Ignite: Finding and fostering community–university partnerships

 Commencing in October 2018, the Ignite project resulted in seven new partnerships with outcomes that far exceeded expectations. One found glass microfibre pollution in oysters – the first in the world to discover this – and worked collaboratively to understand the community implications and work towards solutions. Another, used a novel methodology to train local people as participatory researchers who went on to co-produce a study on the arts and wellbeing in an area with high deprivation.. A third partnership mobilised key stakeholders to identify what can be done to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children. In their coastal town, self harm amongst children and young people is higher than the national average. This has resulted in parents coming together with a range of professionals including teachers, GPs, NHS commissioners as well as politicians to find community solutions.