Search

Purpose: Most football clubs were founded by members of the local community within which they are based. The success of a club is built on the time, effort and resources given by these locals, which is offered due to the benefits that football promises to the community in return. However, the game has increasingly been dominated by a focus on financial (monetary) value, at the expense of such benefits being delivered to the clubs' local communities. This article examines a need for deliberation over what accountability is owed by football clubs to their local communities in the context of questioning what and for whom football is for. Design/methodology/approach: This exploration is undertaken within the context of the English game, where a series of issues has resulted in the UK Government undertaking a "fan led review of football governance". The report produced by this review is analysed to understand whether the contents and recommendations enters the debate over what accountability is owed to local communities. Findings: While the UK Government's fan led review recognises the pivotal role of local communities in the formation of the English game, its focus and resulting recommendations are mostly on the financial sustainability of the clubs. The analysis demonstrates that, due to their focus on financial value, the implementation of the report's recommendations is more likely to exacerbate the underlying issues rather than resolving them. Originality/value: The call for deliberation over whether and what accountability is owed to local communities has been repeated over time. The UK Government's fan led review provided an important opportunity to engage in that deliberation. However, the dominance of financial value within football has all but silenced any call for and action regarding this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Working together and co‐production with public advisors have become popular among health researchers. This practice extends to doctoral researchers who involve public advisors at different stages of their research or throughout their doctoral journey. Objective: A doctoral researcher and two public advisors jointly evaluated public involvement in doctoral research. Methods: Using the established public involvement evaluation framework by Gibson and colleagues, public advisors and a doctoral researcher mapped and evaluated their experiences of public involvement in doctoral research. The four‐dimensional framework allowed the authors to reflect on (1) the strength of the public voice, (2) the number of ways in which public advisors had an opportunity to get involved, (3) whether the discussion was about the public or organisation's (doctoral researcher, university or funder) concerns and (4) if the organisation changed or resisted feedback. Results are presented in a diagrammatic and narrative way. Results: Public advisors saw themselves as having a stronger voice in doctoral research than the doctoral researcher perceived. All agreed that there existed multiple ways for public advisors to be involved. Public advisors' feedback was taken on board, but it was also limited due to restrictions of what the doctoral programme allowed. Conclusion: Public advisors ensured that the doctoral research was more relevant to the public. The ongoing involvement also shaped the doctoral researcher's thinking and views. Patient and Public Involvement: Two public advisors were involved throughout the 3 years of this doctoral research. They co‐evaluated this involvement and are co‐authors of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The period when the British Educational Research Association (BERA) was founded was one in which there was an increasing recognition amongst the research community that a wind of change had stirred up the settled traditions of educational research. It was a time which celebrated the promise of alternative paradigms for research. Ten or so years on we are entering another era where the emphasis is not on the reconceptualisation of what research is but on how it is organised. I think one can discern at least two factors, not wholly separate from each other, that will increasingly influence how a substantial part of research will be organised. These two factors are the changes which have taken place in the composition of the research community and the direction of current Government policy concerning the school system. I aim to show how these are leading to a fruitful form of collaborative research at local level which should be encouraged and supported—not least by BERA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Church of England's historic buildings represent the single largest group of heritage sites in the UK, playing a key public-facing role in the church's 'cultural witness'. However, they are complex historic environments implicated in the recent focus on 'contested heritage' and imperial legacies. The wider heritage sector's answer to the adversarial nature of this debate has been to turn contested histories into dialogical opportunities; participatory and collaborative approaches to interpretation and curation have become an important feature of much recent secular heritage work. Yet, the CofE has not yet articulated or embraced the value of similar initiatives for its own collections, with guidance at the institutional level aimed primarily at conservation and protection. This paper initiates a discussion about how engagement with sensitive memories enhances the importance of CofE's cultural heritage. It offers a preliminary report of a research project led by the author titled 'Inclusive Interpretations of Christian Heritage', carried out between 2021 and 2022 at iconic churches in central London. After discussing the theoretical context, project rationale, and method, the paper discusses the connections which Christians from ethnic minority or immigrant backgrounds have to ecclesiastical spaces usually associated with national history. The perspectives of previously unrepresented groups can supplement expert assessments concerning a site's significance, revealing important areas in which the CofE's cultural assets hold meaning beyond national or aesthetic importance. The paper argues that widening community engagement represents a crucial task for accentuating the social and civic importance of the CofE's cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has evidenced the importance of collaboration and multi-agency partnership work in responding to human trafficking in both the UK and US. Three previous key studies are synthesized in this paper. We situate multi-agency anti-trafficking collaborative work within conceptualizations of "resilience" and mechanisms by which to achieve it, and draw comparisons between the structure, organization, and activities of anti-trafficking partnerships in the UK and US. We present results, reflections, and discussion regarding the utility of local-problem diagnosis and multi-agency, using collaborative intelligence analysis as a mechanism to galvanize and organize local partnership action, resulting from action research conducted in one police force area. We posit the replication of this "problem profile" exercise as a mechanism for anti-trafficking collaborators to galvanize their aims and day-to-day efforts to make their communities resilient to human trafficking. We close by arguing for resilience as a framing for this mechanism and for local collaborative efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'Age of Austerity' has ruptured the social fabric of contemporary Britain. Arising from our three-year Life on the Breadline project, this article represents the first fieldwork-led analysis of the multidimensional nature of austerity-age poverty by academic theologians in the UK. The article analyses the impact that austerity has had on Christian responses to poverty and inequality in the UK. We draw on our six ethnographic case studies and interview responses from over 120 national and regional Church leaders to exemplify the four approaches to the Christian engagement with poverty that we identified during our research: 'caring', 'campaigning and advocacy', 'enterprise' and 'community building'. We argue that the Church needs to grasp the systemic, multidimensional and violent nature of poverty in order to realise the potential embedded in its extensive social capital and fulfil its goal of 'transforming structural injustice'. The paper shows that the Church remains nervous of moving beyond welfare-based responses to poverty and suggests that none of the existing approaches can force poverty into retreat until the Church re-imagines itself as a liberative movement that embodies God's preferential option for the poor in every aspect of its life and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peer-research is steered and conducted by people with lived experience of the issues being researched. This paper explores the value of peer-research in two complex public health intervention evaluations in the UK.Methods: Reports from 18 peer research projects, completed by residents from 12 communities in the UK taking part in two community empowerment interventions, were analysed using cross-case analysis.Results: Undertaking peer research helped to build the evaluation and research skills within individual projects as well as providing data on other outcomes related to the programmes Theory of Change. Some peer researchers, however, felt unprepared for the activity despite support from the academic team and were unsatisfied with project outcomes. While peer research projects provided more opportunities for local residents to engage with the overall evaluations, there was an overreliance on people closely connected to the programmes to be peer researchers. The peer research projects explored topics that were broader than the aims and objectives of the overall programme evaluations. All provided insight into the context in which projects occurred, while some also informed understanding of programme change mechanisms.Conclusions: Including peer research as part of complex public health intervention evaluations can help uncover important contextual and ecological details beyond the reach of more traditional evaluation data collection. Peer research can also empower and build research/evaluation capacity within communities, which is particularly pertinent for community empowerment interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the approach taken to develop the United Kingdom's first community Earth system model, UKESM1. This is a joint effort involving the Met Office and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), representing the U.K. academic community. We document our model development procedure and the subsequent U.K. submission to CMIP6, based on a traceable hierarchy of coupled physical and Earth system models. UKESM1 builds on the well‐established, world‐leading HadGEM models of the physical climate