Conference on interdisciplinary research with children, young people and families

A conference on interdisciplinary research with children, young people and families was hosted by Prof John Horton and Dr Faith Tucker on 7th September. 

Prof John Horton

Dr Faith Tucker

The conference, which was attended by academics from places as diverse as New Zealand, Sweden and Cumbria, provided an opportunity for people to share their research.  The audience comprised geographers, social workers, youth workers, educationalists, planners, sociologists, nurses and those working in local authorities.

A key note speech was delivered by Prof Claire Freeman of the University of Otago.  She spoke about the joys, confrontations and challenges of interdisciplinary working.

Research on water and energy issues in Brazil

John Horton has been awarded two ESRC grants to develop interdisciplinary research collaborations between UK-based Social Scientists and Brazilian Engineering Scientists. The projects will focus on children and young people’s everyday experiences of water and energy issues in São Paulo State.

Meeting community groups

Visiting one of the field sites

To launch this two-year programme of work, John travelled with the project’s Principal Investigator (Prof Peter Kraftl, University of Birmingham) to visit São Paulo state during January.

The trip involved a range of presentations, impact workshops, community visits, and fascinating fieldtrips to key sites relating to water and energy issues in the region. More information will follow in future blog posts.

Learning about homelessness

On 9/11/15 visitors from Northampton Hope Centre met second year Human Geographers to talk about the Centre’s work with local people who are homeless or vulnerably housed.

Sarah (Day Centre Manager), Ambrose and Jane provided valuable, and often really moving, insights for students who can choose to do an assignment about homelessness as part of their second year studies. They also outlined some of the opportunities for students to engage with the organisation through volunteering, donations (socks urgently needed!), or participation in fundraising events such as the Big Sleep Out.

Former student Brian Hinton, Jane, Ambrose, Sarah (Day Centre Manager) and Dr John Horton

For more information about the Hope Centre, see: http://www.northamptonhopecentre.org.uk/

Former student Brian Hinton also returned to the University to talk about his dissertation research about youth homelessness, conducted with the organisation St. Basil’s.

Students learn about the work of Age UK in Northamptonshire

On 26/10/15 Jo Gunnett, Volunteer Coordinator for Age UK Northamptonshire, visited second year Human Geographers to talk about the organisation’s work in local communities. Jo provided some really valuable insights for students who can choose to do an assignment about issues faced by isolated older people as part of their second year studies.

Jo provided an overview of the services offered by Age UK Northamptonshire, issues faced by local older people, and challenges faced by services and charities ‘in the current climate’ of funding cuts.

Jo Gunnett, Volunteer Coordinator for Age UK Northamptonshire, with Dr John Horton

She also outlined some of the opportunities for students to engage in volunteering: as befrienders, charity shop assistants, sports coaches, knitters, fund-raisers, or friendly faces/tea drinkers/games-players at day care centres. 

For more information about Age UK Northamptonshire, see: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/northamptonshire/

Guest speakers talk about poverty, deprivation and austerity in Britain

Second year Human Geographers have been learning about geographies of poverty, deprivation and austerity in the UK.

Regular guest speakers provide really valuable first-hand insights into these issues. For example, third year Geography student Olli Boyde gave a talk about his experiences of volunteering, and conducting dissertation research, at a local food bank.

Olli gave a fantastic overview of issues faced by local users of food bank users. Following Olli’s visit, second year students donated more than 60 items to a collection for local food banks.

Olli Boyde with tutor Dr John Horton - they needed help to carry the students' donations!

A number of students have also been inspired volunteer at local food banks. To find out more about the work of local food banks, see: http://spencerbridge.foodbank.org.uk/ and http://www.restorenorthampton.org.uk/

Dr John Horton finds out about the everyday lives of children in India

Dr. John Horton has just returned from a trip to India as part of the ESRC-funded New Urbanisms in India research project. This major, three year project aims to explore the everyday lives of children and young people living in contexts of rapid urban development in India. John receives funding to act as mentor to the project’s Principal Investigator (Dr. Sophie Hadfield-Hill) and postdoctoral research assistant (Dr. Cristiana Zara), who are both based at the University of Birmingham.

Highlights of the trip included:

• participatory workshops with children and young people from very diverse backgrounds in and around the newly-built city of Lavasa;
• presentations and dissemination events at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (Delhi), CEPT University (Ahmedabad), and with staff and students from Universal College of Engineering (Mumbai);
• a very moving visit to the NGO Humara Bachpan (‘Our Childhood’) which supports children and families living in acute urban poverty – children led the research team on a guided walk of one of Delhi’s largest areas of slum housing;
• an inspiring visit to Riverside School in Ahmedabad – HQ of the Design for Change programme, which seeks to empower children and ‘give them an opportunity to express their own ideas for a better world and put them into action’.

Children and adults working together on a mapping project in a government school near Lavasa

It was a fantastic and fascinating trip. For more information about the New Urbanisms in India research project see http://www.new-urbanism-india.com/ 

Dr John Horton (and friends!)