Building Future Communities Research Centre
Nothing About Us Without Us
LSBU has been ranked third in the world for reducing inequalities in the Times Higher Impact Rankings 2024. As a contributing factor, the Building Future Communities (BFC) Research Centre is a creative umbrella designed to add value to various inclusive participatory research projects prioritizing this agenda through stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
Our ethos is inclusive, and we work collectively focusing an intersectional lens on social justice concerns and research for transformation and real-world impact. We engage with funded research, enterprise activity, consultancy and researcher development with organisations including charities, organisations, community groups and local authorities.
Based on the principle ‘nothing about us without us,’ BFC builds on the creative participatory work of the former Social Justice and Global Responsibility Research Centre.
We're committed to researcher development and in particular to encouraging researchers who do not have easy access to research support including for example young, disabled, minoritised, digitally/linguistically excluded people, and colleagues who work in further education or professional services roles.
LSBU Researchers (in alphabetical order)
Below is a dynamic list of LSBU researchers working on relevant projects. We also partner with external collaborators and work with a growing community of early career researchers and postgraduate research students. The list will be updated regularly.
Alison Alvarez Nee
Professor Caitríona Beaumont
Research Interests: history of female activism, female networks and women’s social movements in Ireland and Britain across the nineteenth and twentieth century.
Dr Nicole Brown
Research interests: representations of experiences, the generation of knowledge, and research methods and approaches to explore these ideas.
Dr Jessie Bustillos
Research interests: youth identities and post-school transitions, intersections of inequalities in education.
Professor Eddie Chaplin
Research interests: people with intellectual disability, autism and ADHD in the Criminal Justice System, mental health training and peer mentoring via coproduction with people with intellectual disability and autism.
Danny Clegg
Research interests: Universal design for learning, disabled student and staff experience. Convenor of LSBU Disabled Staff Network.
Dr Charlotte Clements
Research Interests: informal education, inclusive education, history and policy of welfare and education, professional identities of youth workers.
Dr Clara Eroukhmanoff
Research interests: gender and foreign policy, feminist foreign policy, the politics of the war on terrorism.
Catherine Evans
Research interests: law in a social and community activism context focussing on the Windrush scandal, transitional justice, and the Columbian peace accord.
Anam Farooq
Dr Cameron Giles
Research interests: law in a social and historic context, law, and digital technology, often focusing on offences connected to sex and sexuality.
Lyn Hamblin
Dr Elisavet Hasa
Research interests: Design for wellbeing and inclusion; spatial justice; feminist ethics of care; mutual aid and community support infrastructures; architecture’s role in community resilience; participatory design and community engagement; the climate emergency; urban transformation; adaptability crises; social movements and the politics of institutionalisation.
Dr Charalampia Karagianni
Research interests: teacher education, inclusive education in the further education and skills sector, intercultural education, gender studies.
Professor Alex Kendall
Research interests: learning identities and lived experiences of learning (in and out of formal settings), practitioner education (UK and internationally), cultures of sanctuary, creative, participatory and arts-based methodologies and pedagogies.
Dr Catherine Kimber
Research interests: tobacco, nicotine and vaping research; smoking cessation intervention; public health communication around the relative risk of vaping; pharmacokinetic studies on nicotine vapes.
Joanna Krupa
Research interests: inclusive education, neurodiversity, parent-school partnerships.
Dr Karla Lopez
Research Interests: student outcomes, experiences and student voice related to widening participation and intersections with gender, race, identities, and migration; ethical practices; international student mobility.
Professor Nicola Martin
Research interests: inclusive education and critical disability studies.
Gabbie Matei
Peter Nimmo
Andy Owusu
Research interests: Black student mental health; minoritised students and researchers.
Pippa Palmer
Research interests: Systems change, sector building, programme design, knowledge exchange, participatory research and co-creation: housing, retrofit, net zero transitions, institutional challenges, boarding school survivors.
Dr Preethi Premkumar
Research interests: family relationships, mental health, social exclusion, virtual-reality psychosocial intervention, disability and race, career progress of minoritised researchers.
Dr Alex Prior
Research interests: Political engagement and democratic participation; Parliaments and political institutions; and Narratives, storytelling, and deliberation.
Dr Harry Mohd Radzuan
Ella Rendall
Dr Federica Rossi
Research interests: criminalisation of activism and dissent, imprisonment and penal policies, politically motivated crimes, state harm and violence.
