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For London Data Week, Neighbourly Lab, a non-profit organisation with a mission to increase social connection in the UK, partnered with the GLA High Streets Data team and Haringey Council to carry out a community research exercise. Community research involves members of communities carrying out research in their locality and contributing their own knowledge to deliver more authentic insights. In two stages, the exercise explored and documented experiences of a particular high street in London (Green Lanes).This initiative will result in a Neighbourly Lab report, highlighting the benefits of democratising civic data to residents (that is, making data more accessible to a wider range of people and breaking down barriers that prevent people from accessing information that could assist them). &nbsp;As a proud, former resident of Haringey, I am aware of varying stereotypes and have been intrigued by ongoing high street changes. Green Lanes high street is extremely diverse, known for the vibrant collection of Greek, Turkish and Kurdish eateries, wedding boutiques, or just the local pharmacy and Sainsbury&rsquo;s for residents.Producing work that &lsquo;fact checked&rsquo; any assumptions, showcased what fuels high street transformations and centred resident perspectives of changes, motivated my interest in this research exercise.Design of research questions &amp; deliberation<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1721905235/projects/65bd10a32ef5898dd5aaf932/vrnw5p0o8dgxnzsi7tvg.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" data-uw-rm-alt-original="" alt="Quantitative data on Haringey high streets" data-uw-rm-alt="CT">Quantitative data on Haringey high streetsThe project began with a workshop analysing the quantitative (statistical) data provided by the GLA High Streets team on two Haringey High Streets: Green Lanes and Seven Sisters. In the form of graphs and figures, the data highlighted which areas most people visit on the high street, the time of day most people visit, and what area of the borough visitors come from. This was central to designing the questions used to connect with individuals during the community research stage.Researchers were then asked to reflect on the data using their knowledge of the high streets and personal experiences. Surprisingly, the quantitative data told a vastly different story to the residents&rsquo; perspectives!&nbsp;For example, one graph showed that the area of Green Lanes closer to Turnpike Lane was densely populated, suggesting that many people shop in that area. Instead, one researcher attributed this to the traffic on the narrow road, which &quot;practically lives in the area&quot;.All researcher reflections highlighted the importance of incorporating resident opinions into data gathering. This qualitative data &ndash; information sourced from non-numerical expressions, opinions and lived experiences &ndash; complemented the quantitative graphs.Without qualitative insights, data can only inform us what exists, but not what it means for Haringey communities or how accurate and representative information is. In turn, decisions impacting residents, if solely reliant on quantitative data, may be less impactful.Designing the research day included choosing a high street to focus on (Green Lanes) and formulating questions used to ask passers-by and shopkeepers. The research approach taken, matched the community researchers&rsquo; interest in outcomes being used to improve the lives of Haringey residents. This included questions that were tailored to centre local experiences, and draw out insights that could potentially be used in the future.Research day<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1721905274/projects/65bd10a32ef5898dd5aaf932/alm5p9my2ahclvvfvqk2.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" data-uw-rm-alt-original="" alt="An interview between a participant and a community researcher" data-uw-rm-alt="CT">An interview between a participant and a community researcherAs expected, some people did their best to avoid questioning &ndash; with the sight of me and a clipboard &ndash; put their earphones in, quickened their pace or did the quick smile before looking forward and walking on.&nbsp; &nbsp; I expected this slight misapprehension, which I counteracted through explaining my motivations as a community researcher and lived experiences in Haringey within my introductory approach. This, alongside, explaining how the research could improve their experience, contributed to a conversational and honest interview. It felt more relational, rather than transactional and one sided. If this format is modelled for further research projects, I feel this would improve the perception and trust towards the council. &nbsp; Most people were friendly, with the diversity of commerce, crime and the debate over using cash or card, being common talking points. While there is a rising trend of sophisticated crime in London, it was intriguing to see the impact of this in Haringey was slightly mitigated by the strong sense of community amongst individuals. Asking questions on the street may not give an accurate depiction of everyone situated on Green Lanes, but the fact that many spoke about keeping an eye out for others and even warning me of some crime hotspots spoke volumes.On reflection, I am curious about the people who did not participate in the exercise and this makes me question the viability of in-person street interviews. The initial research approach included tailoring questions to centre on local opinions. However, the opinions of those who rejected questioning due to time constraints, or due to discomfort with the weather, were not recorded. Those people have also experienced Green Lanes and may have supported or challenged the opinions recorded that day, resulting in more balanced, accurate results.Another researcher echoed this, noting they had &quot;fundamental qualms about the methodology&quot;&nbsp;despite acknowledging,&nbsp;&quot;the research outputs suggested quite clearly that qualitative research is a necessary complement to quantitative data which is what we most often rely on&quot;.Finally, I&rsquo;d like to thank my fellow community researchers who were involved in the research. The process, for those of us who have lived in Haringey, was extremely rewarding. Ensuring the locals we questioned had their thoughts documented, and clarifying in-person that their opinions were not invisible, was personally enriching.&nbsp;I would highly recommend taking on any community research opportunities, if available.

