Immersive and creative research!

Most weeks at Nifty are pretty lovely, but last week was particularly fab!

I’ve been reminded just how much brilliant work is happening for the benefit of people and planet and just how much I love being immersed in the different contexts and communities I’m supporting with research.

Last week I:

🌱 Supported young people to take ownership of nature-focused projects through the Venturists Lite programme at Whetley Academy.
🌿 Helped plant seedlings with volunteers as part of the ambitious work of the Alliance for Northern Nature.
🫟 Learnt how to use a die-cast machine in Sue’s Craft and Chat group at Glusburn Institute Community and Arts Centre.

Across all these very different initiatives, the same themes kept coming up from the people I spoke to around belonging and care for, and connection to, each other, nature, place, ourselves. When people feel seen, valued and genuinely cared for, incredible things can happen for individuals, for communities and for the planet.

At Nifty we are helping all these organisations to better understand their impacts. While some of these themes might have come across using research methods such as surveys and interviews, without being there and taking part I wouldn’t have got such a strong sense of how they formed part of people’s stories, how interactions were playing out and I wouldn’t have had those gems of informal chats which are so valuable in research. Oh, and I wouldn’t have been eaten alive by the Upper Duddon midges, but I guess that’s a small price to pay 😂.

I’m heading into this week feeling inspired and hopeful and excited about sharing the research stories!