Cupp,the University and the

City

The ´cooperative´ university in Brighton

June 2012

CUPP • Formed through an externally funded project in

2003 to tackle disadvantage and promote sustainable development through mutually beneficial partnerships.

• Became a core part of the University in 2008 and encompasses around 130 academics, 1000 students and 500 community partners.

• Aim to work with all parts of the university, students, academics and support staff through a range of different programmes including student engagement, research partnerships and staff volunteering.

Community university partnership programme - Aims

“to become recognised as a leading UK universityfor the quality and range of its work in economic and social

engagement and productive partnerships”. Aim 3. Corporate Plan

– Ensure that the University's resources (intellectual and physical) are available to, informed by and used by its local and sub-regional communities

– Enhance the community's and University's capacity for engagement for mutual benefit

– Ensure that Cupp’s resources are prioritised towards addressing inequalities within our local communities

Cupp snapshot October 2012

• Helpdesk - 1000 plus enquiries from community organisations (200 a year)

• 400 plus students annually involved in community projects as part of study

• 150 plus knowledge exchange partnership projects initiated (10 a year)

• A dozen active communities of practice (for example: older people, children and families, lesbian and gay community)

• Structured links with community organisations through co-ownership of governance, co-delivery of projects, co-production of research

Community University PartnershipsThe Help desk responds to around 100 enquires a year from the city. These include requests for research help, information and resources and student support.Some lead to long term projects including: •‘Count me in Too’ (2007 – 2010) an extensive survey of LGBT needs and experiences in the city•An evaluation of the city’s extended schools programme•‘New Arenas’ a recent partnership between the Stadium, Brighton and Sussex launched with three seminars on sport and health, education and social exclusion

Others come through small community based organisations

These can be referred to:• An academic with a shared interest•A post grad course leader to offer to their students as a research project•Undergrads to become a practical student project•A range of students and academics to form a ‘community of practice’

Seed project funding based on 3 key ideas:

I. University as a good neighbour

II. The mutual benefit achieved through community-university partnerships

III. A focus on activities within the immediate localities of University of Brighton buildings

The range of our On Our Doorsteps work in Brighton to date

Growing Local Food Communities

Poetry & stroke recovery

Neighbourhood volunteering

The Triangle Community Project

Football and community cohesion

www.brighton.ac.uk/cupp

Hanover Centre Carbon RACE

Community Participation in design – a long history: co-production 2000 onwards

Student Community Engagement• Community Engagement: Theory into

practice– Module running in SASS, Humanities,

Environment and Hastings Campus

• Support development and teaching of modules with community engagement across the university

• ‘Learning to make a difference’ student led conference with three awards given to development of student projects

Student Community Research• Compile a data base of

local project research requests

• Work directly with post graduate course leaders

• Presentations to groups on ‘dissertation day’ with a selection of possible projects

• Attend first meeting between student and organisation

Strategic involvement in key city networks

• Membership of Adult Learning Group• Participation in the City Inclusion partnership • Contributions to CVSF

– Dave currently on the Strategic Working Group for the funded project to transform the infrastructure for the voluntary sector in Brighton

– Ceri trustee for CVSF– Dave is chair of this group that deals which disputes

between the voluntary sector and other sectors in the city. Outputs have included ‘Taking Account’ a research project looking at social impact of 3rd sector in Brighton and Hove.

• Children’s Country Holiday fund

• The Befriending Service• Barnado’s• BMEYCP• Brighton Women’s Centre

Creche• The Children’s Society• Girl Guiding UK• Firefly workshops• Moulescoomb Forest

Garden Project• Rhythmix

Some key partners:

Communicating with partners

• Regular email updates (every six weeks) outling support opportunities and open events

• Ning, or social network with groups for sharing files www.cuppcop.ning.com

• Cupp website with data base of project opportunities and online resources for students and groups www.brighton.ac.uk/cupp

Other networks

• Talloireshttp://

talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/

Raises the profile of civic engagement in higher education.

MacJannet Prize to exceptional civic engagement programmes

• Living Knowledgehttp://

www.livingknowledge.org/livingknowledge

Giving citizens access to scientific research, also known as:

Science shop network.• CCPH Community Campus

Partnerships for Health

To set the foundation for a UK wide community partner network that will influence Higher Education policy and practice and provide resources for improving community university partnerships focused on tackling inequalities.

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A UK wíde initiative the grand plan

1. Sort a Community Partner sat nav!2. Shift the Culture3. Establish Community Partner Network

three priority tasks

Community Participation in design: ladder of participation 1967

Co-production: definition and good practice

Production characterised by co-ownership throughout a process. Power to establish design, deliver a project and disseminate results is shared between expert and user; governmental or private authority and community:

•Aspire to equitable partnerships . •Develop joint goals and arrangements with partners in project governance, design, delivery, evaluation and dissemination.•Establish a shared language – a process not an event requiring considerable attention. •Complex entities (e.g. the ‘community’) should not be treated as if they are homogenous•Consider the needs of marginalised and excluded partners as well as the mainstream and well resourced.•A long term vision is likely to be required, even if only short term resource can be identified.

See Hart, A. and Wolff, D. (2006) Developing local "Communities of Practice" through local Community-University Partnerships, Planning Practice & Research 21 (1) 121-138.

1968 French student poster:

“I participate, you participate, he participates, we participate, you participate …they profit “

Or we perhaps we profit if the co-production model is utilised!