Annie Ruddlesden
Dr Martha Shaw
Research interests: religion and worldviews in education and education for intercultural citizenship.
Emily Shea-Simonds
Sharron Sturgess
Dr Rory Summerley
Research interests: Accessibility for interactive technology and entertainment.
Dr Allan Tyler
Research interests: LGBTQ+ mental health, LGBTQ+ youth and safeguarding, mental health, sex work, homelessness, nicotine harm reduction, e-cigarettes, smoking cessation.
Mira Wille
Themes
BFC colleagues are social scientists accustomed to working on interdisciplinary projects. Our research links to five main themes, to enable the development of communities of practice around common interests.
- Critical Autism and Disability Research
- Disabled Student Commitment/Universal Design for Learning
- Minoritized Researcher/Student Experience
- Thriving Homes
- Lived Citizenship
We work closely with LSBU’s Doctoral Academy and actively support researcher development
The centre is currently working on projects around access to healthcare, community, culture, social care, education, and employment. We seek to engage in creative ways to enable real participation, particularly of the seldom heard voices of citizens who may experience marginalisation. We prioritise inclusive researcher development, peer support, and seek to build informal, inclusive, and supportive networks which meet regularly to share ideas and progress research and enterprise projects which fit with BFC’s ethos.
Recent research grants and enterprise awards
| Research | Funder |
|---|---|
| Brown, N., Martin, N. & Premkumar, P. (2024). "Not as simple as right or wrong": A themed report on social care and support for disabled people in the UK. Report for the Disability Unit, Equality Hub, Cabinet’s Office. | Cabinet Office |
| Tender to edit a book for the NADP based on the Disabled Student Commitment. | National Association of Disability Practitioners |
| Research on the impact of the COVID pandemic on the career progression of researchers with Equality Act protected characteristics. | UKRI |
| Rees-Roberts, D., Premkumar, P. (2024). Depict VR - A virtual reality intervention to help young people who hear voices. | Innovate UK |
| Premkumar, P., Rees-Roberts, D. (2024). Depict VR: a multi-sensory multi-user proof-of-concept VR application to address voice-hearing in young people | British Academy |
| Progression to residential care of older autistic adults. | NHS England |
| Identifying, understanding, and improving practical and social support and wellbeing for autistic adults with intellectual impairment over the age of 45 years and their family carers. | John and Lorna Wing Foundation |
| Universal Healthcare, a national inquiry setting out our investigation into how the NHS can address the challenges of Universal Healthcare by how it designs and provides services based on health needs. | NHS Sussex and NHS West Yorkshire |
| Chown, N. et al (2023). General Practitioner Autism Training and Mandatory Medical Training: A Cross-Sectional Study of GPs’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices. Canadian Journal of Educational and Social Studies. 3 (1), pp. 1-16 | NHS England |
| Premkumar, P., Takhar, S., Martin, N. (2023). Disability, Loneliness and Relationships: A thematic report on relationships with family and friends among disabled people in the UK | Cabinet Office Disability Unit |
| Doherty et al (2024) (Doctoral Student): An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the Experiences of Autistic Psychiatrists: “If We Can't Recognize Ourselves, How Can We Diagnose Autistic Patients Accurately?” INSAR Conference Poster. | |
| The Black Students Mental Health Project collaborated closely with Black students to gain insight into their perspectives on education, health, and overall well-being, including the challenges they faced in accessing support. | Office for Students and London South Bank University |
| Understanding the Interplay: Education, lived worldviews & citizenship. This project works with Secondary schools in England to explore young people’s conception of citizenship and the relationships between identity, belonging and religion/worldview. | Culham St Gabriel’s Trust |
| Agency and Advocacy: Locating Women's Grassroots Activism in England and Ireland, 1918 to the present (AH/X008606/1). | AHRC |
Groups which work closely with the BFC Research Centre include:
BFC has established relationships with funders (including The Cabinet Office, British Academy and NHS England) and organisations (including local authorities, charities, SME’s, employers, and citizen groups).
Working equitably with interdisciplinary collaborators we add value to research, enterprise and researcher development initiatives and have very close links across LSBU and with relevant organisations including The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities, Theatre in Prison and Probation, The Claudia Jones Organisation, The Southwark Day Centre for Asylum Seekers, London Youth, Partnership for Young London, Diversity and Ability, The Windrush Clinic, Jigsaw House, The National Association of Disability Practitioners, The National Association of Disabled Staff Networks, The Westminster Autism Commission, The Participatory Autism Research Collective, Autism Voice, Autistic Doctors International, London Higher and LSBU’s Peoples Academy and Doctoral College.
