Community Organised Research for Equity (CORE)

• CORE is funded by Impact on Urban Health for six community-driven research projects in Southwark and Lambeth, for up to £40K per project
• Community-led research with partnerships and collaborations across sectors
• Addressing inequalitites and structural inequities in health, healthcare and social services
• Based on community priorities with outcomes emphasising action 

• One-to-one project support
• Workshops for research skills development and to translate findings into practice
• Showcasing projects through events, networks, website and social media

Our objective is to fund health-related projects that communities have identified as crucial priorities. These may include areas like environmental health, mental health, maternal health and chronic illness.

Additionally, we aim to assist projects in identifying and addressing inequalities in access to healthcare and social services and explore new ways to promote health equity. We are particularly interested in projects that take an intersectional approach and consider social determinants of health like housing, employment, education, and income, regardless of their specific research focus. In addition to funding, we offer resources and opportunities to aid in the dissemination of research findings. We are dedicated to helping successful applicants throughout their projects.

Funded projects are aligned with the objectives of the HSE Collective’s guiding principles, integrating attention to addressing inequities across the three priorities of the Collective:

• • Community engagement and advocacy (e.g., engaging local community members in decision-making processes and advocating for their needs)

• • Education, training, and capacity development (e.g., providing training opportunities and building up the skills and knowledge of community members)

• • Research and evidence generation (e.g., conducting research to better understand health inequalities and develop evidence-based solutions)

Our goal is to fund innovative research initiatives that improve health equity and address the underlying causes of health inequalities in communities. We believe that by engaging with communities and generating evidence-based recommendations we can influence policy and produce practical solutions that lead to lasting positive change. 

Successful applicants  receive personalised support throughout their project, including assistance with data access, handling, and analysis, as well as GDPR compliance advice.

We will also host workshops for applicants to share and discuss their project progression and research findings with other applicants and members of the HSE Collective. Finally, at the end of the project, we will host an event to showcase findings and network with project teams, community members, and other stakeholders.

Key milestones throughout the project are shown in the table below (please note these dates are subject to change).