Supporting people to make positive change in rural communities

The Rural Durham Community Research Network helps people in rural communities gather valuable knowledge and use it to help shape decisions, influence change and build lasting research skills.

How the network can help to enable positive change

The Rural Durham Community Research Network supports people in Weardale, Teesdale, and Derwent Valley to lead their own research into the issues that matter to them — from health and social care to public services and opportunities for young people.

By putting lived experience at the heart of the process, the project helps people gather valuable knowledge and use it to shape decisions, influence change, and build lasting research skills.

The Rural Durham Community Research Network will:

  • Provide training on running and sharing research

  • Fund research projects led by people in the community

  • Support community researchers with knowledge, guidance and advice

  • Create a supportive network to share learnings and make positive change

An introduction to the Rural Durham Community Research Network

Workshops and research training

Featured
Training session 4: Data analysis
Jun 12
Training session 4: Data analysis

Good research needs a clear plan and thoughtful analysis. In this fourth session, we’ll look at how to design a research project that’s robust and ethical, and explore practical ways to analyse the data it generates.

Training session 5: Dissemination and impact
Jun 19
Training session 5: Dissemination and impact

Research doesn’t end when the data is analysed. This session focuses on sharing findings in accessible, ethical, and creative ways, and thinking about the kind of change participants hope their research will help make.

Training session 6: Designing and delivering a research project
Jun 26
Training session 6: Designing and delivering a research project

This final session is about turning ideas into action. We’ll bring together everything they’ve learned including shaping research questions, designing projects, and making plans to move forward with confidence.

Want to join the Rural Durham Community Research Network?