London Data Week: community research on Haringey high streets

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The Community Voices project completed in May, with a celebration event where stakeholders across Haringey Council and voluntary and community organisations came together to celebrate the community researchers’ incredible work and share the results of the research.Since then, the team at Haringey Council have worked to translate the Community Voices report into Turkish and Latin American Spanish and set up the Commonplace site. As well, the community research team ran an evaluation survey to understand researchers’ experiences of participating in the Community Voices project.Here are some key findings of the survey:<ul><li>83% of respondents ‘agreed’ that they learnt new skills through the project</li><li>75% of respondents ‘strongly agreed’ that the results reflected what they heard from their community and 25% ‘agreed’.</li><li>All respondents ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that the project created a sense of connection between them and their communities.</li><li>83% of respondents ‘strongly agreed’ that the community research project team at Haringey Council were on hand to answer questions and provide support.</li></ul>Here are some specific quotes from the researchers:“This one-of-a-kind project has laid the groundwork for more effective communication between the borough and its residents from minority communities.”“I think it [the project]&nbsp;should serve as a blueprint to future endeavours.”“I particularly enjoyed the collaborative and supportive environment fostered by the trainers and fellow trainees.”

Community Voices: project evaluation

<div>Through the &#39;Community Voices&#39; project, it became clear that places and spaces in Haringey&nbsp;-&nbsp;like schools, community centres, cafes, libraries, and parks&nbsp;-&nbsp;are important to residents and their communities. These places and spaces allow people to access information and support&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;interact with their families, friends, and communities.&nbsp;During the Community Voices workshops, community researchers shared their stories about locations that are significant to them in Haringey.&nbsp;Later, at the celebration event on&nbsp;the 16th of May, we asked attendees to add places and spaces that are important to them&nbsp;onto&nbsp;a physical map.&nbsp;We would like to continue building on this information to understand what places and spaces are&nbsp;important&nbsp;to anyone who lives, works, or studies in Haringey. To do this, we have created a virtual map where participants can add places&nbsp;that are&nbsp;important to them and their communities.&nbsp;You can find the map here:&nbsp;<a href="https://costoflivingcommunityresearch.commonplace.is/en-GB/map/haringey-places-and-spaces" target="_blank">https://costoflivingcommunityresearch.commonplace.is/en-GB/map/haringey-places-and-spaces</a>.&nbsp;To participate, click&nbsp;on&nbsp;the &#39;Have your say&#39; button and share the places and spaces&nbsp;that are&nbsp;important to you and your communities!</div>

Launched: virtual map of Haringey

Community research is a participatory approach where residents are involved throughout the research process from design to delivery.

Have your say today to share the places and spaces important to you!

Cost of Living Community Research Project

Add logic to update projects latitude and longitude

Haringey places and spaces

Through the 'Community Voices' project, it became clear that certain places and spaces in Haringey are important to residents and their communities. 

We would like to continue building on this information to understand what places and spaces are important to anyone who lives, works, or studies in Haringey. 

Click on the 'Have your say' button to share the places and spaces important to you! 

<a href="https://costoflivingcommunityresearch.commonplace.is/en-GB/proposals/alternative-survey-for-map-tile/step1" target="_blank">If you are using a screenreader - please use our accessible survey here</a>.

The Community Research team at Haringey Council ran an evaluation survey to understand community researchers’ experiences of participating in the Community Voices project. 

