Shared Learning

Sheffield Environment Weeks Saturday 26th April to Thursday 5th June

Sheffield Environment Weeks originally started in 1984 and is run solely  by volunteers showcasing our environment heritage and assets. For details of all the events  and to find out more about Sheffield Environment Weeks go to  https://www.sheffieldenvironment.org

Oral History Collection of Batchelor’s Workers

Chol theatre wants to shine the light on Ella Hudson-Gasking who ran Batchelor’s in the early 20th  century revolutionising food production. They are therefore looking for women who worked at Batchelor’s in Sheffield up to the 1980s in order to record their stories and experiences.
If you worked there or know someone who did please contact carly@wearechol.co.uk

University of Sheffield Sustainability Symposium 2024

The University of Sheffield brought together a wide range of researchers, leaders, and activists to discuss the key multidisciplinary sustainability issues, including air quality, decarbonising homes and the future of aviation.
Read a  summary here or watch a full recording of the event here.

The University of Sheffield

The University has a free interactive research streaming platform that enables anyone to discover and explore research being undertaken by the University. The site covers research on Arts & Culture; Environment & Sustainability; People & Places; Science & Technology. To access this service: Home | The University of Sheffield Player

52 ways to reduce your plastic

Not sure where to begin? Check out this handy guide, packed with great tips and hacks to help you get started.

U3a Festival 24

U3a Online Learning Events

U3a have a number of fascinating online events which can be accessed here.

U3a Radio Podcasts

The u3a radio podcast, showcases the amazing things happening across the movement. It’s created by a team of u3a members who all have radio experience and features interviews with members, interest group leaders, Trustees, national volunteers and Subject Advisers.

The entire series is available to listen to on our YouTube channel, and on Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts .

The team are always looking for more stories  and if you’d like to contribute click here.

