The Community of Practice for Community Collaborations has been co-created by the Community, Policy and Power Theme (led by Dr Koen Bartels and Dr Carl Stevenson), the Community Collaborations Network (led by Dr Magdalena Skrybant and Dr Steven Blackburn), and the Public and Community Engagement Team (led by Ms Lauren Deere and Ms Kerry Rickerby) We actively collaborate with two key local community infrastructure organisations: Citizens UK Birmingham and Birmingham Voluntary Service Council.

We are a growing network of colleagues across the University who are collaborating with communities through co-production, action research, participatory research, and community engagement. The aim of the Community of Practice is to facilitate accessible, consistent, and reciprocal relationships between researchers and diverse communities and organisations in Birmingham. UoB aspires to be a civic university, but, in reality, community collaboration faces fragmentation and duplication, internal barriers, and reputational problems. We aim to create an enabling environment for meaningful communication and durable relationships by growing shared knowledge, coordinating internal efforts and resources, and stimulating equity.

Shared vision

We organised an inaugural workshop in December 2023. At the workshop, participants mapped existing partners, projects and relationships, learned about existing resources, support and networks, and developed a shared vision:

to create a Community of Practice that facilitates accessible, consistent and reciprocal relationships between researchers and diverse communities and organisations in Birmingham,
to create an enabling environment for meaningful communication and durable relationships
in order to become serious about being a civic university.

Action plan

We organised an interactive workshop in March 2024 to co-produce an action plan for turning our shared vision to become a real civic university into reality. The action plan includes a range of actions on five themes:

Develop understanding of a civic university that integrates research and teaching
Internal changes to procedures
Identify and optimise what we’re already doing across the University
Community-driven change on the ground
Get recognition for the time and effort (workload) spent on (developing) community engaged research to ensure it is sustained

Implementation strategy

We organised an interactive workshop in July 2024 to agree on how to implement our action plan. Following presentations about a newly developed University of Birmingham guide and database for working with communities, community organising training, and developing a civic university, we co-produced the following strategy:

Organise regular workshops to facilitate learning and inform our strategy
Reach out to decision-makers to build a relationship and invite them along
Support with organising and promoting the annual Public and Cultural Engagement conference.
Ensure online visibility and regular communication
Develop and publish an interactive map of community collaborations
Support and promote training in community organising, community research, and cultural immersion.
Support and promote UoB resources for community collaboration.
Explore opportunities to write annual synthesis reports
Remind members of how to actively support each other and the CoP

Workshops

We hold bi-monthly workshops on Tuesdays 12-2pm at Longbridge Room in Beech House (O5 on campus map). These workshops include a presentation by one of our members, an opportunity for networking over lunch, and a strategic discussion of how to advance our shared plans.

Forthcoming dates

Tuesday 24th February 2026
Tuesday 28th April 2026
Tuesday 30th June 2026
Tuesday 29th September 2026
Tuesday 24th November 2026

Past workshops

Creating a Community of Practice (12 December 2023)
Taking Action on Becoming a Civic University (13 March 2024)
Creating Shared Resources and Support for Community Engaged Research (1 July 2024)
Developing and Sustaining the Network (23 October 2024)
Cultivating Community Connections (21 November 2024)
Training and Resources for Community Collaboration (28 January 2025)
Civic Universities in Action (29 April 2025)
The Power of Us: Outcomes and Next Steps (Tuesday 24th June 2025)
Shaping Our Shared Future: Mapping Opportunities, Events and Resources for a Community Charter (Tuesday 28th October 2025)