system and incorporates cutting‐edge new representations of aerosols, atmospheric chemistry, terrestrial carbon, and nitrogen cycles and an advanced model of ocean biogeochemistry. A high‐level metric of overall performance shows that both models, HadGEM3‐GC3.1 and UKESM1, perform better than most other CMIP6 models so far submitted for a broad range of variables. We point to much more extensive evaluation performed in other papers in this special issue. The merits of not using any forced climate change simulations within our model development process are discussed. First results from HadGEM3‐GC3.1 and UKESM1 include the emergent climate sensitivity (5.5 and 5.4 K, respectively) which is high relative to the current range of CMIP5 models. The role of cloud microphysics and cloud‐aerosol interactions in driving the climate sensitivity, and the systematic approach taken to understand this role, is highlighted in other papers in this special issue. We place our findings within the broader modeling landscape indicating how our understanding of key processes driving higher sensitivity in the two U.K. models seems to align with results from a number of other CMIP6 models. Plain Language Summary: The United Kingdom has taken a community approach to model development and delivery of simulations to the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6). The papers in this special issue characterize and evaluate the U.K. models and highlight emerging properties of the models, such as the climate sensitivity. Understanding of the reasons for an increase in sensitivity in these new models is highlighted here, and similarities to our findings from other modeling centers are discussed. Key Points: The United Kingdom has developed its first community Earth system model and delivered a traceable hierarchy of models to CMIP6We applied a process‐based evaluation strategy in model development but chose not to use historic trends or measures of climate responseThe U.K. models exhibit higher climate sensitivity than seen in CMIP5 arising in part from more positive cloud feedbacks [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of ‘graduateness’ and graduate attributes became contested terrain before COVID-19 destabilised even the most assured of shared learning constructions. Indeed, for those of us immersed in the delivery of work-based learning (WBL), this has long been the case. Promotion of reductive notions of ‘skills’ acquisition to comply neatly with an employability agenda holds little relevance for those students already engaged in full time careers, and with a wealth of professional experience. What can hold influence and interest, however, is the opportunity to engage in meaningful, agentic, professionally-aligned reflective practices as a scaffolded route to promoting self-awareness and developing confidence in mapping competences from the professional domain to the academic (and vice versa). This paper shares an account of taking an embedded approach to supporting the development of academic literacies amongst work-based learners in one UK HEI. In particular, it will consider the use of reflective pedagogical tools and values in supporting work-based learners to become confident and adaptable writers. Discussion considers how work-based pedagogies and approaches may have farreaching relevance in a post-pandemic landscape, where reskilling and professional agility are likely to become more prolific aspects of education and work. Writing itself is framed as an integrated communication practice that encompasses literature retrieval, reading, evaluation, synthesis and articulation of argument. The paper will describe pre-pandemic academic support activities and share qualitative survey data in which students consider their confidence as both professional and academic writers. It concludes with consideration of how some of the approaches outlined may have relevance for the wider academic community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mathematical interpretation of interventions for the mitigation of epidemics in the literature often involves finding the optimal time to initiate an intervention and/or the use of the number of infections to manage impact. Whilst these methods may work in theory, in order to implement effectively they may require information which is not likely to be available in the midst of an epidemic, or they may require impeccable data about infection levels in the community. In reality, testing and cases data can only be as good as the policy of implementation and the compliance of the individuals, which implies that accurately estimating the levels of infections becomes difficult or complicated from the data that is provided. In this paper, we demonstrate a different approach to the mathematical modelling of interventions, not based on optimality or cases, but based on demand and capacity of hospitals who have to deal with the epidemic on a day to day basis. In particular, we use data-driven modelling to calibrate a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-died type model to infer parameters that depict the dynamics of the epidemic in several regions of the UK. We use the calibrated parameters for forecasting scenarios and understand, given a maximum capacity of hospital healthcare services, how the timing of interventions, severity of interventions, and conditions for the releasing of interventions affect the overall epidemic-picture. We provide an optimisation method to capture when, in terms of healthcare demand, an intervention should be put into place given a maximum capacity on the service. By using an equivalent agent-based approach, we demonstrate uncertainty quantification on the likelihood that capacity is not breached, by how much if it does, and the limit on demand that almost guarantees capacity is not breached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges for rapidly designing, initiating, and delivering therapeutic clinical trials. PRINCIPLE (Platform Randomised Trial of Treatments in the Community for Epidemic and Pandemic Illnesses) is the UK national platform investigating repurposed therapies for COVID-19 treatment of older people in the community at high risk of complications. Standard methods of patient recruitment were failing to meet the required pace and scale of enrolment. This paper describes the development and appraisal of a near real-time, data-driven, ethical approach for enhancing recruitment in community care by contacting people with a recent COVID-19 positive test result from the central NHS Test and Trace service within approximately 24-48 h of their test result.Methods: A multi-disciplinary team was formed to solve the technical, ethical, public perception, logistical and information governance issues required to provide a near-real time (approximately within 24-48 h of receiving a positive test) feed of potential trial participants from test result data to the research team. PRINCIPLE was also given unique access to the Summary Care Record (SCR) to ensure safe prescribing, and to enable the trial team to quickly and safely bring consented patients into the trial. A survey of the public was used to understand public perceptions of the use of test data for this proposed methodology.Results: Prior to establishing the data service, PRINCIPLE registered on average 87 participants per week. This increased by up to 87 additional people registered per week from the test data, contributing to an increase from 1013 recruits to PRINCIPLE at the start of October 2020 to 2802 recruits by 20 December 2020. Whilst procedural caveats were identified by the public consultation, out of 2639 people contacted by PRINCIPLE following a positive test result, no one raised a concern about being approached.Conclusions: This paper describes a novel approach to using near-real time NHS operational data to recruit community-based patients within a few days of presentation with acute illness. This approach increased recruitment and reduced time between positive test and randomisation, allowing more rapid evaluation of treatments and increased safety for participants. End-to-end public and patient involvement in the design of the approach provided evidence to inform information governance decisions.Trial Registration: PRINCIPLE is funded by UK Research and Innovation and the Department of Health and Social Care through the National Institute for Health Research. EudraCT number: 2020-001209-22 . 26/03/2020 ISRCTN registry: ISRCTN86534580 . 20/03/2020 REC number: 20/SC/058 IRAS number: 281958. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deploying smart local energy engagement tools (SLEETs) in local energy projects enables users to better observe and control energy, and potentially become active participants in local energy management. Using a cross-project approach, this paper examines the prevalence, effectiveness and inclusiveness of 84 SLEETs deployed in 72 local energy projects in the UK from 2008 to 2018. An original framework for the characterisation of SLEETs was employed, which grouped them into seven types and characterised them in terms of their level of interaction and interface design. Our study shows that information-driven tools were the most popular in community energy groups, while digital energy platforms or interaction tools with numeric interfaces were the most popular in smart local energy system (SLES) initiatives. In contrast, interaction tools with visual interfaces, and tools offering control were found to be less popular. Spatial analysis revealed that SLEETs were mostly deployed in areas with grid constraints (technology), active community energy groups (people) and engaged local authorities (policy). Effective SLEETs were found to stimulate engagement amongst people (social engagement), and between people and technology (operation and control), while inclusive SLEETs enabled the inclusion of vulnerable and low-income households. The acceptance and implementation of SLES initiatives can be enhanced by creating effective and inclusive SLEETs that align with local users' requirements and are supported by local stakeholders in order to foster trust. In future, there is a need to develop appropriate metrics (key performance indicator) or scoring methods to measure the prevalence, effectiveness, and inclusiveness of SLEETs in a consistent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Involving patients and communities with health research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) contributes to increasing the likelihood that research is relevant in local context and caters to the needs of the population, including vulnerable and marginalised groups. When done right, it can also support empowerment of wider communities in taking ownership of their own health, lead to increased access and uptake of health services and generally improve the wellbeing of individuals. However, the evidence base of how to undertake successful community engagement and involvement (CEI) activities in LMICs is sparse. This paper aims to add to the available literature and describes how the Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery's (GSU) team in Ghana worked collaboratively with the Unit's team in the UK and a UK-based Public Advisory Group to involve community stakeholders in rural Ghana with surgical research. The aim was to explore ways of reaching out to patients and community leaders in rural Ghana to have conversations that inform the relevance, acceptability, and feasibility of a clinical trial, called TIGER. Methods: As this kind of larger scale involvement of community stakeholders with research was a novel way of working for the team in Ghana, a reflective approach was taken to outline step-by-step how the GSU team planned and undertook these involvement activities with 31 hernia patients, two Chiefs (community leaders), a community finance officer and a local politician in various locations in Ghana. The barriers that were experienced and the benefits of involving community stakeholders are highlighted with the aim to add to the evidence base of CEI in LMICs. Results: GSU members from the UK and Ghana planned and organised successful involvement activities that focused on establishing the best way to talk to patients and other community stakeholders about their experiences of living with hernias and undergoing hernia repairs, and their perceptions of the impact of hernias on the wider community. The Ghanaian team suggested 1:1 conversations in easily accessible locations for rural patient contributors, creating a welcoming environment and addressing contributors in their local dialects. A UK-based Public Advisory Group helped in the initial stages of planning these conversations by highlighting potential barriers when approaching rural communities and advising on how to phrase questions around personal experiences. Conversations mainly focused on understanding the needs of hernia patients in rural Ghana to then incorporate these in the design of the TIGER trial to ensure its relevance, acceptability and feasibility. When talking to patient contributors, the GSU teams found that they were more likely to open up when they knew members of the team and the opportunity to speak to local leaders only arose because of the Ghanaian team members being well-respected amongst communities. The experiences of the patient and community contributors led to changes in the study protocol, such as including women in the patient cohort for the trial, and allowed the GSU teams to confirm the relevance and acceptability of this trial. These conversations also taught the team a lot about perceptions of health in rural communities, allowed the Ghanaian team to establish relationships with community leaders that can be utilised when future studies need input from the public, and has changed the minds of the Ghanaian research team about the importance of involving patients with research. Conclusion: This paper contributes to the evidence base on successful CEI activities in LMICs by providing an example of how CEI can be planned and organised, and the benefits this provides. The conversations the teams had with patient contributors in Ghana are an example of successful patient consultations. Even though there are certain limitations to the extent of these involvement activities, a solid foundation has been built for researchers and community stakeholders to establish relationships for ongoing involvement. Plain English summary: Evidence in the literature shows that research that was designed and implemented with the help of patients or other members of the community affected by the study, is more likely to be relevant to the needs of the end user. This can have positive effects on the quality and impact of the study. However, working collaboratively with patient or public contributors can have certain challenges, especially in low- and middle- income countries. For example, factors such as different languages or dialects, religious beliefs, health beliefs, level of literacy, understanding of research, and poverty can potentially make it more difficult for researchers to reach, communicate and involve relevant members of the public. On top of this, the evidence base for successfully implementing these so-called community engagement and involvement activities is sparse, making it more challenging for researchers to learn from others' experiences. Members of the Global Surgery Unit, who are based in Ghana, proposed a clinical trial to address the shortfall of specialist surgeons at rural hospitals. This will be achieved by training medically qualified doctors, who have not yet gone through the specialist training to become qualified surgeons, to perform inguinal hernia repairs proficiently. Before the study gets funded and a protocol can be designed, the researchers need to ensure its relevance, acceptability, and feasibility. This is usually done by getting the opinion and thoughts of key stakeholders, mainly individuals who will be affected by the research. To achieve this, the team in Ghana worked together with Global Surgery Unit members in the UK to identify the best ways to approach and have conversations with 31 inguinal hernia patients who either previously had surgery or currently live with hernias, two Chiefs (community leaders), a community finance officer and a local politician in a variety of locations in Ghana that are representative of the patient cohort for the study. The intention was to understand the impact of hernias on individual patients, their families, and entire communities to inform the relevance, acceptability and feasibility of the clinical trial, and ensure that relevant aspects are captured in the study protocol. A UK-based public advisory group provided initial input to help eliminate potential barriers of addressing patient contributors in rural Ghana. This paper states in detail how these conversations were planned and organised, the challenges the team had to overcome, and what they learned and gained from talking to community members - which goes far beyond just informing a study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of space, movement and even breath afforded to many communities cuts across seemingly mobile life trajectories, constraining and constricting even (and often especially) the movement of people across and within transnational borders. How do arts organisations and projects explicitly work against the violence of these forms of constraint? Where liberal models of the public sphere have underpinned many ideas of art in public space—particularly those based in the notions of appearance and the "general" public—it is from situated praxes originating from what Stahl and Stoecker have described as the "expanded private sphere" that poignant lessons can be learned of a community and curatorial practice dedicated to solidarity and support. In this paper, we elaborate a notion of art in public that refuses a division from the "private", without straying unproblematically into the terrain of the personal or exploitative economies of care. We draw from our collaborative experiences in using creative strategies for countering the narrative containment of refugee groups in the face of UK media racism through the project Conflict, Memory, Displacement as well as the limitations we encountered. Using the concept of Azamba—a Malawan practice of community care and midwifery recently adopted by the women's group Global Sistaz United in Nottingham, UK—we further elaborate how practices and narrations of care and community support might reconfigure our relation to ideas of art, curating and publics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The spouses or partners of serving members of the UK Armed Forces are often subject to similar constraints to those of enlisted personnel. This paper aims to examine the experiences and wellbeing of a group of army wives. In particular, it focuses on their shared experiences of consumer vulnerability and related challenges, exploring the extent to which membership of military wives' communities can help them to cope. Design/methodology/approach: Using an interpretivist approach, data were collected through four focus group discussions involving 30 army wives, and seven individual in-depth interviews. Findings: The paper highlights shared experiences of consumer vulnerability and demonstrates how army wives' approaches to coping incorporate both individual and community-based approaches. It proposes that communities of coping develop within the army wives community, providing women with both practical and emotional support. Research limitations/implications: The paper acknowledges that there is a range of factors that will impact military spouses' experiences of consumer vulnerability and strategies for coping. This heterogeneity was difficult to capture within a small exploratory study. Practical implications: The UK Government should consider their duties towards military spouses and children. This would entail a significant cultural shift and recognition of military personnel's caring responsibilities. Originality/value: This research contributes to understandings regarding the potentially shared nature of both consumer vulnerability and coping strategies. The study introduces the relevance of communities of coping to consumer contexts, highlighting how members can benefit from both practical and emotional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper brings together two qualitative studies exploring how domestic violence and abuse (DVA) manifests within UK Muslim communities. Study one was conducted with UK-based Muslim female survivors of DVA (n = 10). Study two was conducted with UK professionals working in a supportive capacity with both DVA victims/survivors and those perpetrating abuse within Muslim communities (n = 9). Through a multi-perspective interpretative phenomenological lens, the two data sets were analysed for overarching themes. These themes were subsequently used to develop a graphical representation of the findings. The resulting outcome was the web model of DVA. The model identifies the trajectories and interactions at four levels in relation to DVA in Muslim communities. It is argued that this model has increased capacity for understanding the extended nature of how DVA manifests for UK Muslim communities, with a particular emphasis on the active role of faith and additional nuances often missed by singular methodological approaches. The model is recommended for use by services as a means toward individually tailored client care. Recommendations are made in relation to inclusive and decolonial approaches within gender-related violence research relating to minority communities in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Access to affordable, appropriate housing is one of the key social determinants of health, affecting well-being across the lifecourse. However, beyond a recognition that housing quality is linked