Projects	Project Organiser
The Impact of Hearing Loss on Conversation – On Going A short online survey to help understand the experience of hearing loss or communicating with someone who has hearing loss. The researchers are looking for members who are 55+ years old and have a clinical diagnosis of hearing loss in both ears or have no hearing loss but regularly (at least once a week) interact with someone who is at least 55 years old and has a diagnosis of hearing loss in both ears. This study will help to understand the experiences of adults with hearing loss so that priorities can be set for future research and to address the needs of people with hearing loss. To find out more for Participants with hearing loss and their interactional partners click here Or Participants with normal hearing click here  If you are interested in participating or would like to know more information, please contact Dr Ruth Corps  r.corps@sheffield.ac.uk The RSL link for this project is Gordon Dabinett
Help Develop a Digital Doctor – On going   This exciting research wants to measure the thinking ability of volunteers using a computerised doctor called “CognoMND” which is a human looking image on a computer screen that will ask questions about your health. The data will be compared to those living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND). If CognoMND proves to be a good tool it will hopefully be used in the future to help assess cognitive and behaviour symptoms in people with MND. To find out more about what is involved read both the Information & Participant Documentation sheets. Information sheet 1. Information sheet 2. In you are interested in taking part you can do so by either                  Email: The Researcher Leslie Ing –  l.ing@sheffield.ac.uk or contact a member of the Research team on 0114 215 9112. The RSL link for this project is Gordon Dabinett
Sheffield University Research into Bibliothèque Britannique Bibliothèque Britannique was a 19th century groundbreaking publication of British research and literature which came to the Continent, breaking cultural and political barriers. Yet, despite its historical significance, much of this publication’s wealth of knowledge remains difficult to access. Sheffield University need your input to help co-design the AI tool to access this documentation in a user-friendly way. To read the Participant Information sheet  here .If are interested, please click on this link to find out more & how to take part in the consultation sessions.   The RSL Link is Gordon Dabinett
Research the History of Batchelor’s Factory   Chol Theatre are looking for assistance to explore Sheffield archives and collect oral histories from former Bachelor’s workers. Training will be provided. The research will inspire a play co-created with local school students  that celebrates Sheffield industrial past, sharing it with future generations.   To get involved contact Carly carly@wearechol.co.uk  www.wearechol.co.uk   The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
Investigating the Role of Mobile Apps in Supporting Tinnitus Sufferers – On Going   Researcher Abubakar Mairiga is seeking feedback from individuals who are trying to manage their tinnitus with an app or other form of support such as social media or web groups associated with tinnitus support applications. His findings will help inform health professionals and app developers on: 1.     Promoting app features that align with user expectations 2.     Educating patients on using mobile apps effectively 3.     Addressing usability and accessibility concerns for broader adoption   To initially participate in this research complete a short survey   https://forms.office.com/r/LH59NYx24p For more information & support with tinnitus https://tinnitus.org.uk/ The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey.
Ancient Woodland Inventory Update – on going Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust are leading the Ancient Woodland Inventory Update for South Yorkshire. They are looking for members to undertake surveys of potential ancient woodland sites across South Yorkshire, looking at botanical and archaeological evidence. They are also looking for individuals who would be willing to undertake archival work, doing a combination of online research, looking at old maps, and potentially in-person visits to archives in South Yorkshire. Training materials will be provided. For more information go to  Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust. If you are interested email volunteering@wildsheffield.com  The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
Research into the Impact of Work Related Transition – on going This research is looking for members who, in the last 5 years, have experienced a work-related change such as retirement, career or role change, or moving from full to part time hours and have experienced a negative impact on their wellbeing. For more information read the Participation Information Sheet. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Rebecca at rebecca.woodhouse@york.ac.uk or phone/text on 07385 341560. The RSL link for this project is Gordon Dabinett
Prostrate Cancer Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Group – on going Have you or a family member been affected by Prostate Cancer? If so Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are asking you to help them with their research by joining a PPIE. Membership would involve: ·       Discussion of current and proposed research ·       Help develop materials for research programmes ·       Ensure research is designed and the results shared in such a way that is best for patients and the public ·       Attend 3-4 meetings a year.   For further information contact Alison Scope sth.stamina@nhs.net 0114 253586  The RSL link for this project is Gordon Dabinett
Clinical Research & Innovation Office and Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre – On Going A partnership between Sheffield Teaching Hospitals & the University of Sheffield has created the Clinical Research & Innovation Office who have many PPIE Groups which members can join. For more information go to www.sheffieldclinicalresearch.org/for-patients-public/how-to-get-involved/ The NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with The University of Sheffield. They are dedicated to improving the treatment and care of people with long-term health conditions To find out about the PPIE Groups aligned with Sheffield BRC click here.   The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
South Yorkshire wants your views on the future of our local nature – on going Local authorities across South Yorkshire are seeking views on the development of its Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) by asking residents to take part in an online survey.  To find out more go to https://sheffnews.com/news/south-yorkshire-wants-your-views-on-the-future-of-our-local-nature/.  The LNRS is being led by South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, who will develop actions to drive nature’s recovery across South Yorkshire. To participate in this survey go to  https://search.app/JLAnv8ThJNKEz9zt7 The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
U3A Memory Project – on going  This national u3a project is aiming to create a collection of photos from World War 2. These could be relatives or close personal connections or an actual grave. For more details about this project and to submit your photographs click on  https://www.u3a.org.uk/learning/learning-activities/help-us-remember  The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
Add your pictures to Historic England’s Register of Parks and Gardens- on going It’s 40 years since the first 27 parks and gardens were added to England’s Register of Parks and Gardens. To help celebrate, Historic England invites you to participate in their Missing Pieces Project and share your images and stories of a park near you. Sheffield has eleven landscapes on the register. Some already have a few contributions from the public, but several have none or only limited images from the Historic England archive. Fill in the gaps by logging in and submitting your own pictures and comments, historic or up-to-date. The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
Their Finest Hour – on going Their Finest Hour is a free an online digital archive based at the University of Oxford, containing everyday stories and objects from the Second World War. To access the archive  https://theirfinesthour.english.ox.ac.uk/ . Alun Edwards, the lead u3a volunteer for the project, has produced a comprehensive report highlighting the way u3a members have benefited from taking part. You can download his report here: https://bit.ly/TFHu3aEdwardsAlun .You can still submit entires to the archive here: https://oxford.omeka.net/s/theirfinesthour-archive/page/post-project-submissions. Please read the guidance for completing the Submission form :https://oxford.omeka.net/s/theirfinesthour-archive/page/Help.   The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey
Sheffield University, Healthy Lifespan Institute (HELSI) – on going HELSI www.sheffield.ac.uk/healthy-lifespan aims to transform the experience of aging by developing interventions to slow down the rate of ageing to increase resilience to age related diseases. u3a Sheffield are delighted to have formed a partnership with HELSI which will enable their researchers to incorporate the experiences and expertise of u3a members. For more information about this exciting partnership click here. The RSL link for this project is Gordon Dabinett
HELSI Research Prize 2024 Last year’s prize has been awarded to the architectural student Emily Haycock, for her research, Alternative Modes of Living for an Ageing Population in the Rise of Multigenerational Living. Emily will present her finding at a future Friday lecture. To find out more about her research click here. The 2023 winners, Ameli Vidanearachchi and Haoyang Liu, presented their u3a dissertation prize research findings at a recent showroom lecture.  Ameli, from the School of Architecture received a prize for her dissertation titled “nurturing roots through intergenerational living” which detailed plans for social housing initiative for older adults in Neepsend, Sheffield. Haoyang, a PhD student, presented a talk about using remote monitoring technologies in mental health assessment.

