Informing Regional Recovery With Community Priorities: WM Citizens’ Panel

Anna Humphreys and Adam Hawksbee from the West Midlands Combined Authority explain why the West Midlands Recovery Coordination Group set up a panel of citizens to help with the recovery in the region, as well as the findings from the group, and what they prioritised. Over the past few months, the UK Government has asked an … Continue reading “Informing Regional Recovery With Community Priorities: WM Citizens’ Panel”

West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 14th August 2020

WM REDI has been tasked with providing an up to date monitor of the current COVID-19 economic impacts, on a weekly basis. These reports will help regional partners to shape responses and interventions to boost the region’s resilience so that it can thrive going forward. Each week the focus of the report relates to research … Continue reading “West Midlands Weekly Economic Impact Monitor – 14th August 2020”

Measuring the Distance to the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK Regions: How Is the West Midlands Performing?

In this blog, Professor Raquel Ortega-Argilés discusses the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) introduced by the United Nations in their 2030 Agenda. How the UK and the West Midlands is performing in comparison to other regions, and what impact COVID-19 will have on meeting these goals.  In September 2015, the General Assembly of the United … Continue reading “Measuring the Distance to the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK Regions: How Is the West Midlands Performing?”

A Review of the Impacts of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic

Rebecca Riley looks at back at the Spanish Flu of 1918, who the virus affected, and what the short and long term impacts were for different countries. The 1918 ‘Spanish’ flu, although it was a different virus to COVID-19, had similar wide-ranging pandemic effects. Transport and travel were far less common, the global population and … Continue reading “A Review of the Impacts of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic”

Better Transport Infrastructure Can Increase Well-Being in the West Midlands

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK. In this article, Dr Magda Capeda … Continue reading “Better Transport Infrastructure Can Increase Well-Being in the West Midlands”

Universities and the Recovery of Local Communities From the COVID-19 Crisis: A Role for the Social Sciences

In this blog, Professor John Goddard and Des McNulty discuss how COVID-19 provides an opportunity for social science and universities to contribute to the recovery and renewal not just of the nation, but of their areas and regions, contributing to ‘levelling up’. It was originally commissioned and published by the Campaign for Social Science as … Continue reading “Universities and the Recovery of Local Communities From the COVID-19 Crisis: A Role for the Social Sciences”

How Can Data Be Used to Reduce Homelessness?

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK. In this article, Josh Swan discusses … Continue reading “How Can Data Be Used to Reduce Homelessness?”

COVID-19 in West Midlands, an Opportunity for Fostering Urban Micro-Mobility

In this blog, Dr Magda Cepeda Zorrilla looks at the opportunities lockdown has presented us with to think differently about the way we use transport, including the possible benefits for the environment as well as the quality of travel in general. One could think about all the negative impacts that the coronavirus pandemic has triggered, … Continue reading “COVID-19 in West Midlands, an Opportunity for Fostering Urban Micro-Mobility”

When It Comes to Inclusive Growth, Place Definitely Matters. And Here’s Why

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK.  In this article, Dr Abigail … Continue reading “When It Comes to Inclusive Growth, Place Definitely Matters. And Here’s Why”

Capitalising on the Growing Army of Volunteers in the West Midlands During COVID-19

In this Blog, George Bramley discusses how volunteering can help people find, or get back into, long term employment. Volunteering as a response to COVID-19 There has been significant media coverage on the number of NHS Volunteer respondents recruited in response to COVID-19 before recruitment was suspended at 750,000 volunteers nationally so that applications could … Continue reading “Capitalising on the Growing Army of Volunteers in the West Midlands During COVID-19”