Livelihoods on the line: Support needed for independent musicians and grass-roots venues

By Dr David White, Lecturer in Political Science School of Government, University of Birmingham. “It is not yet clear how the £1.5bn rescue package for the arts, promised by the government on 6th July, will be spent. For the musicians I spoke to the main concern was for the future of the smaller grass-roots live … Continue reading “Livelihoods on the line: Support needed for independent musicians and grass-roots venues”

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Why Dogs Might Help us through the Covid-19 Crisis

By Dr Alison Broad, Director of Primary Initial Teacher Education School of Education, University of Birmingham. On March 11th 2020, The World Health Organisation declared covid-19 a worldwide pandemic. As the UK retreated into lockdown, for many of us our normal lives were changed in an instant. A very recent study, has looked at the … Continue reading “Why Dogs Might Help us through the Covid-19 Crisis”

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Festivals cancelled: the substantial impact on local people and communities

By Dr David White, Lecturer in Political Science School of Government, University of Birmingham. “The UK’s music festival industry not only fosters artistic talent, provides opportunities for people to gain experience in a range of roles, and creates a much-needed sense of wellbeing for those that attend, it also makes significant contributions to the British … Continue reading “Festivals cancelled: the substantial impact on local people and communities”

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Social care reform – Always Jam Tomorrow

By Professor Catherine Needham, Professor of Public Policy and Public Management Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham “When reform comes I hope it will start with how to build full and meaningful lives for people who receive care, and not just be about the demographic time-bomb and how to stop people selling their homes … Continue reading “Social care reform – Always Jam Tomorrow”

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Migration, identity and belonging: people of colour and the NHS

By Steve Gulati, Director of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Programme School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham “The story of the NHS can be viewed through many lenses, those of social history, economic migration and political struggle, and also more personal stories of love, hope, fear and loss.” The 72nd birthday of the NHS is a … Continue reading “Migration, identity and belonging: people of colour and the NHS”

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Building a fairer country after the pandemic? It’s time for the return of the council house

By Liam O’Farrell, Research Associate, City-REDI, University of Birmingham “We are now in a situation where many young people can no longer get onto the housing ladder… [and] those in low paid jobs, doing what is now more widely recognised as essential work, often can’t even afford to live near the places they work.” Even … Continue reading “Building a fairer country after the pandemic? It’s time for the return of the council house”

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Culturally competent? What does the pandemic tell us?

By Zhu Hua, FAcSS, Professor of Educational Linguistics & Director of the Mosaic Group for Research on Multilingualism, School of Education, University of Birmingham “Seeing cultural competence as a responsibility of those providing health and education programmes is certainly a step in the right direction.” Public Health England’s recent report, Beyond the data: Understanding the … Continue reading “Culturally competent? What does the pandemic tell us?”

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All work and no play? Why children need play during Covid-19

By Dr Anita Soni, Academic and professional tutor, School of Education, University of Birmingham and Oliver Wilson, Head Teacher, Woodhouse Primary School (and University of Birmingham ITE alumnus). “For younger children, it is essential that families don’t ignore play, but actively encourage it. While older children can usually socialise online with their friends, via a … Continue reading “All work and no play? Why children need play during Covid-19”

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Carers and COVID-19: Hunger and mental health

By Dr Matthew Bennett, Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology  School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham   “We’ve been clapping for carers throughout the pandemic. The profile of carers has risen. Yet a number of them are silently facing unthinkable hardships.” Did you clap for our carers? Despite their recently raised profile, our … Continue reading “Carers and COVID-19: Hunger and mental health”

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Under pressure: Children and Young People’s Mental Health, the hidden impacts of COVID-19

By Dr Gemma McKenna, Health Services Management Fellow  School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham   Originally posted as a blog piece for The Voice of UK Health Services Research (HSR UK). On the 18th March 2020, schools across the UK closed their doors. Children said goodbye to their teachers and friends, some for the … Continue reading “Under pressure: Children and Young People’s Mental Health, the hidden impacts of COVID-19”

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