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May Newsletter 2024
A lot has been happening in the past few months and we're excited to share our recent progress with you. We've been busy working on developing the Community Research Network website by providing lots of new information about the project and how you can get involved. Read on to find out what has been happening.
Website Update
You may have noticed new pages and graphics being gradually added to the website. Our aim has been to express our overarching theme of the sustainability and viability of remote island communities by creating accessible and engaging content that supports our ideas. Illustrations help reinforce this by showcasing things in different ways, using various media like graphs, storyboards or icons to highlight key information.
Finding Themes
Over the last 18 months we spoke with many members of Scilly's community and asked what type of research they want to see happen. The answers we received revealed a wide range of themes, which you can read about here. It’s important to know the issues facing our community and the topics people care about, from marine life to energy costs. We produced a Research Manifesto that provides a more detailed look at what was raised in our many interviews and conversations, which you can download from the research themes page.
The Research Journey
Research isn’t something everyone has experience with. What does the process look like? We created a page all about the Research Journey, which you can read here, explaining each stage and the reason behind it, to help with the understanding of what to expect when embarking on a research project. Part of this involved creating a visual ‘ladder’ to illustrate the process and to give people an idea at first glance.
Pilot Projects
To kickstart the Community Research Network we are currently working on two pilot projects:
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Investigating the cost and stress of islanders attending physiotherapy appointments on the mainland.
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Sequencing the genome of the Scilly Shrew to find out if it can be classed as its own separate sub-species of the lesser white-toothed shrew. Currently the Scilly Shrew is classed as the same species found in the islands of Jersey and Sark.
The aim of these projects is to test the research process and see what works and what doesn’t. It will also allow us to explore the role of Community Advocates in the research journey.
If either of the projects mentioned above interest you and you would like to get involved, please do get in touch at hello@scillyresearch.org.
June Newsletter 2024
Since our last update in May, the Isles of Scilly Community Research Network has been busy developing its pilot projects and preparing for application for “implementation phase” funding. Read on to find out what has been happening this month.
‘Scilly Shrew’ Pilot Project Update
Progress has been made on our mission to sequence the DNA of the infamous ‘Scilly Shrew.’ We are excited to be working with Andy Young and MD Sharma at the University of Exeter who have the knowledge and technology to find out if our local shrews are unique to Scilly, or if they are the same species of lesser white-toothed shrew found on the islands of Jersey and Sark. We hope that this research will allow us to identify how the shrews made their way to the islands originally. As of now, it is unclear whether the shrews came here by crossing a land bridge from the mainland or if they were brought here on passing ships. A single pair introduced to the islands intentionally or unintentionally would mean very little diversity in the DNA. In contrast, if they came here by themselves there would have been multiple pairs and the diversity in their DNA would be much greater today.
By pinpointing the root of the Scilly Shrew’s origins we will be able to find out if they came from the same place as the other lesser white-tooth shrews or if they evolved independently. This is an exciting development for our first research project within the CRN. Furthermore, there is the potential for Scilly’s community to get involved with the DNA testing themselves on the islands, using a special type of technology designed to be used in remote places away from laboratories.
If this project interests you or you would like to be involved, please get in touch with us at hello@scillyresearch.org.
Strategic Stakeholders
Alongside the four founding partners of the Isles of Scilly Community Research network, we are excited to welcome Five Islands Academy, the islands’ school, to the CRN partnership as a strategic stakeholder. The public support of our stakeholder organisations is important for promoting the work of the CRN and signposting others to the work we are doing. Stakeholders commit to learning from the results of research conducted through the CRN and applying it to their own organisations for the benefit of themselves and the islands. We are working with a number of other local organisations to become strategic stakeholders, and expect to welcome several more in the coming weeks. If you would like to sign your organisation up as a Strategic Stakeholder, please visit our website.
Implementation Phase Funding Application
Since we started exploring the concept of a Community Research Network for the Isles of Scilly in August 2022, our activities (along side 24 other groups in other areas of the UK) have been supported by development funding from UKRI. Earlier this month, we started on the application process for implementation phase funding. UKRI will provide £1 million of funding over 5 years to approximately 8 of the most promising and interesting CRNs from the 25 that have been under development. We are working hard to make the Isles of Scilly’s bid as strong as possible. If you are a local resident and would be willing to provide a short video testimonial about how you feel the Community Research Network would be beneficial for you and for Scilly, please get in touch. We also welcome any other input or comments on the CRN that you would like to share with us - please email hello@scillyresearch.org
July Newsletter 2024
This has been our busiest month yet as we prepared and submitted our bid for Implementation Phase funding, all the while carrying on with our pilot project with Exeter University — identifying the ‘Scilly Shrew’ — and welcoming new Strategic Stakeholders to our network.
New Strategic Stakeholders
This month, the CRN welcomed three new strategic stakeholders - the Islands’ Partnership, The Isles of Scilly National Landscape Partnership, and Tresco Island. We are thrilled to have such a wide variety of stakeholders supporting our important initiative. Having organisations like these committed to supporting locally-led research is a fundamental part of integrating the work of the CRN into the community and delivering local benefits from the results of research. Our strategic stakeholders can help to promote the work we are doing and guide those interested in research towards our network. We can all learn and benefit from research and share the impact across the islands; having a large assembly of stakeholders means the results can be disseminated widely across Scilly. If you are interested in your organisation become a strategic stakeholder, please get in touch.