to place of death, little is known about the ways in which housing status impacts social, emotional, and practical aspects of dying and bereavement. Method: The Checking Out project is a qualitative study aiming to explore the ways in which socio-economic status impacts people's experiences of, and attitudes towards, death, dying, and bereavement in the United Kingdom. Qualitative interviews were carried out with 14 bereaved individuals with experience of poverty at end of life or in bereavement, and 15 professionals supporting individuals in low-income communities. Interviews were conducted via phone/video call, and data include experiences of end of life and bereavement both before and during the pandemic. Transcripts were examined using thematic analysis. Results: Housing emerged as an important factor affecting people's experiences, with 7 of the 14 bereaved individuals and all except 1 of the professionals discussing housing-related issues. Participants described ways in which unsuitable housing and housing insecurity impacted practical aspects of dying but also emotional and social well-being at end of life. Housing-related issues affected both patients and their families, though families found it difficult to air these concerns when their relative was dying. Conclusion: The paper demonstrates how trusted professionals are able to advocate or address the issues faced by bereaved individuals and suggests implications for policy and practice. A greater awareness of the potential impact of housing status across public services, including healthcare practitioners, welfare support, and housing providers, could better support patients and practitioners to address these issues proactively. Housing providers and policy-makers should be included as key partners in collaborative public health approaches to palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore, drawing on the author’s experience, the role of human resource development (HRD) in developing individuals, teams and communities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a critically reflective methodology rooted in the research practice of the author working alongside communities in the UK. Findings – A non-employee critical HRD can foster empowered spaces by which alternative discourses can be held up to the light and critical questions posed. The paper introduces the notion of a different form of empowerment that moves away from the individual to a view of suspension of action, of supporting the exploration of assumptions and taken-for-granteds, of identifying constructions of reality by members of communities, and inquiring into the social conditions which play a large part in determining their health and ambitions. Practical implications – At a time when extensive cuts are being planned for public services, and the discourse of community empowerment becomes more entrenched, consideration of a critical approach to non-employee HRD is especially timely, for both researchers and policy makers. Originality/value – Past studies of HRD have focused primarily on the organisational sphere, with little critical consideration of its application to actual community settings and so-called “service users”. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether United Kingdom (UK)-based companies have changed their voluntary disclosures on curbing the bribery of foreign officials in response to the UK Bribery Act 2010, and if so whether and how such disclosure changes substantively reflected allegations of bribery of foreign officials by news media. Design/methodology/approach: By using the notions of institutional pressure and decoupling and applying content and thematic analysis, the authors examined, in particular, disclosures on curbing bribery by the largest 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange in periods before and after the Bribery Act (2007–2012). News media reports covering incidents of bribery of foreign officials and related corporate disclosures before and after the Act were thoroughly examined to problematise corporate anti-bribery disclosure practices. Findings: The study finds a significant change in disclosure on curbing bribery before and after the enactment of the UK Bribery Act, consistent with the notion of institutional coercive pressure. However, decoupling is also found: organisations' disclosures did not substantively reflect incidents of bribing foreign public officials, mostly from underprivileged developing nations. Research limitations/implications: This study acknowledges a limitation stemming from using media reports that focus on bribery incidents in identifying actual cases or incidents of bribery. As some of the incidents identified from news media reports appeared to be allegations, not convictions for bribery, companies could have defensible reasons for not disclosing some aspects of them. Practical implications: Regulators should think why new or more regulations without substantive requirement are not helpful to curb corporate decoupling and injustice. The regulators should address the crisis that multinational companies (MNCs) being suppliers of bribery are much more harmful for the underprivileged communities in developing nations. Accordingly, this paper provides practical insights into how stakeholders ought to critically interpret MNCs' accounts of their involvement in bribery. Originality/value: This study contributes to the accounting literature by problematising MNCs' operations in underprivileged countries. The findings suggest that not only public officials in developing countries as creators of bribery but also Western-based MNCs as the suppliers of bribery contribute to perpetuating unethical practices and injustices to the underprivileged communities in developing countries. This research is imperative as this is one of the first known studies that provides evidence of the actions including disclosure-related actions companies have taken in response to the UK Bribery Act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, increase of analyzing stock markets as complex systems lead graph theory to play a key role. For instance, detecting graph communities is an important task in the analysis of stocks, and as planar maximally filtered graphs let us to get important information for the topology of the market. In this study, we first obtain correlation network representation of UK's leading stock market network by using a novel threshold method. Then, we determine vertex clusters by using modularity and analyze clusters in planar maximally filtered graph substructures. Our analyze include a new measure called weighted Gini index for measuring the sparsity. The main goal of this paper is to study the hierarchical evolution of the market communities throughout the Brexit referendum, which is known as the stress period for the stock market. Hence, the overall sample is divided into two sub-periods of pre-referendum, and post-referendum to obtain communities and hierarchical structures. Our results indicate that financial companies are leading elements of the clusters. Moreover, the significant changes within the network topologies are observed for insurance, consumer goods, consumer services, mining, and technology sectors whereas oil and gas and health care sectors have not been affected by Brexit stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To report the use of a community participatory approach (PA) in a project investigating tuberculosis (TB) in UK Somali migrants. Background: It is crucial to address health inequalities and persistent health problems, particularly in groups who are often excluded or seem hard to reach. TB is an illness stigmatised in the Somali population, making it a difficult topic for research. In this study, a community PA was used to investigate TB and members of the Somali community were recruited as co-researchers. Data sources: Four community researchers (CRs), eight focus groups (n=48), interviews with members of the community (n=24), people with TB and ex-TB patients (n=14), and healthcare practitioners (n=18). Review methods: This is an informative paper. Discussion: The paper describes the approach used in the recruitment of community researchers and how engaging early with community leaders using oral communication made it possible to research TB in the Somali community. Conclusion: The PA led to capacity building, trust and a longer sustainable partnership with members of the Somali community. The success of the approach in the study suggests that there are valuable lessons for those researching similar topics with minority groups. Implications for practice/research Involving people in health research topics with a stigma is possible. This paper highlights how this could be achieved using a community PA and the recruitment of community members as co-researchers. However, the PA is time-consuming and will depend on the skills of academic researchers in knowing and engaging with the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The NHS Five Year Forward View identifies a range of approaches for addressing the NHS's challenges. The Transition movement helps communities to reframe and rebuild their world by working on issues such as climate change, food, community relationships and localizing the economy. Methods This paper describes Transition using five short example projects and, informed by these, identifies mechanisms by which Transition could potentially help reduce pressure on the NHS. Results Transition is characterized by people self-organizing to address local challenges with benefits arising from both the outcomes and the process of the projects. Transition may be able to help the NHS reframe change, prevent disease, improve staff well-being and increase local economic resilience. Discussion The evidence base for the relationship between Transition and health is growing but is not yet well developed. This reflects the complexity of establishing an evidence base for wider determinants of health. There is substantial potential learning for those in the NHS about change outside formal institutional structures. Conclusions Transition provides new ways of thinking and acting to develop greater 'community intelligence', which could help the NHS in the face of increasing pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in health behaviours, which include eating patterns and nutrition, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleeping patterns, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. There is a dearth of evidence reporting the impact of COVID-19 on the health behaviour of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. This scoping review synthesises the available evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on the changes in health behaviours among BAME communities in the UK. Methods: Following a keyword strategy, 16 electronic databases were searched for articles that met the screening criteria. These articles were then reviewed in