Partners from across Coventry’s public, academic and community sectors have come together to develop new research ideas aimed at improving digital access and reducing inequalities for local people.
More than 60 representatives from local government, universities, the NHS and Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations joined Coventry City Council's digital inclusion programme, #CovConnects, at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Coventry Digital Inclusion Idea Exchange workshop hosted at Coventry University earlier this month. Watch the highlights video from the workshop.
The session explored how research and collaboration can support digital inclusion and improve outcomes across areas such as health, education, employability and wellbeing, with a strong focus on using evidence to inform decision-making and service design.
The event also supported a shared ambition to build a robust evidence base to demonstrate how digital reuse and inclusion can reduce inequalities and deliver social, economic and environmental value. This will help ensure that insight from research consistently shapes decision-making, service design and long-term investment.
Throughout the workshop, participants shared expertise, built connections and worked together to develop practical research ideas that will now be taken forward through ongoing partnership working, supported by NIHR HDRC Coventry and Coventry City Council’s #CovConnects programme.
Discussions were structured around key priority areas, including employability, skills and economic mobility; storytelling, culture and behaviour change; loneliness, isolation and ageing well; system design, investment and learning; young people and digital access; and digital reuse and environmental sustainability.
The workshop reflects growing regional collaboration, bringing together organisations including Coventry City Council, #CovConnects, University of Warwick, Coventry University, NHS partners and VCFSE organisations to strengthen the link between research and real-world impact.
Cllr Richard Brown, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Strategic Resources, said:
“The workshop has been a success because it’s helped align partners around shared questions, shared evidence, learning and shared ambitions. This informs future decisions about digital inclusion in Coventry so local people benefit from being online and connected.”
Stephanie Whitehead, Associate Director for Regional Engagement at University of Warwick, said:
“The University of Warwick has been very pleased to support this work from the outset. We’ve brought academic expertise into areas such as environmental impact and behaviour change, while also engaging students through placements and projects. It’s been particularly encouraging to see both the value delivered to local initiatives and the positive experience for students, with participation growing year on year.”
John Wilcox, Head of NIHR HDRC Coventry, shared:
“This work is about using research to make better, evidence-based decisions that benefit local communities. It focuses on tackling inequalities and ensuring research leads to real, lasting impact for Coventry and its residents.”
The event forms part of ongoing work to strengthen collaboration between partners, build a stronger evidence base, and support a culture of using research to improve outcomes and reduce health inequalities across Coventry.