Over the past year, we have been fortunate to partner with academic institutions across Glasgow and the UK. These partnerships help us to strengthen our impact through knowledge sharing and increasing visibility for our organisation and the participants we serve.
We have participated in two interviews with PHD researchers. The first of these was with an individual from Leicester University conducting a study on supporting the mental health and well-being of refugees through outdoor therapeutic practices, specifically focusing on nature-based therapy. We discussed our experience as an organisation providing outdoor therapeutic practices. The second interview was with an individual at Edinburgh University, which was centred around the way that immigration policy in the UK has impacted health of migrants in the UK- in relation to the other factors that make up health and wellbeing. We engaged from a physical activity perspective and discussed factors such as temporary housing, access to transport and information on services. Whilst we are enthusiastic to contribute from professional experience, we also recognise the importance of lived experience in research and so have supported participants to take part in academic interviews with researchers from the University of Glasgow exploring barriers to accessing green and blue spaces such as parks, rivers and other natural areas.
We have further engaged with the University of Glasgow by supporting participants of our Health Issues in the Community Course to display an exhibition in the Byres Community Hub. This included an opening evening event where staff and members of the public were able to come along and hear their findings from a group research project. This research project also included going into Glasgow Clyde College and engaging with students under 18 to discuss the topic of Disposable Vapes, conducting interviews and supporting them to complete a survey that they had created.
Finally, we were delighted to be selected by a group at St Ninian’s High School as the nominated charity for their Youth Philanthropy Initiative competition. We welcomed the group of young people to our city centre base to discuss our work and answer any questions they had. We feel that engaging with children from local schools helps to build empathy and understanding of our work and the need for it. We also feel that meeting with the younger generation can encourage open conversations, break down barriers, and create positive connections between young people and the refugee and asylum seeker community in Glasgow.