full text. Empirical studies that assessed COVID-19 related health behaviour changes among BAME communities in the UK, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between July 2020 and August 2021 and published in English language, were set as inclusion criteria. An initial 2160 studies were identified in the selected databases. After removing duplications and screening the title and abstracts of the 2154 studies, only 4 studies were selected to be reviewed as they met the inclusion criteria. The included studies employed different sample sizes which ranged from N = 47 to N = 30,375 and reported several health behaviour changes. Out of the 4 included studies, 3 studies included BAME groups within their sample as a subgroup while one study focused specifically on BAME groups. Results: The scoping review found that there were lower levels of physical activity among BAME groups compared to the White ethnic groups. About 41.7% of BAME groups reported drinking less alcohol than usual compared to their white counterparts who were 34%. Study participants from BAME backgrounds had the greatest effect of COVID-19 on decisions to purchase healthier food compared to those from white backgrounds whose decisions on purchasing healthier food were least affected. Some participants reported an increase in positive hygiene practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: COVID-19 had a significant impact on the health behaviours of BAME groups especially during the lockdowns as they reported changes to behaviour such as low levels of physical activities. Hence, it is important to promote health awareness among BAME groups to encourage healthy living. In addition, programmes such as physical fitness activities that favour BAME groups should be put in place, for example BAME women's walking groups to encourage people from BAME backgrounds to engage in physical activities. Furthermore, healthy food programmes such as food parcels can be given to people from BAME backgrounds who are not able to afford healthy food due to the impact of COVID-19. Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased positive hygiene among BAME groups which is important in preventing other diseases and infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we discuss learning about using visual methodologies in a research project exploring social networks, neighbourhood spaces and community in an inner city-area of a British northern city. We draw on the substantive and methodological experiences of visual researchers and provide an account of the ways in which we discussed, developed, and reflected on the value and possibilities of visual methods in our data collection and analysis. We present the paper as a dialogue to represent how, as a research team, we engaged in an on-going iterative engagement with the visual methods we used. Our dialogue considers visual data we collected through a walkaround method, focusing on how these data contributed to our understanding of the field, data analysis, the refinement of research questions, and theoretical development in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Offshore Wind sector is a major, dynamic, and rapidly evolving renewable energy industry. This is particularly so in Europe, and especially in the UK. Associated with the growth of the industry has been a growth of interest in community benefits as voluntary measures provided by a developer to the host community. However, in many cases, and for some of the large North Sea distant offshore wind farms, the benefits packages have been disparate and pro rata much smaller than for the well-established onshore wind farm industry. However, there are signs of change. This paper explores the issues of community benefits for the UK offshore sector and evolving practice, as reflected in a macro study of the adoption of community benefits approaches across the industry. This is followed by a more in-depth micro- approach, which explores approaches that have been adopted in three case studies of recent OWF projects — Aberdeen, Beatrice and the Hornsea Array. Whilst there is still much divergence in practice, there are also examples of some convergence, and the development of a more replicable practice. Particularly notable is the adoption of annual community benefits funds, as the key element of community benefits schemes/agreements between developers, local authorities and local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opportunities for migrants in Britain have become increasingly differentiated by hardened legal barriers, restricted access to asylum and filtering by selected skills. This article explores the effects of this differentiation on diaspora formation, social mobility and class identities. It takes the case of one of the UK's largest new African migrant groups – black Zimbabweans – who mostly come from middle class/elite backgrounds, but who have ended up in unskilled and informal work, as well as securing professional posts in Britain. The article asks whether, and in what sense it might be useful to talk of the polarised opportunities created by legal status in terms of emerging class differences and challenges to class identities. It dwells on the subjective experience of those in irregular legal circumstances, whose loss of status in Britain has been particularly acute, drawing on theoretical debates on abjection and dehumanised ‘bare life’ that speak directly to the popular discourses and language in which those doing menial work and lacking papers spoke about their experiences and place in Britain. As some have, however, maintained their class position both at home and in intergenerational terms, the article highlights the transnational calculations that continue to render even illegal unskilled work in the UK attractive, and underlines the importance of discussing abjection in terms of the relations of power and processes that create legal spaces of exclusion rather than as a putative underclass. Notwithstanding such calculations, the article highlights the importance of legal status and inequality within migrant groups in shaping the dynamics of new diaspora communities in Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using thematic analysis of existing literature, this scoping review aims to explore the narratives of people using herbal medicine (HM) in the United Kingdom. Understanding who is using HM and why will enable better ways of facilitating the use of HM, as well as assist in designing future research. Ethnic groups were found to be primary users of HM in the United Kingdom. A sense of heritage continues to be important for these participants as it allows tradition and culture to stay alive within communities, as well as the ritualistic purposes of these plants. For women, another key demographic, concepts surrounding the naturalness of HMs are associated with the idea of femineity and self-healing. A reoccurring theme in the literature focusing on both ethnic groups and women's perceptions is the judgement from healthcare practitioners/professionals (HCPs) when addressing the use of HM. However, studies that investigated the perceptions of HCPs on HM confirmed that they often were supportive of using HM where standard treatments had been unsuccessful, and if a patient had anecdotal evidence of a herb having been effective. Delving deeper into public narratives of HM usage will allow conventional healthcare systems to effectively integrate alternative approaches, as well as ensuring that future research into the benefits of HMs is relevant to how people use them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing attention within environmental science, policy and management on the application of natural capital approaches. Despite this, there is an evidence gap in terms of our current understanding of how natural capital and societal benefits are identified at the local scale. This paper presents a novel stakeholder-driven approach to participatory mapping which enables engagement of communities in natural capital discussions across a series of face-to-face workshops. A real-world application is presented for the Deben Estuary, Suffolk (UK); however, the methodological framework could be applied to any global ecosystem (terrestrial, freshwater, estuarine, marine, urban) and community setting. All outputs developed and produced by the Deben Estuary stakeholders, who represent 26 different organisations, were used in subsequent workshops to support scenarios assessments and logic chain developments. The development of logic chains allow for the relationships between natural capital, benefits and beneficiaries to be viewed through multiple lenses, recognising the importance of natural capital in delivering societal benefits and the reliance of beneficiaries on those benefits and the natural capital which underpins them. From a management perspective, the results of this study help to identify which benefits, and therefore which beneficiaries, may be impacted by an intervention, and what direction that impact may take. [Display omitted] • There is increasing attention in science and policy on natural capital approaches. • Evidence gap of how natural capital and benefits are identified at the local scale. • Participatory mapping is advocated to support local natural capital discussions. • Logic chains enable relationships to be viewed through multiple lenses. • The 10-step stakeholder-driven framework has global relevance across all ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' collective action via cooperatives is critical to achieving a wide range of economic and social benefits that lead to sustainable development and enhance the welfare of rural communities. Adopting a qualitative case study method, the paper compares the development and governance attributes of two cooperatives and seeks to identify how non-economic conditions explain their differences. The cases are selected from the United Kingdom and China, representing different cultural and legislation contexts, to explore the role of culture and legislation in formulating the governance of farmer cooperatives. The results demonstrate that: (1) the formation of member groups due to considerable member heterogeneity may lead to the skewed allocation of control rights and income rights; (2) legislation play an important role in formulating the governance of cooperatives; and (3) national culture potentially has influence on cooperative governance, but direct evidence is in insufficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the equity implications of a transition to a decentralised energy system in the UK. We base our analysis on one of three idealised transition pathways developed by the EPSRC-funded Realising Transition Pathways (RTP) project. Each pathway is characterised by a different mix of technologies, ownership and governance of the energy transition, and stretches from 2010 to 2050. In this paper we focus on the 'Thousand Flowers' (TF) pathway, which