The Living Roots Project in Ealing, West London used participatory and creative health processes to build shared understandings and a framework to understand the key problems related to health inequity. The project took steps towards a community asset and research partnership that centres the lived experiences of individuals. Using qualitative, arts-based methods and capacity building approaches, we piloted a number of approaches to improving community engagement in health equity work. For example, we trained and engaged peer researchers and worked with them to understand Ealing residents’ views on health equity. Our project included partners from an established interdisciplinary and multisectoral partnership with the Institute of Development Studies, Ealing Council, NHS North West London, Southall Community Alliance, Voices of Colour, and The Young Foundation.
Please view some of the project achievements to-date, as listed below:
Achievements
Trained 10 Peer Champions
The Young Foundation and Voices of Colour co-developed a curriculum for training 10 Living Roots peer researchers, all of whom were recruited via an open call for applications. These 10 individuals were recruited to represent diverse voices and communities in Ealing, and ranged from younger to older adults, with representation from different towns. They completed training and then were supported through mentoring to complete short action research projects on a topic of their choice. For example, two researchers explored how barbershops can be important spaces to support men’s mental health. Several peer researchers have gone on to work on other funded research projects in Ealing.
Defined Health Equity in the Vernacular
The Living Roots team (especially IDS, Voices of Colour, and Bollo Brook Youth Centre) have conducted exploratory work around how to talk about the building blocks of health.
Employed Youth Social Action Research
We employed three youth social action researchers on this project. They engaged with various small projects and have conducted exploratory research around what the building blocks of health mean to young people of colour in Ealing. This included workshops in schools, peer research and short interviews, surveys, and engagement and linkages to existing youth services workstreams. Based on this and our ‘youth advisory board’ at Bollo Brook, we held an ‘Express Yourself’ event on 31st May which included music and songs around the theme of health and wellbeing.
Facilitated Youth Arts & Wellbeing Sessions
Yasmin Dosanjh (Bollo Brook) ran a series of arts and wellbeing sessions in South Acton and Northolt. These sessions included time with young people to explore various questions such as, “What does health mean to you?” or “What supports or takes away from you being able to live a healthy and flourishing life?”
Conducted Chai and Chat Insight Sessions
Voices of Colour led a series of ‘chai and chat’ insights gathering sessions with 200+ South Asian women in Ealing. Findings demonstrated that the issue of mental health and mental health stigma is huge, especially in the ‘post-COVID’ era. Women felt like they cannot speak about mental health or access adequate services, as these issues are not well-recognised in the community. Based on this, they created a book featuring stories and artwork.
Piloted Reverse Mentoring Scheme
We piloted a ‘reverse mentoring’ scheme which engaged a diverse group of 10 community mentors (e.g., people with lived experience) who ‘trained’ 10 policymaker/practitioner mentees around their experiences with a particular issue – e.g., the impact of regeneration schemes in Ealing, living with disability in the borough. Our hope is that this will contribute to improved linkages between policy and community and can support improved relationships of trust if taken to scale.
Facilitated Workshops to Co-Design Wellbeing Strategy
We facilitated workshops and convening to co-design approaches for a participatory and place-based action planning process for Ealing Council’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Through engagement with 18-20 community representatives, we:
Shared and shaped principles and expectations for the action planning process.
Identified collaborative joint actions for the implementation of the strategy’s year one action plan.
Helped to widen participation in strategy engagement and implementation.