Hi Kris, can you tell us a little about your research and share an example of where you've seen it move from insight into action within a community?

I’m a Reader in Health Promotion and Assistant Director in the Centre for Health Promotion Research (CHPR) at Leeds Beckett University. My research focuses on community-centred approaches to health and wellbeing, particularly with adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults. I’m also interested in participatory research methods and how communities can be involved in shaping the research that affects them.

A lot of the work I’ve been involved with in CHPR isn’t about inventing completely new solutions. Communities and voluntary organisations often already have effective ways of supporting people, developed through years of experience and a deep understanding of local needs. Our role is often to work alongside them to build evidence about what is working well and, where possible, identify ways to strengthen their practice.

A good example of research moving from insight into action and making a practical difference in the community is the evaluation I led of the Leeds Autism AIM service. The evaluation showed that the programme was providing effective, holistic support for autistic adults and that its approach to delivery was appropriate and valued. The findings contributed to the academic evidence base, but importantly they were also used by the organisation in funding applications, helping to secure support for the service to continue.

How do you go about building a trusting relationship with a community of people, or a voluntary organisation, to enable long-term collaboration?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach because every community and organisation is different. For me, it starts with being open, honest and respectful. Building trust is often about the small things. It means treating people as people, taking the time to understand what they need, and showing genuine interest in what they do.

Managing expectations is also important. There can sometimes be misconceptions about academic research and universities, whether that's assumptions about resources, timescales or what researchers can offer. Being transparent about how things work helps create a solid foundation.

Recently, I’ve been having conversations with local and national community groups and sports organisations about doing a piece of research about fandom for people with learning disabilities, building on a scoping review I’m currently doing on the topic. I’ve been quite open that I’m not sure at this stage what the final grant application will look like but want to take on board everybody’s ideas and allow them to be involved in whatever fashion suits. Hopefully this process will build strong foundations for an ongoing collaboration.

I also think it’s important to engage with people in ways that suit them. Not everyone wants to meet online, and sometimes taking the time to meet face-to-face can make a real difference. Earlier this year, Professor Jane South and I spent time with the team at Hamara Healthy Living Centre in Beeston in South Leeds, having informal conversations about their work and sharing our own interests. It’s something we were very fortunate to do (and doesn’t happen all the time) but it has already led to discussions about a potential PhD project and a larger funding application – plus they do a mean lunchtime curry in their café!

I’ve also been fortunate to have been in CHPR for just over 12 years. This is means that people know who I am and where I will be, and the time has allowed relationships to mature.

Most importantly, I try to be clear from the outset about what I can offer and what the mutual benefits of working together might be. Long-term partnerships are built through ongoing conversations, honesty about where things are up to, and taking time to listen.

What are some of the challenges involved in creating meaningful impact with communities that have traditionally been underserved or underrepresented in research, and what have you learned from navigating these?

One of the biggest challenges is that some communities have understandable reasons to be cautious about research. Many have experienced marginalisation, discrimination or situations where research has been done to them rather than with them. Building trust takes time and can’t be rushed.

I’ve also learned that meaningful involvement doesn’t look the same for everyone. As researchers, we sometimes assume people will want to be involved in every stage of a project, but that's not always the case. Different people want different levels of involvement, and good participation means respecting those preferences rather than imposing our own expectations.

Another challenge is that collaborative working usually requires more time, flexibility and relationship-building than traditional research approaches. Those things need to be planned for from the start. The extra time is worthwhile, though, because it can lead to richer insights, stronger partnerships and research that is more relevant and useful to the communities involved.

How do the insights and experiences from your research feed into your teaching on the MSc Public Health – Health Promotion course and your work with PGRs, and what does that bring to their learning?

Research and teaching are closely connected in my work. I co-lead the Research Methods for Public Health – Health Promotion module of our MSc Health Promotion course teaching, and having experience of conducting research in real-world settings means I can bring practical examples into the classroom. Rather than talking only about theory, we can discuss genuine challenges, decisions and innovative approaches that have emerged from projects I’ve been involved in.

Another advantage is that community partners and practitioners can be brought into teaching activities, helping students learn from people working directly in communities. This helps students see how the theory works in practice and exposes them to a wider range of perspectives.

Students can also be connected with organisations for their research projects or to share their findings back with communities. That gives them valuable experience of research that has a purpose beyond producing a university assignment and helps them think about how evidence can create positive change.

Have you seen any unexpected or unplanned positive impacts as a result of your research?

One of the most rewarding things about research is seeing ideas and findings take on a life of their own and reach audiences you never anticipated.

From an academic perspective, I’ve had a couple of publications that continue to attract interest years after they were published. My PhD research on football fans with learning disabilities remains the only study of its kind, while a paper exploring barriers to volunteering has continued to be widely cited. It's always encouraging to see work continuing to influence discussions long after a project has ended.

In terms of real-world impact, the evaluations we carried out of the Leeds Community Covid Champions programme and the Leeds Community Vaccine Champions programme have had a lasting influence. The findings have helped support the ongoing use of Community Champion approaches within vaccination strategies, as well as wider outbreak and pandemic planning across the city. Seeing research contribute to long-term changes in policy and practice is particularly rewarding.

What key pieces of advice can you share for others wanting to create impact through their work?

The old cliché is that academic research simply sits on a shelf gathering dust. In reality, creating impact often requires researchers to take responsibility for communicating their findings and making connections with the people who can use them. Looking back, there are some projects from earlier in my career where I wish I had been more proactive in reaching out to relevant stakeholders.

Secondly, think carefully about your audiences. Different groups need information presented in different ways. A commissioner, a community organisation, a member of the public and an academic researcher will all be looking for something slightly different. Traditional academic outputs like papers, conference presentations, and books are still important – but also think more creatively about blogs, briefings, videos, infographics, etc.  Producing a range of outputs can help maximise the reach and usefulness of your work. Working with these stakeholders as early as possible can help you understand their needs and allows them to shape the outputs as you go.

For example, for a recently completed project that was funded by the NIHR about community organisations using digital technology with people with learning disabilities and autistic people, we produced a formal report, blog posts, an animation for community audiences, attended several conferences and are now developing academic publications and a briefing note to send to voluntary groups. Each format serves a different purpose and reaches different people.

Overall, be persistent and confident in promoting your work. Research doesn’t automatically find its audience. Building networks, getting involved in conversations, and actively sharing your findings can make a huge difference to the impact a project has. Of course, we have to be mindful of quality and not saying more than what the evidence tells us, but my first piece of advice would be to not be afraid of putting your work out there in different forms and formats.

LBU colleagues and postgraduate research students are invited to book now for the 2026 Festival of Research and Knowledge Exchange, taking place on Tuesday 24 – Wednesday 25 November at Headingley Campus, and submit your nominations for the Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards, which includes our Postgraduate research student Photo Competition.

LBU Research Voices is a blog series that celebrates the experiences, journeys, and expertise of our LBU research community. Through this series, we explore the knowledge our researchers have gained, not just from their work, but from their lived experiences, career paths, and the communities they engage with. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire learning, reflection, and connection across our LBU research culture.

Explore the full LBU Research Voices series to read more stories from across our LBU research community.