Science Together

Science Together brings together the expertise and experience of local community groups with the skills and resources of researchers from across the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University to deliver projects that help to improve local people’s lives.

2024-25 projects: Science Together has been taking place each year since a successful pilot programme in 2021-22. This year, eight Oxfordshire community groups are working with nine facilitators and 17 researchers from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University.

Body Politic

Body Politic is a local dance company that runs classes, workshops and outreach programmes to develop skills, build confidence and improve the well-being of young people. They create performances to empower excluded voices and explore social issues.

Workshop by Body Politic. Image by Ezzidin Alwan

Group project

Dance for Meaningful Change

The team are developing a set of standardised evaluation processes to help assess the impact of regular dance participation on the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of young people. They will pilot surveys and approaches with two groups: a regular dance class creating a performance on 22 March, and individuals taking part in the Future Leaders Programme.

Down's Syndrome Oxford

Down's Syndrome Oxford is a parent-led charity that provides information, support, events and activities for people with Down's Syndrome and their families in Oxfordshire.

Group project

Holiday Clubs to Assist Transition

The team are organising a pilot holiday club for children and young people (aged 8-14) with Down's Syndrome. Planned for the school half-term in May, the pilot aims to provide a holiday club format that mirrors a school day, by recruiting and training student volunteers to support activities and provide health and wellbeing support for the attendees.

The holiday club pilots a new provision for Down's Syndrome Oxford. The team will be assessing the impact of this model, how it assists with transitions between school holidays and term time and evaluating opportunities for future rollout across the country.

EMBS Community College

EMBS provide a supportive learning environment for adults and young people who feel marginalised or excluded in other education settings.

Students include asylum seekers, refugees, individuals in the care system and those who have been failed by mainstream education.

“Ever since I started to study here, everything negative that I used to feel has changed completely... If I am being honest, I not only consider EMBS a college – I also see it as my family”
Daniella (former EMBS student)

Group project

Building a Sustainable Life

The team want to create a series of six sessions for adult learners that help them develop their speaking and listening skills, envision what a sustainable life in Oxford means to them and produce a plan of action to help them achieve their goals.

Nai’s House

Nai's House provides mental health services for young people including one-on-one support, crisis intervention, and activities in safe spaces for positive distraction.

Group project

Evaluating Community Suicide Prevention Training for Police Officers

The team will partner with Thames Valley Police to provide ASIST suicide prevention training to first responders and they are using the Storytelling evaluation method as part of an approach to assess the impact of the training on the confidence, skills and readiness of staff.

Oxfordshire Community Land Trust

Oxford Community Land Trust is a long-term steward of the land and its assets, ensuring they are used to benefit local people.

The Trust focuses on tackling the housing crisis in Oxfordshire through the development of affordable, sustainable, community-led housing projects.

Group project

Regenerative Community Building

The team are exploring how to build more socially- and ecologically- regenerative affordable housing using local, bio-based materials.

Workshops in Summer 2025 will bring together a broad cross-section of community members to learn practical regenerative building skills.

Researchers from Oxford’s universities will evaluate these workshops, documenting the social and ecological benefits of building in this way, and identifying how to refine this approach in the future.

Refugee Resource

Refugee Resource facilitates the integration of refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in Oxfordshire by providing psychological, social and practical support to increase confidence, enable independence and reduce isolation.

Group project

Empowering Voices, Building Communities

The team are working with their Refugee Advisory Group to strengthen client voices in the way that Refugee Resource designs, implements and improves its services in areas such as training, counselling, mentoring, signposting and social interaction opportunities.

The project will focus on supporting the Refugee Advisory Group to gather feedback from underrepresented voices in the community.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

St Mary’s is a faith school in Bicester for children aged 4 to 11 years old. Their curriculum is complemented by physical, creative and social activities including the school’s own Lighthouse radio station, run by pupils.

Group project

School Radio for Wellbeing and Connection with Nature

The team are introducing regular ‘try at home’ nature activities into the weekly school radio show “Wellbeing Wednesdays”, which is co-presented by Year 5 and 6 pupils. They will assess the take-up of these activities and qualitatively evaluate the impact of participation on children’s wellbeing.

Sound Resource

Sound Resource promote and provides inclusive music experiences for health and wellbeing, including singing for adults with lung conditions and concerts for people with dementia and their carers. They provide training and consultancy on the benefits of singing.

Group project

Moving Music

The team are assessing the value and impact of Sound Resource's Moving Music concerts for people with dementia and their carers. This includes an assessment of the cost-effectiveness and social value of the concerts, mapping data looking at aspects such as where people come from and the location of complementary provision and using Storytelling evaluation approaches to provide qualitative insights.