We work closely with LSBU’s Doctoral College. Students associated with BFC are supported in qualitative research which considers for example aspects of student experience across the age range from early years into adulthood, universal design, mental health concerns, neurodivergence, parenting and criminal justice, community education, inclusive pedagogies.
BFC collaborates with LSBU’s Legal and Social Policy Clinic, where undergraduate students gain real-world experience researching and responding to policy consultations. The Legal and Social Policy Clinic builds upon LSBU’s success supporting the local community through its student-run Legal Advice Centre.
News
1 May 2025
| innovATe 2025 London - Showcasing the future of Assistive Technology! Third LSBU Annual Disability Lecture Book Launch: Universal Design for Learning: A Critical Approach, Edited by Nicola Martin, Mike Wray and Joanna Krupa |
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BFC is delighted to be hosting Habitat Learn's innovATe 2025 London Roadshow. This event focusses on strategies and resources to improve the disabled student experience, but is relevant to all students and staff working with students. It will take place at London South Bank University on Thursday 1st May 2025. Exhibition rooms and breakout rooms will enable suppliers to demonstrate software and hardware to promote inclusive practice. All the workshops are on one level and all accessible. These events are suitable for Learning Support Staff, Assessors, Disability Advisors, AT specialists and other professionals working in roles to support FE and HE students, as well as Access to Work practitioners and others involved in employment, whether new to their roles or wanting to brush up their knowledge. It is open to everyone in the UK including students. LSBU's Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Johnston will update delegates on the latest developments around the Disabled Student Commitment, which will enable some further networking and reflections on the event. Dr John Harding, Head of the Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre, University of Cambridge, will be delivering the Third LSBU Annual Disability Lecture, ‘From reasonable adjustments to inclusive practice: the undiscovered country? What is the future for university disability services?’ And we will be celebrating the publication of Universal Design for Learning: A Critical Approach, Edited by Nicola Martin, Mike Wray and Joanna Krupa (Critical Publishing). Written by university staff, including colleagues in Professional Services, and students this book is relevant to everyone with an interest in making university more inclusive for everyone, including disabled students and staff. For further details and to book your place, please click here |
| Newstalk (Ireland) Talking History Podcast 40 Years On: Contraceptives Legalised in Ireland |
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| This episode of Newstalk (Ireland) Talking History marks the 40th anniversary of the legalisation of the sale of contraceptives in Ireland. The episode reflects on the challenges faced by women and men in navigating religious doctrine and the law versus social justice and health care in twentieth-century Ireland. Our panel features: Dr Jennifer Redmond, Associate Professor in 20th Century Irish History, Maynooth University; Dr Mary McAuliffe, historian and Director of Gender Studies at UCD, specialising in Irish women's/gender history; Prof Caitríona Beaumont, Professor of Social History at London South Bank University, and Visiting Full Professor at the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice/Gender Studies at UCD; and Prof Lindsey Earner-Byrne, Professor of Contemporary Irish History, Trinity College Dublin. You can listen to the podcast here: 40 Years on: Contraceptives Legalised in Ireland |
| Women's Grassroots Activism |
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This podcast series tells stories of women’s grassroots activism across the island of Ireland and in England from 1918 to the present. These stories highlight the diverse ways that members of the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA), the Soroptimists International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) and the Federation of Women’s Institutes of Northern Ireland (WINI) contributed to enhancing the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and globally. The podcast series is funded by the United Kingdom Research Innovation (UKRI) Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as part of the grant awarded for Agency and Advocacy: Locating Women’s Grassroots Activism in England and Ireland, 1918 to the present (Project Reference: AH/X008606/1, August 2023 -January 2025). The research team is made up of Principal Investigator Professor Caitríona Beaumont (London South Bank University and Visiting Full Professor at University College Dublin), Co-Investigator is Dr Anne Logan (University of Kent), Dr Ruth Davidson (Institute of Historical Research, University of London), Dr Anna Muggeridge (University of Worcester) and Rachel Collett (University of Liverpool). The podcast series is supported by the participating women’s organisations the ICA, SIGBI, NFWI and WINI. You can listen to the podcast series here: Women's Grassroots Activism |