Take part in research on impact of Covid-19 on communities

A national research study is looking into the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on community cohesion – and over 18s in Blackburn with Darwen are invited to take part.

The University of Kent is leading the study, alongside the national cohesion and integration network Belong. Their aim is to understand how the current crisis has affected relations between neighbours, perceptions of different ethnic and religious groups, and levels of trust in others.

Blackburn with Darwen is involved in the study as a national Integration Area. The borough has been working closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government for two years on new approaches to social integration.

Other Integration Areas are taking part in the research study, including Bradford and Waltham Forest, as well as other local authority areas across the UK.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of the Council, said:

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, it has been heartening to see people from all different walks of life working together to support vulnerable people in need. We can’t deny that it’s been a very difficult few months, but it’s also been a period which has brought out the best in humanity.

People have recognised that we are all experiencing similar worries and struggles, and helping one another to get by. Whether you have been on the receiving end of help from a voluntary organisation or community group, or have been volunteering alongside other people from different parts of the borough, your experiences and opinions will be very valuable to this study.

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the survey takes around 30 minutes to complete. It includes questions about the current social and political situation in the UK, and specifically the pandemic and the local community response. The survey also asks about how people express themselves and the things that are most important to them.

The University of Kent is giving the first 200 people who complete the survey a £5 Amazon gift voucher. Everyone who completes it will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five £100 Amazon gift vouchers.

Everyone who takes part will be asked to complete four surveys in total, in June, August, September and October. They call also request update reports on the project from the University of Kent in August and November 2020.

Click here to take the survey now: bit.ly/2AphjGV

The survey will be available online until Wednesday 17 June.

Sayyed Osman, Director of Adult Services, added:

The results of this research study will support the work of our social integration programme, Our Community, Our Future, and expand on findings of our current programme of research.

Specifically, this project will help us to better understand how Covid-19 has affected relations between ethnic and religious communities in Blackburn with Darwen, and the extent to which these changes are likely to persist in the long term.

The results will also give us a greater understanding of how residents of the borough view themselves, and the importance that they place on aspects of identity including ethnicity, religion, social class and neighbourhood.

For more information about the survey, contact the Council’s social integration team on integration@blackburn.gov.uk or 01254 304597.