Reflecting community voices in research and practice

Dr Mark Hammond is Senior Lecturer and Deputy Research Lead at Manchester School of Architecture. His research explores the intersections between ageing and architecture, particularly issues of inequality and spatial justice amongst older communities. He is currently Principal Investigator on the Co-Creating Age-Friendly Social Housing programme, funded by DMT. He will be joined by Adela Mortimer and Nerys Carpenter from Stockport Homes who represent one of a number of community partners.

I am a very proud mother & grandmother of five children and eight grandchildren. I trained to be a midwife in my late thirties. I was first introduced to technology during my training when I was diagnosed with dyslexia. Being a midwife was one of my greatest pleasures I spend a lot of my career working with vulnerable women and teenage parents. In 2012 became physically disabled and was unable to continue practicing as a midwife. I moved into supported housing in 2020 where I was one of the youngest tenant and I spent a lot of my time supporting older tenants who were not familiar with using technology. I am very passionate about helping and supporting others especially older and disabled people. There is nothing more rewarding than helping others to have a voice in the management of their lives.

Professor Andrew Clark has been Professor in the Institute for Lifecourse Development at the University of Greenwich since October 2023 and was previously Professor in the School of Health and Society at the University of Salford where he continues to hold an Honorary research position. Andrew is a social scientist with an interest in developing participatory and creative methods for understanding everyday life in neighbourhood and community settings, often in the context of ageing and dementia. He is the project lead for the Dunhill Medical Trust funded project: Developing Age-friendly Communities in an Emergent Post-Pandemic World and he will be joined by Bernadette Elder, CEO of Inspiring Communities Together one of the community partners.

Manik’s research qualitatively explores intersections of ageing, place and wellbeing using frameworks that acknowledge and are sensitive to diversity, values, processes, and contexts. Manik has a sustained interest in exploring suitable living environments for ageing and more recently, for older minority ethnic groups. In this regard, she is keen to work collaboratively with communities and other stakeholders including, from housing, to promote knowledge exchange, and translation of research into practice and policy.
Manik is the lead investigator for the ‘Amar Bari Amar Jibon’ [my home my life] project and will be joined by Mr Bashir Uddin, Chief Executive, Bangla Housing Association.