Black Voices Cornwall Partners with Black Southwest Network to Form The South West Race Equity Research Network (SWRERN)
South West, December 2024: The South West Race Equity Research Network (SWRERN) has secured nearly £1 million in funding to address power disparities in conventional research; rethinking the purpose behind research, concentrating on Black and Minoritised communities, and carrying out tangible positive changes.
The South West Race Equity Research Network (SWRERN) is built of partners from Cornwall to Gloucester
The Community Research Networks programme has been funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and will be delivered by The Young Foundation, a non-profit organisation that specialises in community research and social innovation.
The funding will be used to support SWRERN to reach five key goals:
1. Enhancing the ability and confidence to use research and data in the racial justice sector across the South West.
2. Providing resources to SWRERN partners to investigate anti-racist approaches suitable for their specific regions and communities.
3. Assisting SWRERN’s partners in developing their technical research skills and sharing insights gained from the innovative approaches trialed in the project.
4. Investigating digital technologies and tools to achieve cross-sector equity in knowledge, co-production and frameworks for shared data ownership.
5. Utilising the Network's combined strength to dismantle the obstacles that prevent communities from accessing research, data, and innovation.
SWRERN is made up of 15 partners across the South West of England: Black Voices Cornwall (BVC), Black South West Network (BSWN), Bristol Black Carers (BBC), Bristol Somali Resource Centre (BSRC), Chinese Community Wellbeing Society (CCWS), BeOnBoard, Black Families Education Support Group (BFESG), Race Equality North Somerset (RENS), Voluntary Action North Somerset (VANS), Changing Suits, Dorset Race Equality Council (DREC), Ubuntu Counselling Services (UCS), Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council (PDREC), Bath Spa University, University of Bristol.
Sado Jirde, Director at Black South West Network, one of the Network partners, said: “The creation of the South West Race Equity Research Network is a groundbreaking opportunity for the racial justice sector and racialised communities across the South West of England. Being funded £1m* directly from UKRI, the Network will invest in building the sector’s capacity, ownership and leadership of knowledge-production. It will unlock a new level of exploration around the meaning of research and the role that community knowledge can play in dismantling racial inequalities.”
Helen Goulden OBE, CEO at The Young Foundation, said: “We know that local communities and citizens understand local needs best, and are fundamental to tackling complex societal issues. Which is why the Community Research Networks programme is so important. The insights gained from the South West Race Equity Research Network and other local research networks will be vital if we are to work together to tackle some of the persistent and entrenched challenges we face. And at a national level, we hope to be actively contributing to a new and evolving infrastructure to support community research across the UK. This is core to The Young Foundation’s strategy, and as delivery partner we are proud to be working alongside UKRI to support this work over the next five years – and beyond.”
UKRI Chief Executive Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, said: “I am delighted to see the launch the second phase of UKRI’s Community Research Networks programme, in partnership with The Young Foundation.
“At UKRI we strongly believe that R&I should be by everyone, for everyone, everywhere. This programme offers a step-change in the way UKRI funds R&I to reflect this priority. We are putting money into the hands of communities to tackle the issues that matter most to them.
“I am excited to see how these nine networks will enhance connectivity within and between the UK’s regions, contributing to an R&I system that benefits from diverse expertise and understanding.”
The aim of the Community Research Networks programme is to put communities at the heart of research, awarding grants to organisations that are interested in supporting local people across the UK, and working with them to better understand their valuable role in research and innovation. The programme has awarded a total of £8.9m to community networks across the country in this second phase, with an additional £625k awarded in the first phase.
The South West Race Equity Network is one of nine community research projects across the UK that has received funding as part of the second phase of this project. Other grantees include a network addressing rural challenges in Durham, and a group researching economic inequality in Belfast communities.
Visit www.youngfoundation.org/community-research-networks to find out more.
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