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 address issues and questions impacting local people’s lives.

2023-24 projects: Following a successful pilot programme in 2021-22, and a second cycle in 2022-23, seven groups from Oxford and the surrounding area are working with researchers from the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University.

Ark-T

Ark-T is an arts and community centre and mental health and wellbeing charity with two centres based in the south of the city.

Despite its relatively small footprint, Oxford is a city of contrasts. There are areas of considerable affluence and those with significantly greater inequalities. Rose Hill, Blackbird Leys, and Littlemore in south Oxford are in the top 20% of the UK's most deprived areas, according to the 2019 Multiple Index of Deprivation.

Ark-T runs Community Hub Days with free, drop-in activities and services for everyone in the community; from one-to-one benefits, debt and housing advice or counselling to play for Under-5s and adult arts and crafts.

Group project

Assessing the impact of Ark-T's Community Hub Days

As part of Science Together, Ark-T is working with researchers from Oxford's universities to assess the impact of Ark-T's Community Hub Days programme and the extent to which Ark-T is meeting the needs of the community and participants.

MES Creations

MES (otherwise known as Mad Eclectic Styles) are an Oxfordshire-based collective of creatives supported by community groups and local authorities to inspire creativity and engagement through legal graffiti and street art.

As part of the Open Walls Network, the collective works alongside councils and local authorities to open up walls for use by young artists.

MES encourages participants to express their creativity by brightening walls, underpasses, and tunnels with their artwork and murals for the local community.

Group project

Graffiti Club

The MES crew, with support from Oxford University's Science Together programme, are developing an engaging and accessible artistic initiative; a Graffiti Club conducted daily throughout the Easter school holidays.

The Graffiti Club will offer the opportunity for participants to represent their own voices and stories in the community – while positively embracing and enhancing the local surroundings.

In-Spire Sounds

In-Spire Sounds is an Oxford-based professional recording studio with an active role in supporting young artists and the local community.

The 'Inspiring Change through Music' youth project run by In-Spire Sounds delivers one-to-one sessions, group sessions and holiday workshops for 12 to 25-year-olds in Oxfordshire experiencing a range of adversities.

“An invaluable resource for which there never seems to be a shortage of demand amongst young people at risk of social exclusion.”
Tim Parkhouse – Youth Justice Service

Group project

Under RAPresented Youth

As part of Science Together, the group are investigating the power of creativity in youth engagement.

The project will consider the impact on individual participants taking part in workshops and the wider social benefits of helping to provide a creative platform for unheard youth voices in the community.

The team are planning to produce a report and documentary highlighting their findings.

Parasol Project

Established in the early 1990s, the Parasol Project was set up by professionals working with disabled and vulnerable young people to provide inclusive play and leisure activities in the local area.

In partnership with young people, parents, carers and other agencies and organisations, the charity provides engaging activities and support for disabled and non-disabled children and young people aged from 5 to 19.

Group project

The group are developing a case study on the culturally inclusive Parasol Project teaching initiative which empowers non-verbal young people and those interested in a career in care work.

Slade Nursery School and Day Nursery

The Slade Nursery School and Day Nursery in Oxford champions six values – encouraging children to be Curious, Independent and Knowledgeable Learners, Respectful, Creative and Resilient – foundational skills for education and tools for life.

Serving a diverse community, the nursery school has a higher number of children with special educational needs and disabilities or with additional linguistic requirements than in some other areas of Oxford.

“We are proud of the diverse nursery community which has 14 languages spoken by the children.”
Sarah O'Leary – Headteacher

Drawing on the experiences of supporting children with a range of complex educational requirements, the Nursery has established an alternative provision to help develop children's emotional literacy.

Group project

Measuring the effect of using an alternative provision to support disadvantaged children in being able to self-regulate and improve well-being and involvement.

Working with Science Together, the group is measuring the direct impact of the provision and evaluating the long-term effects on the children’s performance.

The measures are standardised using WellComm and teachers’ judgements based on the work of researcher Ferre Laevers.

Good Food Oxfordshire

Good Food Oxfordshire is a network of organisations working towards a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system for Oxfordshire.

Good Food Oxfordshire encourages individuals and organisations to make choices and take action towards a healthy, fair, ethical and environmentally sustainable food system in Oxford and the wider county.

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Healthy Food. Healthy community. Healthy planet.

The cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated access to healthy diets and hit vulnerable communities the hardest.

Working with Science Together researchers, the group is co-designing a digital community platform to help improve access to healthier and more sustainable diets for Oxfordshire communities.

Oxford Lindy Hoppers

Oxford Lindy Hoppers are a non-profit community-based swing dance group founded in 2008.

Now in its fifteenth year, the group has gone from strength to strength in its mission to get the people of Oxford enjoying the benefits of swing dancing.

Group project

DanceTogether

Working with Science Together, the group is exploring the benefits of dance on physical and mental well-being – and the development of the social and improvisational skills used in swing dancing.