The Right to Community Infrastructure is a one-year participatory research project delivered through a partnership between Thames Life Community Development Trust and The Open University.
Across the UK, localities are experiencing a decline in social and community infrastructure, including community centres, meeting spaces, social hubs and other shared assets that support participation, wellbeing and community resilience.
The project aims to develop a new framework for understanding and assessing access to community infrastructure within the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
A Community Research Network of residents has already been recruited and trained to work alongside Thames Life and The Open University. Community researchers will contribute to research design, fieldwork, analysis and dissemination activities.
The research seeks to generate evidence that can influence future policy, investment and decision-making relating to community infrastructure.