Social connectedness in a locked-down world: A phenomenological study of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic (2023)
Journal Article
Beardmore, A., Beynon, P., Crabbe, C., Fullforth, J., Groome, J., & Jones, M. (2023). Social connectedness in a locked-down world: A phenomenological study of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Ageing and Longevity, 3(4), 465-482. https://doi.org/10.3390/jal3040020

Background: Whilst qualitative research has previously been conducted on older people’s personal resilience and wellbeing during COVID-19, there are fewer empirical studies on the impact it had on social connectedness for this age group. In this pape... Read More about Social connectedness in a locked-down world: A phenomenological study of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Connecting communities programme evaluation: Small grants fund (2023)
Report
Biddle, M., Dodd, E., Beardmore, A., & Jones, M. (2023). Connecting communities programme evaluation: Small grants fund. University of the West of England: Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System

This is a report on the evaluation of the Connecting Communities Small Grants Fund, one of five pilot projects developed by Age UK Bristol (AUKB) for the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System (BNSSG ICS) Ageing Well... Read More about Connecting communities programme evaluation: Small grants fund.

Food for life get togethers: Programme evaluation summary and synthesis final report (2023)
Report
Jones, M., Sarah, H., Ismail, S., & Beardmore, A. (2023). Food for life get togethers: Programme evaluation summary and synthesis final report. Bristol UWE: National Lottery Community Fund

This report provides a summary and synthesis of UWE’s evaluation of the Food for Life Get Togethers programme (2019–23). The phrase ‘Get Togethers’ highlights the connections that people from all ages and backgrounds can make through growing, cooking... Read More about Food for life get togethers: Programme evaluation summary and synthesis final report.

Developing community leadership for action on affordable, healthy, and sustainable food issues (2023)
Presentation / Conference
Beardmore, A., Jones, M., Hills, S., & Ismail, S. (2023, May). Developing community leadership for action on affordable, healthy, and sustainable food issues. Presented at Our Food, Our Environment, University of Portsmouth

In the context of the current cost of living crisis, many activists are working within their communities to promote access to affordable, healthy, and sustainable food. Yet there are very few opportunities share experiences, ideas and resources betwe... Read More about Developing community leadership for action on affordable, healthy, and sustainable food issues.

Plant and share: An evaluation of food for life get togethers' small grants (2023)
Report
Jones, M., Beardmore, A., Hills, S., & Ismail, S. (2023). Plant and share: An evaluation of food for life get togethers' small grants. National Lottery Community Fund

This is a follow-up survey of the 2022 round of Plant and Share grant holders. It builds upon the UWE’s survey of the Cook and Share grant programme. It provides additional evidence on the small grants component of FFLGT with respect to growing. It a... Read More about Plant and share: An evaluation of food for life get togethers' small grants.

My Food Community: Summary evaluation findings from the first delivery of the programme in 2021–22 (2022)
Report
Beardmore, A., Jones, M., Hills, S., & Ismail, S. (2022). My Food Community: Summary evaluation findings from the first delivery of the programme in 2021–22. Bristol: National Lottery Community Fund

The Soil Association’s My Food Community is a community leadership programme intended to create ‘a network for good food champions to learn, connect and take action’. My Food Community forms part of Food for Life Get Togethers, a UK-wide National Lot... Read More about My Food Community: Summary evaluation findings from the first delivery of the programme in 2021–22.

My Food community: Full evaluation report on the first delivery of a community food leadership programme (2022)
Report
Beardmore, A., Jones, M., Hills, S., & Ismail, S. (2022). My Food community: Full evaluation report on the first delivery of a community food leadership programme. Online: National Lottery Community Fund

In the context of the current cost of living crisis, many activists are working within their communities to promote access to affordable, healthy, and sustainable food. Yet there are very few opportunities share experiences, ideas and resources betw... Read More about My Food community: Full evaluation report on the first delivery of a community food leadership programme.

Microgrants as a pathway for community development: A case study exploring impacts, implementation and context (2022)
Journal Article
Chivers, C., Crabbe, C., Fullforth, J., Groome, J., Hoadley, J., Jensen, A., …Jones, M. (2023). Microgrants as a pathway for community development: A case study exploring impacts, implementation and context. Community Development, 54(3), 411-428. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2022.2091626

Microgrant schemes are used in many contexts relevant to community development, but there are few detailed accounts of their operation and effects. This study explored a four-year microgrant scheme in Bristol, UK. The research analyzed 141 awards and... Read More about Microgrants as a pathway for community development: A case study exploring impacts, implementation and context.

Food for life get togethers evaluation: Good food and building community capacity through cook and share grants (2022)
Report
Jones, M., Hills, S., Ismail, S., & Beardmore, A. (2022). Food for life get togethers evaluation: Good food and building community capacity through cook and share grants. National Lottery Community Fund

‘Food for Life Get Togethers’ are regular community activities that connect people from all ages and backgrounds through growing, cooking and eating good food. In mid-2021 Food for Life asked community groups across the UK to apply for a £150 Cook an... Read More about Food for life get togethers evaluation: Good food and building community capacity through cook and share grants.

