Page 60 - Barrow Town Deal Board Agenda 14/4/2020

understand the patterns of connectivity and isolation, and to identify the key types of support people turn

to, along with the places and institutions that were (or had the potential to be) central assets within
networks that bring people together.

Summary
Non-academic groups can be an effective means of recruiting children in research, and can also be helpful

in gaining and maintaining contact with parents. The strong relationship between the researcher and
these non-academic groups provided a solid foundation for the project, with the workers contributing

their knowledge, skills and resources – all of which were invaluable in developing a well-organised and
engaging project. The research process undertaken was broader than the traditional Connected

Communities approach. This included more focused work with the children to develop their community

consciousness through engaging with their local area through photography. Alongside the survey data, it
provided a robust basis for the collection of data that was presented to the community, where feedback
was given and ideas were generated for future co-produced interventions.

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