stipulates a much greater role for civil society in the energy system. Here, civil society actors are instrumental in delivering 50 per cent of final electricity demand from decentralised, low-carbon sources by 2050. Such a radical and systemic transition will require both institutional as well as technological change. The systemic institutional transformation necessary to support wide-spread adoption of community/decentralised energy schemes and the potential distributional impacts have, however, received limited attention to date. To address this gap, we draw on collected outputs of the RTP consortium and extant literatures on community and decentralised energy to explore potential institutional barriers and distributional impacts of the TF pathway. We argue a transition to a TF future would require significant institutional changes to UK energy governance, new municipal and community business models, and new financial and organisational structures in energy ownership. Second, widespread adoption of distributed energy sources would undermine the viability of traditional large power plants; leading to the need for new forms of state support to maintain assets at transmission level. Finally, we contend that expanded community energy provision has the potential to reproduce, or even exacerbate, existing socio-economic and spatial inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, flood hazards have had a greater impact on society, meaning that communities increasingly need to work together to enhance their resilience. Literature suggests that preparedness to flooding events is generally low as most individuals do not take protective actions. Therefore, there is a need to stimulate individuals' actions that increase their own and their communities' resilience to flooding. Various factors must be addressed to encourage individuals to take action, such as providing information to improve risk perception, understanding cognitive processes that interpret environmental stimuli against the mental model, and considering social and cultural influences. This paper argues that Social Responsibility (SR), defined as an individual willingness to take up actions that benefit society, is part of a pre-existing mental model that can explain intentions to take preparedness actions that improve community resilience. Due to differing socio-cultural contexts, the SR perceptions of communities in different parts of the world may differ. In order to investigate this phenomenon, data of SR perceptions obtained from 180 completed questionnaires were collected from flooded and non-flooded communities in Semarang, Indonesia, and then compared against those obtained from 313 questionnaires based on a survey of communities in Birmingham and London in the UK. The results suggest that Indonesian communities demonstrate a higher level of SR scores than UK communities. A comparison of SR scores between flooded and non-flooded communities in the UK shows a higher level of SR in flooded communities. In contrast, the comparison between corresponding Indonesian communities indicates an almost similar level of SR. A comparison of SR scores between Indonesian and UK flooded communities shows a higher level of SR in Indonesian communities across several measures. Further comparison of SR scores between Indonesia and UK non-flooded communities demonstrates higher SR in Indonesian communities in all but one measure. This suggests that experience of flooding has a much stronger influence on raising SR perceptions in UK communities. Socio-cultural background may explain these differences in SR perceptions, particularly, in relation to collectivism orientation and the close-knit nature of Indonesian communities. Although higher SR perceptions do not necessarily mean higher levels of preparedness actions, this finding illuminates the important influence of socio-cultural context on community resilience enhancing efforts that rely on collective actions by individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The concept of collaborative approaches involves community residents in joint decision-making processes to maintain or enhance their material and social conditions. During COVID-19, public services saw the benefits of actively collaborating with communities and involving residents in decision-making processes. As communities have resources and assets, they are well-placed to contribute to developing local health and wellbeing initiatives. An interdisciplinary and nationally funded three-phase research programme, "Mobilising community assets to tackle health inequalities", was established with the objective of utilising local, cultural, and natural assets to support health and wellbeing. The current study aimed to synthesise evidence collected by research teams awarded funding in phase one of the programme, comprising academic and non-academic, health and social care, voluntary and community partners. Methods: Ten online focus groups were conducted with research teams from across the UK exploring the successes and challenges of partnership working to tackle health inequalities using collaborative approaches to community-based research. Eight focus group questions were split between partnership working and health inequalities. Results: Thematic and content analysis produced 185 subthemes from which 12 themes were identified. Major themes representing an above average number of coded responses were research evidence; funding; relationships with partners; health inequalities and deprivation; community involvement; and health service and integrated care systems. Minor themes were link workers and social prescribing; training and support; place-based factors; longevity of programmes; setting up and scaling up programmes; and mental health. Conclusions: Successes included employing practice-based and arts-based methods, being part of a research project for those not normally involved in research, sharing funding democratically, building on established relationships, and the vital role that local assets play in involving communities. Challenges involved a lack of sustainable financial support, the short-term nature of funding, inconsistencies in reaching the poorest people, obtaining the right sort of research evidence, making sufficient research progress, building relationships with already over-burdened health care staff, and redressing the balance of power in favour of communities. Despite the challenges, participants were mainly optimistic that collective approaches and meaningful co-production would create opportunities for future research partnerships with communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social enterprise, characterised by organisations enacting a hybrid mix of non-profit and for-profit characteristics, is increasingly regarded as an important component in the regeneration of areas affected by social and economic deprivation. In parallel there has been growing academic, practitioner and policy interest in 'social value' and 'social impact' within the broader 'social economy'. This paper engages with these debates through analysis of resident perceptions of the social value created by National Lottery funded new-start social enterprise projects in ten rural UK communities. In particular it considers what can be learnt about the relationship between different approaches to social enterprise activity in rural contexts and the social value created for local people and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key features of the community retail enterprises sector in the UK. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reports on the results of a postal questionnaire survey of 197 community retail enterprises. The information gathered from this survey was supplemented by visits to 21 of the shops run by these enterprises and short interviews with some of the shop staff. Findings – The community retail enterprise sector is growing very quickly, with a significant number of new shops opening every year in the UK. It is a very diverse sector that provides a wide range of goods and services, reflecting the desire to meet the needs of members and local residents. It is heavily dependent on the involvement of the local community, particularly as volunteers, but this can lead to other tensions around the role of the shop and the enterprise in general. Originality/value – This paper provides an overview of an area of retailing that is growing in size and will be of interest to those involved in policy-making in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There has been a philosophical commitment to participation in public health since the 1970s. UK policy rhetoric on participation in public health has been particularly marked since 1997. It is less clear that participatory approaches have been pursued by UK public health units in practice. Methods A systematic review was undertaken of all studies using any recognized research methodology from 1974 to 2007 reporting on health and social outcomes of participatory approaches by UK public health units. Seventeen electronic databases were searched and inclusion/exclusion criteria and quality appraisal criteria applied. Results Five thousand and four hundred and fifty-one references were identified, reduced to 2155 once duplicates were removed. Only eight papers covering seven studies were relevant and included in the analysis. Only two studies met more than half of the relevant quality appraisal criteria. The studies fell into two distinct groups: four used qualitative methods to illustrate the complexities of effective community participation; three claimed success for their participative initiative without providing adequate evidence to substantiate such claims. Conclusions This systematic review demonstrates that there is very little evidence in the peer-reviewed literature of participatory approaches by UK public health units or of such approaches having any noteworthy impact on health and social outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading is emerging as a new mechanism for settling the exchange of energy between renewable energy generators and consumers. P2P provides a mechanism for local balancing when it is facilitated through distributed ledgers ('blockchains'). Energy communities across Europe have uncovered the potential of this technology and are currently running pilots to test its applicability in P2P energy trading. The aim of this paper is to assess, using legal literature and legislation, whether the legal forms available to energy communities in the United Kingdom (UK) can help resolve some of the uncertainties around the individual use of blockchain for P2P energy trading. This includes the legal recognition of 'prosumers', the protection of their personal data, as well as the validity of 'smart contracts' programmed to trade energy on the blockchain network. The analysis has shown that legal entities, such as Limited Liability Partnerships and Co-operative Societies, can play