Implementation Phase Bid Submitted
The deadline to submit our bid to UKRI for Implementation Phase funding has finally arrived. We have been busy making sure everything is prepared for our application, aiming to share as much as possible about what we have been doing with UKRI and their delivery partner The Young Foundation so they could gain a full insight into our progress and plans. These past several months have been especially interesting with the advancement of our pilot projects, the Community Advocate scheme, the creation of this newsletter, and much more. It was challenging to include everything whilst keeping to a strict word count; we made use of providing both video and written testimonies as well as creating infographics to tell the story of the CRN. Our bid was submitted on Thursday, and we await the funders’ decision in September. In the meantime, we’ll continue to develop our plans and progress our pilot projects.
Feedback
Please do keep sharing your thoughts about the Community Research Network with us. How do you feel about our communication? Are there aspects of the CRN you don’t understand or would like to know more about? Would you like to be involved in our pilot research projects, or to start your own research project? Are there any barriers to yours (or others) participation?
November Newsletter 2024
Since our last newsletter, the Isles of Scilly Community Research Network has been working to prepare for what’s coming next. Currently, we are recruiting for an additional member of the CRN team while continuing working on our pilot projects.
It has now been almost two years we started exploring the potential for community-led research on the Isles of Scilly. Input from many people and organisations have encouraged us to pitch for national funding to support this quest, to bring more opportunity to Scilly, especially for the young, and to try and contribute to a better future for the islands.
This process has received a great response locally and nationally. We’ve had ideas, feedback and support from many individuals throughout the community. The core partners of the Community Research Network are the Isles of Scilly Community Venture, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Five Islands Academy and the University of Exeter. Just as important is the backing we have from the Council, Duchy of Cornwall, Tresco Estate, Islands’ Partnership, Museum Association, and the Isles of Scilly National Landscape Partnership.
Job Opportunity
As a result of the progress we are making, we are now able to start recruiting for a full-time Network Lead for the Isles of Scilly Community Research Network. This role will be central to making the CRN come alive towards our goal of improving the sustainability of our islands.
The job description can be downloaded here. Applications can be made for this challenging role by application form which can be downloaded here, to be returned by 10am on Wednesday 4th December 2024. If you wish to discuss this role, please contact George Goldberg at the Isles of Scilly Community Venture on 01720 575301 or by email to george@ioscv.co.uk
We will also soon be recruiting for a part-time Communications Officer role to support the delivery of the CRN. Details for this role will be published in the coming weeks.
January Newsletter 2025
2025 is off to an exciting start and we have lots to share with you. Read on to find out what we have been up to this winter.
Exeter Visit and London Event
In early December we attended an event in London—hosted by The Young Foundation—which brought together the nine Research Networks who received funding from UKRI. This was an amazing opportunity to meet the other networks and compare our progress and ideas, building valuable relationships with individuals and groups from across the UK. Interestingly, we discovered we shared many similarities with other networks—even one as far away as Moray in the Scottish Highlands! It surprised us how, though several of the research networks spanned across multiple communities, such as the London Borough of Newham, we still found common ground in our aspirations and goals for what we want research to achieve: ensuring research focuses on localised issues and remains community-led. This is exactly what will make the CRN a valuable resource for years to come.
During our time on the mainland, we stopped by Exeter University where we were able to discuss the next steps for the CRN with our academic partners. There was a fantastic turn out to the event and we had the opportunity to meet many new faces, who joined us both online and in-person. We talked about our experience in London with the other Networks and our plans for the next steps of our own CRN, highlighting what we needed to work on this year. It was a chance to receive input from the academic side about what they can contribute to the CRN and their thoughts on our journey so far.
CRN Meetings
In January, our partners in Exeter travelled to Scilly to meet up with the entire team, including our other partners—the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust and Five Islands Academy—and our recently appointed Network Lead to discuss our plans for how the Community Research Network is going to work. In particular, we talked over how projects will be selected and overseen. This an important part of the network as each project will require different levels of funding and support, and we will need a way of organising them. We want the process to be as transparent as possible to those interested in getting involved. Soon you will be able to view this process on the website.
Network Lead Position Filled
We officially have a Network Lead who joined us in early January. This is an important position, as their role will be to oversee and lead the CRN, ensuring its successful delivery over the next five years. So what’s coming next? With this new role in place, it means we can get underway with our projects and further develop the CRN—increasing our presence and engaging with the islands in a way that communicates what we’re here to offer, which will hopefully lead to us finding our Community Advocates/Researchers and encouraging more individuals to get involved with research questions and bring forth ideas.
Communications Position (IOSWT)
An exciting position has become available with the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust to manage the comms for the Community Research Network. The role of the Communications Officer will involve delivering the Community Research Network comms activity, community engagement, and administrative support, promoting the CRN amongst the local community. If this role interests you and you would like to find out more, visit the IOSWT website.