Community development for older people in Bristol: Key findings and recommendations from Bristol Ageing Better’s ‘test and learn’ community development projects (2020)
Report
Beardmore, A., Beynon, P., Crabbe, C., Fry, C., Fullforth, J., Groome, J., …White, J. (2020). Community development for older people in Bristol: Key findings and recommendations from Bristol Ageing Better’s ‘test and learn’ community development projects. Bristol Ageing Better

Apart but not Alone: Neighbour support and the COVID-19 lockdown (2020)
Presentation / Conference
Biddle, M., & Jones, M. (2020, September). Apart but not Alone: Neighbour support and the COVID-19 lockdown. Presented at Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research e-Conference 2020 - ‘Times like these’: Researching civil society responses to and recovery from COVID-19

Our presentation covers the following themes: (a) Characteristics of neighbour support during the UK COVID-19 lockdown, including a comparison with more formal voluntary and statutory sector support; (b) relationship between area-based deprivation an... Read More about Apart but not Alone: Neighbour support and the COVID-19 lockdown.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Priors Park Project (2020)
Report
Jones, M., Biddle, M., & Beardmore, A. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Priors Park Project. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Gloucestershire County Council

This document sets out the final evaluation of the Priors Park Project, delivered as part of Tewkesbury Borough Council’s contribution to the Strengthening Local Communities programme. It documents the development of the project model and the deliver... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Priors Park Project.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Summary and synthesis report (2020)
Report
Jones, M., Biddle, M., & Beardmore, A. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Summary and synthesis report. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Gloucestershire County Council

This report sets out the final evaluation of the Strengthening Local Communities programme. It starts with an overview of the evaluation methods. The next sections cover a literature review of community development in theory, research and local conte... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Summary and synthesis report.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Health Connect project, Bourton-on-the-Water (2020)
Report
Beardmore, A., Jones, M., & Biddle, M. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Health Connect project, Bourton-on-the-Water. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Gloucestershire County Council

This document is the final evaluation report for the Health Connect project, delivered as Bourton-on-the-Water’s contribution to the Strengthening Local Communities programme. It details the development of the project model and the delivery of key pr... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Health Connect project, Bourton-on-the-Water.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Cinderford Health and Wellbeing Project (2020)
Report
Jones, M., Biddle, M., & Beardmore, A. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Cinderford Health and Wellbeing Project. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Gloucestershire County Council

This section sets out the final evaluation report on the Cinderford Health and Wellbeing Project, delivered as the Forest of Dean’s District Council project for the Strengthening Local Communities programme. It documents the development of the projec... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Cinderford Health and Wellbeing Project.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Oakley Community Health and Wellbeing Project (2020)
Report
Biddle, M., Jones, M., & Beardmore, A. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Oakley Community Health and Wellbeing Project. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Gloucestershire County Council

This document sets out the evaluation of the Oakley Community Health and Wellbeing Project, delivered as Cheltenham Borough Council’s project for the Strengthening Local Communities (SLC) programme. It documents the development of the project model a... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Oakley Community Health and Wellbeing Project.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Kingsholm Community Building Project (2020)
Report
Biddle, M., Jones, M., & Beardmore, A. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Kingsholm Community Building Project. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, and Gloucestershire County Council

This document sets out the evaluation of the Kingsholm Community Building Project, delivered as Gloucester City Council’s project for the Strengthening Local Communities (SLC) programme. It documents the development of the project model and the deliv... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Kingsholm Community Building Project.

Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Forest Green project (2020)
Report
Beardmore, A., Jones, M., & Biddle, M. (2020). Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Forest Green project. UWE Bristol: Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group and Gloucestershire County Council

This document is the final evaluation report for the Forest Green project, delivered as Stroud’s contribution to the Strengthening Local Communities programme. It details the development of the project model and the delivery of key project activities... Read More about Strengthening Local Communities programme evaluation: Forest Green project.

Apart but not alone? A cross-sectional study of neighbour support in a major UK urban area during the COVID-19 lockdown (2020)
Journal Article
Jones, M., Beardmore, A., Biddle, M., Gibson, A., Ismail, S. U., McClean, S., & White, J. (2020). Apart but not alone? A cross-sectional study of neighbour support in a major UK urban area during the COVID-19 lockdown. Emerald Open Research, 2, Article 37. https://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.13731.1

Background: Evidence from a range of major public health incidents shows that neighbour-based action can have a critical role in emergency response, assistance and recovery. However, there is little research to date on neighbour-based action during t... Read More about Apart but not alone? A cross-sectional study of neighbour support in a major UK urban area during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Apart but not alone - Neighbour support and the Covid-19 lockdown (2020)
Report
Beardmore, A., Jones, M., Biddle, M., White, J., Ismail, S., McClean, S., …Sabey, A. (2020). Apart but not alone - Neighbour support and the Covid-19 lockdown

Initial findings from the survey in Bristol and the West Country, 6th - 12th April 2020 (days 14-20 of the UK Government Coronavirus Restrictions)