a crucial role in providing the necessary framework to protect consumers engaging in these transactions. This is particularly the case for co-operatives, given that they can hold members liable for not respecting the rules set out in their (compulsory) governing document. These findings are relevant to other European countries, where the energy co-operative model is also used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article suggests that the Shakers attracted ever less well prepared entrants, and were unable to solve the second generation problem of convincing young members to persist in the sect. The life cycle of a religious movement is driven by both an internal dynamic and external factors. The experience of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing (Shakers) presents an opportunity to apply some of the perspectives of the "new religious paradigm to the growth and decline of this indigenous American sect. The study of the Shakers is also undergoing a paradigm shift, from descriptive work emphasizing their material culture to revisionist studies based on manuscripts that often use quantitative methods. This paper uses detailed population records of one Shaker community to examine the characteristics of members, both those who were "Believers" for life, and the rarely studied apostates, and how these changed over time. A community with equal distribution of reasonably plentiful resources and a vibrant communal spiritual life might be expected to attract free riders. This paper finds three sources of problems among converts to the New Lebanon Church Family. First, over time the community drew a greater proportion of its entrants from the largest urban areas of the United States and Britain.

This paper provides a literature review on medicines reuse explaining how this phenomenon has evolved and has being re-interpreted in academic research. Literature review in combination with a descriptive and a qualitative thematic analysis was employed to answer two questions: (i) How the medicines returns phenomenon has been documented and discussed? (ii) To what extent the critical literature on circular and sharing/collaborative economies can be taken as metaphors for the advancement of knowledge to better understand the complexities of medicines returns? After the selection of 125 papers, 10 hubs of collaboration were identified in this research field with early work on reuse stemming from the UK. From the thematic analysis, three outcomes emerged. The first relates to the problem of wastage versus costs and affordability, and the role of stockpiles and misplacement of leftover medicines. The second arises from a chronological description of the selected studies. Using a timeline, recurring debates were identified: prescription costs/sharing; reuse in evolutionary perspective of rational use; affordability and avoidance of wastes; and the role of pharmacists and care in the community/solidary pharmacies. The third outcome delivers metaphors linking critical aspects of circular and sharing/collaborative economies with concepts and situations of medicines reuse. It was found that the circular economy, which is still far from consumer reality, offers a limited contribution as a metaphor for medicines reuse, while sharing/collaborative economy reflects current practices that can be understood as access giving, thus interpreted as a form of affordability. • Medicines reuse is reviewed out of the supply chain context. • Metaphors of reuse are proposed as circularity and shareness. • Behavioural aspects dominate emerging literature on reuse. • Circular economy is a poor metaphor for medicines reuse. • Sharing/collaborative economy are fruitful metaphors of reuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the availability of effective evidence‐based treatments for depression and anxiety, many ‘harder‐to‐reach’ social and patient groups experience difficulties accessing treatment. We developed a complex intervention, the AMP (Improving Access to Mental Health in Primary Care) programme, which combined community engagement (CE), tailored (individual and group) psychosocial interventions and primary care involvement. Objectives: To develop and evaluate a model for community engagement component of the complex intervention. This paper focuses on the development of relationships between stakeholders, their engagement with the issue of access to mental health and with the programme through the CE model. Design: Our evaluation draws on process data, qualitative interviews and focus groups, brought together through framework analysis to evaluate the issues and challenges encountered. Setting & participants: A case study of the South Asian community project carried out in Longsight in Greater Manchester, United Kingdom. Key findings: Complex problems require multiple local stakeholders to work in concert. Assets based approaches implicitly make demands on scarce time and resources. Community development approaches have many benefits, but perceptions of open‐ended investment are a barrier. The time‐limited nature of a CE intervention provides an impetus to ‘do it now’, allowing stakeholders to negotiate their investment over time and accommodating their wider commitments. Both tangible outcomes and recognition of process benefits were vital in maintaining involvement. Conclusions: CE interventions can play a key role in improving accessibility and acceptability by engaging patients, the public and practitioners in research and in the local service ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the perceptions of members of our international student community by giving them a voice and a platform to explore their feelings as part of a Higher Education institute in the UK and whether they consider that the university is a global environment. Our data is based on a series of structured interviews with twelve students from twelve different countries, inclusive of four postgraduate research students. Our findings reveal that our international students commonly feel part of multiple smaller communities but interestingly, they were less sure of their part within an institute-wide community. The postgraduate students' perceptions of community were quite divergent when compared to the undergraduate perceptions, which we will continue to explore in our future work. Our data supports the perception from international students that their university is a global community, but there were distinct differences in how individuals defined it and some limitations to consider. Some defined it as students and staff of different nationalities being present at a university whilst other definitions relied on cultural characteristics within the institution as a whole. We reflect upon the implications of our research as these perceptions shape international student opinion of Higher Education institutes and what is understood by the term 'global community'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection that started in Wuhan, China, have quickly spread worldwide. The current situation has contributed to a dynamic rate of hospital admissions. Global efforts by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) communities to develop solutions to assist COVID-19-related research have escalated ever since. However, despite overwhelming efforts from the AI and ML community, many machine learning-based AI systems have been designed as black boxes. This paper proposes a model that utilizes Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) to explain a machine learning technique called Long-short Term Memory (LSTM) on a dataset of hospital admissions due to COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. This paper intends to increase the transparency of decision-making in the era of ML by using the proposed LSTM-FCA explainable model. Both LSTM and FCA are able to evaluate the data and explain the model to make the results more understandable and interpretable. The results and discussions are helpful and may lead to new research to optimize the use of ML in various real-world applications and to contain the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Weight gain in the months/years after diagnosis/treatment of severe enduring mental illness (SMI) is a major predictor of future diabetes, dysmetabolic profile and increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases. There is limited data on the longer-term profile of weight change in people with a history of SMI and how this may differ between individuals. We here report a retrospective study on weight change over the 5 years following an SMI diagnosis in Greater Manchester UK, an ethnically and culturally diverse community, with particular focus on comparing non-affective psychosis (NAP) vs affective psychosis (AP) diagnoses. Methods: We undertook an anonymised search in the Greater Manchester Care Record (GMCR). We reviewed the health records of anyone who had been diagnosed for the first time with first episode psychosis, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder (non-affective psychosis = NAP) or affective psychosis (AP). We analysed body mass index (BMI) change in the 5-year period following the first prescription of antipsychotic medication. All individuals had taken an antipsychotic agent for at least 3 months. The 5-year follow-up point was anywhere between 2003 and 2023. Results: We identified 9125 people with the diagnoses above. NAP (n = 5618; 37.3% female) mean age 49.9 years; AP (n = 4131; 60.5% female) mean age 48.7 years. 27.0% of NAP were of non-White ethnicity vs 17.8% of AP individuals. A higher proportion of people diagnosed with NAP were in the highest quintile of social disadvantage 52.4% vs 39.5% for AP. There were no significant differences in baseline BMI profile. In a subsample with HbA1c data (n = 2103), mean HbA1c was higher in NAP at baseline (40.4 mmol/mol in NAP vs 36.7 mmol/mol for AP). At 5-year follow-up, there was similarity in both the overall % of individuals in the obese ≥ 30 kg/m2 category (39.8% NAP vs 39.7% AP), and % progressing from a normal healthy BMI transitioned to obese/overweight BMI (53.6% of NAP vs 55.6% with AP). 