of the challenges all voluntary and community based organisations face is to ensure not just regulatory compliance but also sustaining the quality of decisions and practice in difficult and highly challenging environments. The risk of the present is to become over focussed on the pandemic as a disrupter of ways of working. Arguably two of the biggest disruptions over the past 20 years have been financial and regulatory requirements. Both of these impact on time and voluntary organisations rely on volunteers to be trustees . This pattern of disruption and challenge has been mirrored across education and health too. What can be done to support small and medium size organisations ? Is part of the issue a legal and regulatory one ? Have we become too quick to set up agencies and use regulation as a way of establishing them in a formal and legal  sense ? And is part of our wish to do this , also, a reaction to the failures of state agencies (whether it is social and health care organisations or education or neighbourhood based initiatives) ? And how do we support individuals who are either trustees or paid staff ? Whose needs do we address ? Governance in one sense might be seen as ensuring that processes and procedures are followed . It might be that plus : good governance might , also, be about ensuring the quality of decisions as well as the work alongside the well being of those who volunteer.

In this webinar we want to explore some of these issues and to think through what might be the next steps to take to ensure that the vulnerability of some parts of the sector is not weakened by an absence of good governance.

A summary of key points and actions will be posted afterwards ..  

 

ARVAC Annual Lecture 2021 by Professor Donna Hall

Tue, May 11, 2021 3:00 PM

‘Communities have been essential to the COVID response but how do we build on this in the longer term? How do Communities use their voice to shape the future of public services ?’As part of ARVAC’s annual programme we host a Public Talk. We are delighted that Donna Hall has agreed to do the 2021 talk. We do hope you will join us on the 11 May. Please do register for the event .Donna will talk for about 30 minutes and then we will have a Q and A session followed by small group discussions facilitated by ARVAC.We are living through a profound period of change and the impact of the pandemic is still been worked through. We know that for many individuals, families and communities the presence of volunteers and voluntary groups supporting public services and larger charities have been critical in providing practical support and a emotional support too. What happens next and what the big issues for all of us to imagine and engage with are key themes of the talk by Donna Hall. Please do join us.We are planning that Donna Hall’s talk will be 30 mins , followed by a short Q and A and then we will go into breakout rooms to discuss our response to her talk ( 25 mins) and come back together for a plenary discussion as Donna Hall and 2 panelists respond to the questions and issues raised (20 mins).We will end by 17.00. ARVAC will circulate a summary of the discussions to everyone who would like a copy.We do look forward to meeting with you on May 11th.Thank you .

About Donna Hall Donna was awarded the CBE in 2009 for innovation in public service and was Transformational Leader in the Northern Powerhouse Awards 2017 and she has been described by Andy Burnham ( metro mayor of Greater Manchester) as a ‘public service pioneer’. Donna was CEO of Wigan Council for 8 years where she developed the Wigan Deal and was ,also, the accountable officer for the Wigan CCG. She is a passionate feminist who championed ‘Believe in Her’ and led to a major equality change programme to ensure Wigan Council now has a zero gender pay gap. She is now the chair of New Local, the Bolton NHS Foundation Trust and Possibilities ( a local social enterprise supporting people with learning disabilities ). In 2019 she was appointed an Honorary Professor of Politics at the University of Manchester and is a Non Executive Adviser to Birmingham City Council and Nottingham City Council. She is, also, an Integrated Care System Adviser to NHS England. Adopted as a child she is passionate about person centred public services and communities. 

ARVAC Webinar – Social Anthropology: In the neighbourhood

Wed, Sep 15, 2021 2:00 PM

Dr. Robin Pharoah is Director of Global Insights at Future Agenda. He worked with Wigan Council on what became known as the Wigan Deal and is working with other local councils to help support them in how they can draw on ethnographic and strengths-based approaches to change . His approach using ethnographic research techniques is intended to help local government think about how engage in long term planning and change. He brings cross-sector expertise to the different settings he works in and has particular specialisms in research and innovation, community engagement and frontline service delivery and digital identity and data privacy.

Join us for hour of conversation and discussion where we explore with Robin what do social anthropologists do and why are they relevant for those of us working in community settings? What did having Robin involved in the Wigan Deal mean for what happened and what lessons can we take from that and can we apply them elsewhere ? How can ARVAC and you support neighbourhood groups who might want to work with social anthropologists ?

Places are free but registration is required.

ARVAC AGM 2021

Thu, Dec 16, 2021 11:00 AM

We’d like to invite you to our rescheduled 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday 16th December. The AGM will take place online from 11:00am – 12:30pm and you’ll receive a zoom link for the event and the papers for the AGM once you register for your free place. 

As part of this year’s AGM we want to discuss ARVAC’s commitment to anti-racism.

The AGM will run from 11:00 – 11:30. After that we will discuss a public statement and a plan reflecting our commitment to anti-racism 11:30 – 12:30. 

We hope to see you online on the 16th December.

Remember, as the AGM will be online you need to register here for free. Will can then send you a zoom link before the AGM.

 

 

For too long, seeking to build partnerships with their local communities has been the ‘poor cousin’ of the national and global ambitions of the Higher Education sector. At a time when the value of community living and working is being radically revalued, universities will need to demonstrate that they too are giving much higher priority to the places and local communities that host them. The recent report of the Civic University Commission calls for universities to reframe how they approach their relationship to place, and to the people who live there.

In the current COVID 19 crisis, connecting universities’ business with their local communities is especially pressing, since universities are experiencing uncertainty over their future role and function post-pandemic.

Lord Kerslake is the Chair of Sheffield Hallam University, Chair of Peabody, Chair of the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS), Chair of London Collective Investment Vehicle, and is President of the Local Government Association.

A former Head of the Civil Service, Bob led the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) from November 2010, stepping down in February 2015. Prior to his DCLG role, he was the first Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency.

Before joining the Civil Service Bob received a knighthood for his services to local government, spending eight years serving the London Borough of Hounslow and then a further 11 years leading Sheffield Council. In early 2015, he was made a life peer, taking the title Baron Kerslake, of Endcliffe in the City of Sheffield.