University of Chester recognised for community and partnership work

The results of the fourth Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF4) were published on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, with the University in the top 20% for Research Partnerships, Working with Business and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and Graduate Start-Ups, as compared against its peers. 

The KEF provides public information on the various ways English universities continue to engage with society and the economy, locally, nationally and internationally. It looks at performance through both the type of university and type of knowledge exchange activity. It demonstrates the range of valuable activities universities conduct with external partners across ‘seven perspectives’ of knowledge exchange and highlights how universities deliver those activities for the economy and society. 

These results build on a strong KEF performance at the University of Chester. In addition to achieving results in the top 20%, KEF4 also placed the University in the top 40% for Working with the Public and Third Sector and Local Growth and Regeneration, with High Engagement, against its peers. Overall, KEF4 shows that the institution is performing at or above average for all seven perspectives. 

The University works with the public and third sector in numerous ways. Support for student involvement at Chester continues to increase, with a Students as Partners (SaP Chat) network established to embed good practice across all areas of the institution. In addition to the more than 1,400 annual student placements, a ‘Do Good Fund’ exists to support students to fund community projects as well as in-person and virtual volunteering opportunities. 

To support individuals facing discrimination, the University’s Director of Pro Bono and Community Engagement in Chester Law School, Associate Professor Andy Todd, leads the Community Law Project, which engages students as Project Managers to deliver a range of community services, including legal advice, advocacy and training resources. Many students offer their knowledge for free and outside of their studies, helping groups of people that could benefit from a little guidance on legal issues. 

Dr Holly White, Head of Social and Political Sciences at the University has board membership on Cheshire West Voluntary Action and the CWAC’s Poverty Truth Advisory Board, along with Dr Kim Ross, Deputy Head of Social and Political Sciences. They have supported the local authority, NHS Cheshire and Wirral Partnership and charities across West Cheshire to collaborate with individuals with lived experience of social harms and marginalisation, such as food poverty and students to create a shared co-production framework and network, called Local Voices, that places the voices of lived experience at the centre of policy, practice, and service.   

Chester is committed to supporting those in in recovery from addictions, working with other universities to develop a Pledge for the ‘Recovery Friendly University' and providing Recovery Ally training to staff and students. 

In the community and beyond, the University continues its joint working with Chester Zoo which includes co-creation of world-leading conservation and sustainability education. 

And the University continues to make real impact in supporting the Armed Forces community, including the evaluation of the Armed Forces Covenant Trust’s Tackling Serious Stress Programme and co-delivery of an Armed Forces Community Research International Webinar Series. This work has attracted the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award, in recognition of its outstanding support for the Armed Forces community. 

The institution is committed to local growth and regeneration and following Warrington’s £22m Town Deal investment, it consulted with the local authority, MPs and other stakeholders on how University Centre Warrington adds value. Since 2021 the institution has invested more than c.£6.5m in Warrington town centre. 

Around £2m of Office for Students (OfS) capital funding was secured by the University to enhance the existing simulation facilities for health and social care and medical provision, across multiple sites. This increase in clinical simulation capacity mitigates NHS placement and training challenges, which are even more acute following the COVID-19 pandemic as well as providing state-of-the-art learning opportunities for students. 

University experts share their views in the Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission (SIGC) which was formed to support the area’s ambition of becoming the most sustainable and inclusive subregion in the UK) and a  partnership agreement has been signed with Cheshire West and Chester Council to celebrate the progress made to date and articulate future objectives as well as a public commitment to achieving the shared goals in meeting the evolving needs and aspirations of the local area, known as the One City Plan.  

The Digital on Tour  project, funded by the Cheshire and Warrington LEP Local Growth Fund (LGF) saw a team from the University design an interactive set of activities for primary and secondary schools focusing on developing digital skills and ongoing work with the IDRIC (Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation) consortium has resulted in the publication of a nationally significant industrial decarbonisation workforce report, led by the University, which will influence future skills policy. 

Professor Paul Bissell, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Chester, said: “We are proud of the range and calibre of knowledge exchange and partnership working at the University of Chester which is delivering real positive impact to the communities and region around us. 

“Our KEF4 results are excellent and we look forward to continuing to build on these achievements.” 

To find out more about KEF4 visit here - New KEF4 results provide insights in performance improvement – UKRI.