University-Council Knowledge Exchange: A Toolkit for Community Engagement in Rotherham
This knowledge exchange project aims to strengthen the University's partnership with Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) and build on the collaborative learning already underway with local grassroots organisations in Rotherham, UK.
Since 2020, the team has been developing an impactful collaboration with local communities and government through a series of connected projects (see Our Research Journey below). Our work has focused on Rotherham West, the third-most ethnically diverse ward in Rotherham, which includes the neighbourhoods of Masbrough, Ferham and Kimberworth. Research findings highlight that barriers in the built environment coupled with limited social infrastructure are harmful for local community life. We have also found that, despite many local people feeling disempowered, there is a genuine desire on the part of RMBC to empower residents and to learn from them.
Project aims are:
- Facilitate joint learning between the University of ºù«Ӱҵ and RMBC on effective collaborative practices.
- Co-develop a strategy for embedding best practices from into regular community consultations.
- Evaluate the Toolkit in other contexts, i.e. other Rotherham wards.
Do you conduct research in/about Rotherham? Do you work for RMBC and want to collaborate with us? Or if you simply want to find out more, please email one of our team members listed below.
- Project Information
Funder: Impact Accelerator Award via the
KE Collaborators: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) and (Dr Zanib Rasool)
Timescales: May 2025 – December 2025
- Research Outputs
Report: Piekut, A., Staples, H., Pryce, G., & Rasool, Z. (2024). Social Frontiers and Community Life in Rotherham West. 'Life at the Frontier' Research Briefing 1. ºù«Ӱҵ.
Article: Zhang, M. L., Piekut, A., Rasool, Z., Warden, L., Staples, H., & Pryce, G. (2024). Using residents and experts to evaluate the validity of areal wombling for detecting social boundaries: A small-scale feasibility study. Plos One, 19(8), e0305774. .
Toolkit: Staples, H., Piekut, A., Krasteva, L., Rani, U., & Rasool, Z. (2024). Collective Walking/Movement and Neighbourhood Exploration - Research Report and Toolkit. ºù«Ӱҵ.
Dataset: Staples, Henry; Piekut, Aneta; Rasool, Zanib; Pryce, Gwilym (2024). ‘Life at the Frontier’ - Rotherham (UK) case study qualitative data. ºù«Ӱҵ. Dataset.
Film: Sánchez MarÃn D., Piekut A., Pryce G., Staples H., Rasool Z., Krasteva L., Rani U. (2023). 'Blurring the Edges' film. ºù«Ӱҵ Player:
- Our Research Journey
This project builds on a long-term collaboration between ºù«Ӱҵ academics and community and policy partners in Rotherham. Our research journey so far includes:
"" (LATF) - an international mixed-methods project examining the impact of social frontiers on migrant social mobility and integration (2020-2023; ESRC/NordForsk; PI prof. Gwilym Pryce; Co-I Dr Aneta Piekut - Rotherham case study). In collaboration with community partner Dr Zanib Rasool (Rotherham United Community Trust).
"Blurring the Edges" - a knowledge exchange project generating creative outputs such as performances, art exhibitions, and a film" (2023-2024; HEIF; Co-Leads Dr Henry Staples and Dr Aneta Piekut), in collaboration with community partner Dr Zanib Rasool (Rotherham United Community Trust), and Rotherham based artist Uzma Rani and Lora Krasteva:
"Crossing the Frontier" - an exploration of the Collective Mobile Method as a participatory research tool in Rotherham (2024; UKRI Research England; Co-Leads Dr Henry Staples and Dr Aneta Piekut). In collaboration with community partner Dr Zanib Rasool (Rotherham United Community Trust), and Rotherham based artist Uzma Rani and Lora Krasteva. .