Project evaluation

Community Voices project evaluation

The Community Voices project completed with a celebration event in May.&nbsp;Since then, the team at Haringey Council have worked to translate the Community Voices report into Turkish and Latin American Spanish, set up the Commonplace site, and share the findings across the organisation.The team also ran an evaluation survey to understand researchers&rsquo; experiences of participating in the Community Voices project. A summary of the findings is provided in the PDF document.&nbsp;

Check out the following documents

Evaluation survey results.pdf

The end of the Community Voices project was marked with a celebration event, that celebrated the researchers' incredible achievements

Opening remarks by the Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet.

Celebration event

The Community Voices project formally ended on the 16th of May. Event attendees included a range of stakeholders: Councillors, senior council officers, VCSE leaders, community researchers, and interview participants.The celebration event began with an introduction from the Leader of the Council, Cllr Peray Ahmet, who commended the work of the community researchers and emphasised the importance of genuine co-production. Council officers involved in the project then shared key findings before passing over to community researchers, Ayca Onkal, Lorna Bartley, and Luisa Brands, to share their experiences. All three researchers gave very evocative speeches, which resulted in loud applause, and highlighted the importance of the Council taking the findings on board and truly hearing the voices of their communities.Attendees could enjoy some delicious Turkish Cypriot food (from the Cyprus House, a restaurant that is part of the Turkish Cypriot Community Association) and a performance by the excellent Peruvian Folk band &lsquo;Kausary&rsquo;. As well, young photographers from Haringey Sixth Form were present to take photos.Thank you to all those who have supported the project and attended the celebration event!<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1719397730/projects/65bd10a32ef5898dd5aaf932/rlubjtwmdvcnajwm1mwu.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="" data-uw-rm-alt-original="" data-uw-rm-alt="HD" style="width: 334px;"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1719397753/projects/65bd10a32ef5898dd5aaf932/ixy3cl9gvolpje72zhsn.jpg" style="width: 333px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="" data-uw-rm-alt-original="" data-uw-rm-alt="HD"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1719397819/projects/65bd10a32ef5898dd5aaf932/iydplfw0a4lmtpg1r9vl.jpg" style="width: 324px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="" data-uw-rm-alt-original="" data-uw-rm-alt="HD">

Find out more about what the interviews highlighted about communities' experiences. 

Community Voices booklets

Research findings

Research Findings

Read all the results from the &#39;Community Voices&#39; community research project.&nbsp;

Download the reports below!

We also have an audio file summarising the project and its main findings. Please reach out to us if you would like to receive a copy of this file.&nbsp;

Community Voices report.pdf

Community Voices report - Turkish.pdf

Community Voices report - Spanish.pdf

Residents were trained as researchers to explore the effects of cost of living on their communities.



Community Researchers at a workshop

Background to the project

Community Voices: Community Research Project

Project overview&nbsp;Thanks to funding from the Greater London Authority, Haringey Council was able to establish a community research project, named Community Voices.The project hoped to hear from people in different communities about how they find ways to support each other, especially in the cost of living crisis.&nbsp;Community research is a participatory approach where residents are involved throughout the research process: in designing the project, leading interviews with their own communities, and interpreting the data. Community researchers also learn research skills and make new connections, within and beyond their communities.

The communities involved in this project include:<ul><li>Disabled people and people with long term health conditions</li><li>Turkish and Turkish speaking</li><li>Kurdish&nbsp;</li><li>Latin American</li><li>Charedi</li></ul>We know that Haringey communities are continuing to look out for each other, through information sharing and mutual support. To help residents flourish, especially in times of difficulty<a href="#_msocom_1" id="_anchor_1" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_1"></a>, we want to develop our relationships and understand how we can better work with our communities. To do this, we wanted to use a community research approach to understand the&nbsp;support and information networks&nbsp;within communities, what is working well, and&nbsp;how we can support these activities.

<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/commonplace-digital-limited/image/upload/v1715700517/projects/65bd10a32ef5898dd5aaf932/lxojacvyv6h4bvv4muj0.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 325px;" alt="Three community researchers sitting around a table with pens, paper, water bottles ">Community researchers at a question workshop Seven amazing Community Researchers were recruited and trained from several local Haringey communities. The Community Researchers played a central role in shaping the project and its scope, influencing the design of the research and how participants were recruited.&nbsp;The researchers developed research questions together with the council officers during a workshop in November 2023. Researchers then used these questions to interview members of their communities.&nbsp;