Together as One (TAO) is one of six community organisations based in Reading and Slough in the Community Led Research Pilot, a programme that has been funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and co-created by the British Science Association, UKRI, the University of Reading, and communities that are new to or traditionally underrepresented in research.

Rob Deeks is the CEO of TAO, a charity founded in Slough in the '90s in response to gang violence within the South Asian community. TAO applied to join the Community-Led Research Programme (CLRP) and were subsequently partnered with researchers from the Psychology Department at the University of Reading. Together they explore how beekeeping can benefit young people’s mental wellbeing. We spoke to Rob to find out more about the project and to gather his reflections on connecting communities with researchers.

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Escalating tensions in Slough

Rob remembers the tensions which led to the establishment of TAO were traumatising for so many people in the community. He especially remembers his early days at TAO and the stories he heard were distressing. One young man, caught in the escalating tensions within the Slough community, had just had his hand chopped off.

Sometimes in this line of work, it is the tragedy of losing a young person that fuels us. Our mission is to protect young people from violence. We’re really driven by a heartfelt desire to improve things for young people, especially those living in terrible circumstances.

The birth of Together as One’s CLRP project

Together as One’s Community-Led Research Project (CLRP) was born out of a listening session with local young people. During the session led by Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles from the University of Reading, and attended by Qudsia Rahim on behalf of Slough Council for Voluntary Services, young people discussed what mattered to them most, and the environment was a common theme.

Following this, the team explored various environmental topics and activities through different taster sessions, such as with a bat conservationist and an expert in upcycling fashion. However, when asked what they enjoyed most, it turned out to be beekeeping. Beekeeping became the foundation for the project, driven by their genuine concern for the environment and a desire to connect more with the natural world.

Early hurdles during the researcher and group collaboration

Working with university researchers was a learning curve for the team and the young people involved. Initially, Rob and his team had one question: ‘What impact does participating in a beekeeping project have on young people's mental wellbeing?’ However, many of the young people were hesitant to discuss their mental health with researchers.

They seemed to prefer focus groups over individual interviews. This was interesting because it didn’t align with how academic researchers typically envision such projects.

They [the researchers] have a specific way of gathering the information we seek, but many young people were reluctant to engage. They feel too awkward to openly discuss their mental health, not realising the interview wouldn’t focus primarily on that, as researchers often use proxies and different language.

Building intergenerational bonds

An unexpected success has been the intergenerational bonds formed through the project.

There are demographic differences between the beekeepers leading the training and most of the young participants, but I’m happy because it strengthens intergenerational cohesion. It’s bringing together people from diverse faiths and backgrounds, which aligns with our mission.

Navigating community-led research

Before the programme, community-led research was unfamiliar territory for Rob. “What I find interesting is how different Professor Ciara McCabe and doctoral student Senna Demi Kassem’s approach is from ours. Their methods are more formal, and I was surprised by the amount of work they had to do to get the project accepted by the university from an ethics point of view.”

Dr Alice Mpofu-Coles' approach, felt more familiar, with techniques centred around participatory experiences. “It's a mix—while we're learning to navigate the formalities of research, we also see overlaps with what we already do. For example, we often use tools to explore the roots and effects of tension, which is similar to research in that we're trying to understand the young people’s context.”

This programme has also given him insight into the planning, permissions, and ethical reviews that formal research involves, particularly within the Psychology Department.

At first, I expected to learn about university research processes, but the ethos of this programme is about aligning our community methods with those of the university. That became clear when Dr Mpofu-Coles and the psychology researchers worked together creatively to understand the young people’s perspectives.

“We value evidence-based programmes, so we fully support research that demonstrates impact. While we generally have a positive attitude towards research, accessing it has always been a challenge. This collaboration, facilitated by BSA, has shown us how partnerships between communities and universities can work.”

Celebrating successes

Taking part in the CLRP as a community group has been a really rewarding experience for Rob. “When projects are this interesting and enjoyable, the only thing you want is for them not to end. Time flies when you’re working in a community space, and opportunities to repeat similar projects don’t come around often.”

The impact of the programme is clear.

I’ve seen how excited the young people are and how new bonds have formed through the project. Just last Saturday, there was a palpable excitement among them—maybe it was the adrenaline of being around bees. The strengthened bond between the beekeeping society and the young people is a special outcome.

Additionally, the wider community has begun to challenge its perceptions of young people.

Hearing about this project, people have started to see young people in a different light, recognising their capability and care for the environment.

Advice for community groups entering research

Reflecting on the experience, Rob offers advice for other community groups entering research partnerships. "Involve young people in the research design as much as you can. In our day-to-day work, participation is key. In the context of this research, we didn’t realise we could bring their views and ideas into the research design – but we could."

His advice for researchers working with community groups?

Don’t hesitate to challenge us on how we can gather the information you seek. Groups like ours might defer to you too readily, when we have useful knowledge we can contribute ourselves.

Looking to the future

For Rob, success is simple:

I envision happy, confident young beekeepers making their community proud. Success would be establishing an evidence base that demonstrates the positive impact of beekeeping on these young people—and plenty of honey!