Experience Is the Seed; Practice Is the Growth - Nurturing True Peer Work
Discover why Experience Is the Seed; Practice Is the Growth breaks down the crucial difference between simply having lived experience and practising it as disciplined peer work. Learn how true peer leadership demands reflective practice, clear hiring standards, and impact measures that value hope, not just head counts and throughputs.
They’re Not ‘Hard to Reach’ – They’re Tired of Being Reached
Why do some communities say no to research? In this guest blog, Chris Frederick explores refusal as an act of protection, not disengagement in Black mental health research. He calls for a new model of participation rooted in trust, co-production, and lived experience and peer leadership.
From Findings to Fuel: Turning Community Research into Real World Influence
Learn how to transform community‑led research findings into real‑world policy and practice. In the final post of our series, we dive into Calgary’s private‑college reform and Samaritans UK’s online‑chat evaluation to show how collaboration, trust and community ownership drive lasting change. If you’re looking to ensure your research doesn’t just gather data but fuels policy shifts and service innovations, this blog is for you.
When the Researchers Are the Community: Why Peer Research Supercharges Your Study
Discover how peer researchers turn community-led studies into richer, more trusted evidence. Learn why putting people with lived experience at the heart of your participatory research unlocks deeper insights and wins lasting support from decision-makers.
From Data to Dialogue: Practical Methods for Community-Led Research
Learn how community-led research turns local stories into solid evidence that decision-makers respect. We explain easy methods (story circles, asset mapping, peer research and analysis) that let lived-experience data shape real policy change. Perfect for anyone searching practical tips on participatory research and community engagement.
Is it Research or Is it Community Engagement?”
Learn the key differences between community engagement and community-led research: power dynamics, trust-building, and why solid relationships, not just datasets drive meaningful, evidence-based change. Perfect for anyone asking “how do I do good community research?”
If You’re Not at the Table, You’re on the Menu
For too long, lived experience in mental health has been seen as something to be consulted rather than something that drives leadership. Co-production models have been a step forward, but they often stop short of real power-sharing. The future of mental health advocacy, peer support, and service design lies not just in co-production but in lived experience leadership.
Improving mental health – so many options, what works?
The focus of #WorldMentalHealthDay is the importance of addressing #MentalHealth and #Wellbeing in the workplace.
Often mental health leaders unintentionally overwhelm workplaces and communities with choices, expecting audiences to wade through the vast array of options and accompanying jargon.
Let's look at proven ideas to improve mental health in your organisation.
Using Peer Research to investigate whether cannabis a net positive for mental health
Peer Research and lived experience helps uncover deep insights regarding cannabis use for improving the mental health of stigmatised users.
‘We know we’ve been making an impact, but it’s hard to capture’: How an outcomes harvest can help your evaluation
‘We know we’ve been making an impact, but it’s hard to capture’: How an outcomes harvest can help your evaluation