Community researchers use innovative board game to bring experiences of unemployment to life for stakeholders

More than 40 stakeholders from local and national organisations attended Work and Wellbeing: Community Voices on Work, Job Seeking and Health at St George's Community Centre in Lupset, Wakefield.

Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Wakefield, for which Leeds Beckett University is the lead academic partner, the project brought together nine community researchers from St George's Community Centre and One Ummah Community.

Supported by researchers from Leeds Beckett University and Sheffield Hallam University, the community researchers explored how unemployment and employment support affect health and wellbeing. They conducted interviews and focus groups with 42 people from across Wakefield district before helping to analyse the findings and identify key themes.

At the event, five community researchers spoke about their experiences of taking part in the project and the value of community-led research.

Dr Olivia Engle, from Leeds Beckett University's Centre for Health Promotion Research, said:

"This project demonstrates the value of community-led research in addressing the wider determinants of health. Community researchers were involved at every stage, from shaping the research questions and collecting data to analysing findings and deciding how the results should be shared. By bringing lived experiences directly to stakeholders and decision-makers, we hope the project will help inform more compassionate and effective approaches to supporting people into employment."

A highlight of the event was Job Hop, a board game co-developed with the community researchers using scenarios based on participants' experiences. Players took on the role of one of six characters facing different barriers to employment, including age, caring responsibilities, migration status, health conditions and a lack of formal qualifications.

The game sparked discussion among attendees, with participants describing it as "eye-opening", "impactful" and an effective way of understanding the challenges people face when looking for work. Many said it had encouraged them to think differently about the barriers people experience and how organisations can better support those seeking employment.

HDRC Wakefield is funded by the NIHR (NIHR158707). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.