About me/ my work
I am participatory, co-production researcher committed to social justice where grassroots and bottom-up approaches run through all my academic, community, research, evaluation, advocacy and campaigning work.
Twenty-five years’ experience
I was awarded a DPhil (PhD) in Law (sociology focus) from the University of Oxford (Christ Church) in 2009, and before that completed an MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the Queen’s University, Belfast, and a BSc (Hons) in Social Psychology and Sociology at the University of Ulster.
With almost 25 years of experience in academic research and evaluation, charity/ third-sector research, evaluation and campaigning, and policy-focused work, and with funding from various bodies including the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation project, the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, the National Lottery Community Fund, the ESRC, the Lankelly Chase Foundation, the Tides Foundation, and various national and international universities, I am a highly respected researcher/ evaluator in the following fields:
o human rights activism, migration and campaigning
o young people’s social, political and civic participation
o feminism and feminist activism
o activism and social movements in the public sphere
o democracy and re-making democracy
o youth offending, desistance and social justice
Within these fields, I undertake:
o academic research and evaluation
o policy- and change-focused research and evaluation
o programme and initiative research, development and evaluation
o ‘theory of change’ programme/ campaign evaluation
o research-focused activist campaigning, and activist campaigning-focused research, in the third-sector, and in charity and community work
o rapid and systemic literature reviews
Funding and deliverables/ outputs
I have been funded by various bodies including the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation project, the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, the ESRC, the National Lottery Community Fund, the Lankelly Chase Foundation, the Tides/ Ben and Jerry’s Foundation, Civic Power Fund, and various national and international universities.
Deliverables and outputs from these funded projects have included research articles, book chapters, an edited collection, commissioned research reports, toolkits for European work, and conference presentations. I have a a proven track record in grant capture, and academic, evaluation, charity-focused and policy-focused writing.
I have developed and applied a robust and critical research and evaluation framework that examines process and impact outcomes (‘theory of change’) in several research and campaigning projects, and in evaluations of programmes and initiatives. This bespoke framework enables me to capture learning about process and impact outcomes at individual, group, community and political levels to understand personal and group experiences and gains, and to inform campaigning/ programme/ initiative development, group and community work and action, and political and social (policy) change. I also apply traditional theories of change to research and evaluation, where appropriate.
My work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 1 – No Poverty; SDG 4 – Quality Education; SDG 5 – Gender Equality; SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities; SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities; and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Third-sector/ charity research and campaigning
I have strong community networks and am the Research Lead for a Manchester-based human rights charity (RAPAR); Research/ Evaluation Lead for a national anti-poverty partnership (GRIPP); and co-founder of the national Status Now 4 All Network (SNN).
Established in 2001, RAPAR is a human rights research and campaigning organisation based in Manchester, UK, primarily concerned with displaced people and issues relating to displaced people. RAPAR’s focus is on research, campaigning and community development for rights in the UK’s hostile environment. I have been the Research Lead for RAPAR since 2015.
Recognising that the Covid-19 pandemic would have devastating impacts on the groups most marginalised in British and Irish society, RAPAR founded the Status Now 4 All Network (SNN) in March 2020 to call upon the British and Irish States to act immediately so that all undocumented, destitute and migrant people in the legal process in both the UK and Ireland are granted status (indefinite leave to remain). I continue to work actively with SNN on its core campaign call and am the commissioned Facilitator for its new LEAP (Lived Experience Advocacy Project) funded by Civic Power Fund.
GRIPP (Growing Rights Instead of Poverty Partnership) comprises several organisations and networks (Amnesty UK, Just Fair, ATD Fourth World, Poverty Truth Commission, Thrive Teeside, The Bevan Foundation, and RAPAR) working together to end poverty across the nations and regions of the UK. I am the I am the Research/ Evaluation Lead for GRIPP.
Grassroots, participatory methodologies
I am a committed participatory researcher. I apply participatory methodologies in my work that come from the ‘grassroots’ and evolve from the bottom up, with people, walking alongside marginalised groups for support, advocacy and empowerment.
I utilise the following methodologies in my research/ evaluation and campaigning and advocacy work:
o participatory action research, co-creation and co-production methodologies
o emancipatory ‘theory of change’ analysis for social justice and within social movements
o grassroots organising and campaigning