43.7% of those NAP with normal BMI remained at a healthy BMI vs 42.7% with AP. At 5-year follow-up for NAP, 83.1% of those with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 stayed in this category vs 81.5% of AP. Conclusion: The results of this real-world longitudinal cohort study suggest that the changes in BMI with treatment of non-affective psychosis vs bipolar disorder are not significantly different, while 43% maintain a healthy weight in the first 5 years following antipsychotic prescription. Key summary: We here report a longitudinal retrospective cohort study on weight change post-SMI diagnosis in Greater Manchester UK, an ethnically and culturally diverse community with particular focus on a history of non-affective psychosis vs affective psychosis disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK Government's Community Energy Strategy promotes a community approach that is claimed by both government and grassroots to be able to lead to a step change in the deployment of renewable technology and local empowerment. However research into community energy innovations suggests that, on their own, 'grassroots' projects face barriers to their deployment and an ability to make a significant impact on UK energy generation. In 2012 the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee published a critical report on the Energy Bill and practitioners are reporting that the current energy supply and distribution model is no longer fit for purpose. With evidence that some Local Authorities are looking to develop energy strategies for local generation and supply, could collaboration between Local Authorities and the Community sector deliver local, low carbon energy generation and supply that is able to meet the demands of a changing energy landscape? Using evidence from the stakeholder survey conducted by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), this paper investigates the opportunities and barriers to delivering local energy generation and supply and proposes a new approach in local energy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermediary organisations can play a significant role in the changing environment of UK energy, transcending the perceived divides between individual action, activism and top-down policy. This paper discusses a Bristol based action research project which, working with local community energy groups, explored the role of intermediary organisations not just in bringing together learning, providing support and aggregating impact but also in helping to shape stronger local energy action by connecting across and beyond existing activity in ways that put communities first. This approach enabled the development of the 'Bristol Community Strategy for Energy', which takes a different approach to the national 'Community Energy Strategy' which it preceded. We consider the roles of intermediary organisations in scaling up community activity: linking with policy and supporting shared action to accelerate community responses to energy concerns. We also draw on the underpinning theory before concluding with recommendations to reinforce the maturing and changing local energy landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Sustainability reporting has attracted significant attention from the business as well as the academic community in recent years. Not only has the latter frequently made recommendations on reporting, it has also extensively examined factors that have an influence on reporting. Several studies have noted differences in the extent and style of reporting across countries, but the influence of specific cultural and socio-economic environments on reporting has only been given limited consideration so far. It is the goal of this paper to help fill this gap. For this purpose, we examine the sustainability reporting of the 100 largest companies in the United Kingdom and Finland, as both are highly developed countries in North-Western Europe, but with significantly different cultural and socio-economic systems. Aside from the extent of reporting and media used, we examine the reporting standards and guidelines applied. Moreover, the focus of disclosure (economic, social or environmental) was investigated, which also brings a new perspective to the academic literature. Our results suggest that the cultural and socio-economic environment has an impact on the extent of reporting, but with regard to the focus of reporting and the application of standards the results are mixed. A stronger shareholder oriented culture does not lead to a more extensive inclusion of economic issues in sustainability reporting, while the extent of environmental reporting depends on the strength of environmentalism. The impact of cultural and socio-economic factors on the application of standards, such as the Global Reporting Initiative, appears to be limited. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities in Britain with other ethnic minorities to ask the questions 'are Muslims different?' and 'is their behaviour changing over time?'. We look at the gender gap in education, age at marriage, marriage from the source country and female employment. In all these dimensions we find that Muslim communities are different but also that there is a convergence in behaviour. This is because those born in Britain generally differ markedly in behaviours from those born in the country of origin, but also because there is change within both the UK- and foreign-born communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this investigation is to look at four organisations to see whether they meet the criteria of learning communities. Two are involved with higher education, one is an army unit, and the fourth is an organisation responsible for aviation safety. Design/methodology/approach -- The research was based on qualitative analyses of what made the four organisations learning communities. This comprised interviews with key personnel and responding to a 15-item questionnaire. Findings -- In the Australian example, specialised areas of responsibility were established to facilitate change. In the Indonesian example, a colonial past, a political/cultural divide, a feudalistic approach to modern day problems and a rich tradition presented a challenge to innovation. In the army unit, highly specialised knowledge had to be acquired, adapted and applied. In the aviation safety organisation, technological issues specifying flight operations were the main focus. This organisation was akin to both a learning organisation and an innovative knowledge community, although working within a bureaucratic structure. Research limitations/implications -- One limitation was access to personnel such as CEOs. Another was translating the questionnaire into Indonesian. A third was related to confidentiality, i.e. should participants reveal the identity of their parent organisation, and their own? Practical implications -- The study identified the need to re-define strategic objectives. Organisations must undertake this task when faced with changing circumstances. Originality/value -- The paper has value because it looks at effective, learning communities and the formal and the informal learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses some of the tensions and contradictions to the 2005 Green Paper, titled "Youth Matters," from the viewpoint of the community and voluntary sector. Recommendation by the Green Paper that joint services should be available closer to teenagers' communities; Mode of participation; Role of the voluntary and community sector in reaching vulnerable young people.

Background: globally, alcohol use rates vary by sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), but UK government statistics on alcohol use in the LGBTQ+ population are missing. Aim: this systematic scoping review determined the prevalence of alcohol use amongst gender and sexual minority people in the UK. Methods: empirical UK studies from 2010 onwards reporting the prevalence of alcohol use in SOGI compared with heterosexual/cisgender people were included. Searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Google, charity websites and systematic reviews were conducted in October 2021, using SOGI, alcohol and prevalence terms. Citation checking was done by two authors, with disagreements resolved through discussion. Data extraction was done by one author (CM) and checked by another (LZ). Quality assessment was performed by study design, sample type and statistical analysis of results. A narrative synthesis was qualitatively combined with a tabular presentation of results. Results: database and website searches found 6607 potentially relevant citations, and 505 full texts were reviewed with 20 studies included, found in 21 publications and grey literature reports. Most were on sexual orientation, including 12 from large cohort studies. Harmful alcohol use is higher in LGBTQ+ people than heterosexual people in the UK, a result similar to that found in other countries. Qualitative data reflected alcohol's role as emotional support. Fewer asexual people drank alcohol compared with allosexual people, and there were no data available regarding intersex people. Conclusion: funded cohort studies and service providers should routinely collect SOGI data. Standardized reporting of SOGI and alcohol use would improve comparability across studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich. (Fen Orchid) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, and history and conservation.Liparis loeselii is a small terrestrial orchid that has a circumboreal distribution and is widespread in Europe and North America. Despite its wide distribution, the species is locally rare and has declined considerably in most of its range. In Britain, the species has a disjunct distribution and is now known to occur consistently at only six sites in eastern England and three in south Wales. It is absent from Ireland. Its most characteristic habitats in Britain are inland fens and coastal dune slacks, but outside Britain it can also be found in wet meadows, marshes, forested seep springs, at lake borders or on mats of floating peat.Populations of Liparis loeselii in dune slacks tend to be short‐lived, and can rapidly increase in size or decrease and disappear as environmental conditions change. The species does not tolerate high nutrient concentrations or low pH. It is susceptible to drought, which reduces seed germination, seedling recruitment and adult survival. Heavy predation by rabbits and rodents has been observed under drought conditions.Liparis loeselii reproduces both by sexual reproduction, and by vegetative propagation through the production of pseudobulbs. Although flowers are accessible to insects, entomophilous pollination is unusual, and most sexual reproduction is the result of selfing. Fruits ripen late in the growing season (mid‐October) and the dust‐like seeds are dispersed during winter by wind and water. Germination occurs during the following growing season and is supported by a wide variety of mycorrhizal fungi.Since the late 19th century Liparis loeselii has declined considerably in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, primarily due to habitat destruction and loss, natural succession, and habitat desiccation due to drainage. As a result, the species has been listed as endangered in the Bern Convention and the European Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) and is the focus of intensive conservation efforts in many countries. Restoration of habitat by mowing, extensive grazing and peat removal, and the creation of new habitat by dune slack formation in dune systems and peat removal in fens may prolong population persistence and promote establishment of new populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]