We host a programme of exciting events throughout the year.
2023 events
See upcoming discussion group sessions on 'Wellbeing and Communities'
2022 events
Wed 7 Dec – Edgbaston Park Hotel – The Imagining Wellbeing Symposium, 'Writing the Good City' - register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/414094195887
This symposium aims to create interdisciplinary dialogue exploring how the humanities, literary imaginations and historical representations can inform understandings of the diverse character of urban experience, individual and collective responses to the phenomena of ‘urban stress’ and ways of psychological coping, restoration and repair. It is collaboratively organised by the Centre for Urban Wellbeing, Mental Health Humanities Network and Department of English Literature. Speakers include Professor Anna Snaith (kcl.ac.uk); Professor Des Fitzgerald | Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology | University of Exeter; Natassia Brenman | Goldsmiths, University of London; Dr Edmund Ramsden - School of History (qmul.ac.uk); Professor Ash Amin, Department of Geography, Cambridge
Tue 6 Dec - 2-3pm – Strathcona SR02 (121) and Zoom - Discussion group session on 'Wellbeing and Communities'
How could we strengthen connections between wellbeing policy, research and communities?
Robin Miller (Department of Social Work and Social Care)
Mon 14 Nov - 1-2pm – Frankland 2120 and Zoom - Discussion group session on 'Wellbeing and Communities'
In what ways can participatory approaches help to better understand and improve urban wellbeing?
Susanne Boerner (Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences)
Sun 13 Nov - all day - ESRC Festival of Social Science - MAC (Midlands Arts Centre) Birmingham
A creative community mapping activity on the meaning of community wellbeing run by Dr Rebecca Johnson. No registration required.
Wed 9 November – Using the Thriving Places Index in Research (University of Birmingham staff and students only)
The Thriving Places Index is a world leading measure of how local economies deliver a wellbeing generating economy. It is published annually by the Centre for Thriving Places (CTP), for all Local Authorities in England and Wales. This year, UoB’s Centre for Urban Wellbeing is partnering with CTP to co-produce and publish the TPI results for 2022. We are interested to hear from UoB colleagues any ideas YOU have for research and analysis using the TPI dataset, in partnership with CTP in support of our shared goals. Register for this online event here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/431793515027
Thur 3 Nov – Thriving Places Index 2022 Webinar (open to all)
The Thriving Places Index (TPI) is a compass to guide local economies towards an equitable and sustainable future. It is a globally respected framework to support local leaders in every sector to design and deliver policy and action to grow the wellbeing of people and planet. Join the TPI’s creators, partners and delivery team for an online Webinar to hear more about its role in transforming our economy place-by-place and gain insights into what the latest data can reveal about real progress across the UK. Register in advance for this webinar: https://bham-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wfBDxJ1lSZa3ai_C6Htc2A
Wed 21 Sep - Rethinking Empty Homes and Allocations in Social Housing
Centre for Urban Wellbeing Researcher Hannah Absalom is launching a new Rethinking Homes Network to transform the social housing allocation process in light of her research on trauma, mental wellbeing and emotional geographies of the home.
Tues 13 Sep - Making Birmingham an Age-Friendly City - Stuart Hall Room, The Exchange, 3 Centenary Square, Birmingham
You are invited to share your expertise and insight in an event focusing on making Birmingham more age-friendly. After the completion of a citizen science project aiming to promote healthy ageing, we now want to identify actionable solutions to making Birmingham an age-friendly city. Contribution from Sustrans - Age-Friendly Tyburn Project.
Seminars
For details of how to join the seminars, sign up to our newsletter or email Dr Laura Kudrna, L.Kudrna@bham.ac.uk.
2022
Wed 30 Nov - 4pm - Laura Kudrna - Money does not always buy happiness but are richer people less happy in their daily lives? It depends on how you analyse income (hosted by International Society for Quality of Life Research - register here)
Wed 19 Oct – 2pm – Suvi-Jonna Martikainen - Narratives and wellbeing: perspectives from literature, psychology, and organisations
Wed 14 Sep – 3pm – Felix Cheung – Government expenditure and wellbeing
Thur 28 Jul – 2pm – Will Wright, Sustrans, UK – Reactions to low traffic neighbourhoods
Wed 13 Jul – 1pm – Mark Fabian, University of Cambridge, Australia - Wellbeing public policy needs more theory
Tue 7 Jun – 10am – Chris Bouch, University of Birmingham, UK – Creating business models for urban green infrastructure
2021
Wed 8 Dec – 1pm – Philip Kinghorn – Informing resource allocation decisions in social care: attempts to broaden consideration beyond cost to include aspects of wellbeing
Wed 1 Dec – 1pm – Daniel Wheatley – Wellbeing, remote working and employee-led flexibility: informing the post-Covid-19 era
Wed 24 Nov – 1pm – Miguel Ribeiro Da Silva Taborda Ramos – The impact of social diversity on wellbeing and health
Wed 17 Nov – 1pm – Jessica Woodhams, Dr Fazeelat Duran – Impact of traumatic material on the back-office staff’s mental health and wellbeing in criminal justice setting
Wed 10 Nov – 1pm – Oyinlola Ayebode – Better understanding of mental wellbeing in educational communities in Tanzania
Wed 3 Nov – 1pm – Marica Cassarino – Putting wellbeing in place? Considerations about place-based happiness and equity from a psychosocial perspective
Wed 27 Oct – 1pm – Luke Munford – Mental health and wellbeing ‘poverty’ in England: concepts and the unequal spread
Wed 13 Oct – 4pm – Carol Graham – When twin public health crises meet: differential trends in resilience, wellbeing, and deaths of despair during the Covid pandemic