Recently Completed Projects

Evaluating User Experience of Emerging Technologies 

40 members aged 60+ took part in research to ascertain their experience of using AI & Virtual Reality, to help improve its design so that it is more accessible and inclusive. Participation involved using this technology for 20 minutes followed by a face to face interview. For a comprehensive analysis of what was involved read the Participant Information Sheet.  Pengen Ma from the University of Sheffield will use this research as an integral part of her PHD.

Skin Research 

We assisted Sheffield Dermatology Research  sheffielddermatologyresearch.com with their analysis of how the micro structure of the skin differs in a diverse group of people with and without eczema.

Family Photos and Family Histories

This 2022-2023 national u3a project explored the way families document their lives and experiences through photography.  u3a members were introduced to the interrogation of key photographs and modelled how this process could be repeated in their own u3a groups. u3a members were trained to share insights into the practical digital management and dating of photographs via fashion details. The following book was written as a result of the project and will be free to access from February 2025 onwards: Inheriting the Family: Objects, Identities and Emotions: New Directions in Social and Cultural History Katie Barclay Bloomsbury Academic

A study to transform an NHS wearable into a rehabilitation device

Alexander Jakubiec, a research associate at the University of Sheffield, asked members to assist him to assess the fall risk using a smart insole. The study involved a short questionnaire, followed by seven normal day-to-day activities. For detailed information about this project please click on the attached participation information sheet.

Results of the Big Plastic Count

A quarter of million people participated in this survey which showed that UK households are throwing away 1.7 billion pieces of plastic every week! 
Watch this video results video to find out more about this shocking survey.
To see the results website.

Laughing Through Retirement

Adam Carter, a researcher at Sheffield University, sought 4 families with a family member who was within 6 months of retiring, or who has retired in the last 2 years who could contribute to a project exploring the role of humour in stressful family situations.

Multi-tasking and Speech

The aim of this research was to provide a basis for future research to find new assessment and treatment methods for adults with a speech disorder caused by neurological problems. The project sought participation from members who were 55 – 75, in generally good health, who did not have a speech impairment, so that they can be compared with people who did. The researcher from Sheffield University is now in the process of writing up his report.

Planet Wellbeing

Sheffield Hallam University asked members who live independently and experience feelings of loneliness, who also have home internet access, to help investigate how virtual reality can be used to improve mental health and reduce loneliness. Participants were asked to use digital technology to carry out basic movements to perform fun and engaging activities with other people, in virtual reality. 

Nutrition and Healthy Ageing

It is estimated that by 2050, 22% of the global population will be aged 60 or over. Dr Meesha Warmington, from the University of Sheffield School of Education, asked members aged 60+ to assist in research to understand how nutrition impacts on health and wellbeing. Her report will be published later in the year.

Help design digital information services

Sheffield Hallam University Associate Lecturer Meekha Tuladhar carried out research with the aim to improve the design of digital information and internet services for those aged 65 and above. Her aim is to make sure that services such as, internet shopping, booking sites and online banking etc are easier to use. The first phase of her research has now been completed. The next stage will be observation of respondents using computers. 

Older People Working Part Time

Our research with Sheffield University, looking at how managers and union representatives, within the health, retail, banking and finance sectors, have managed or represented older people who work part time has recently ended. The researcher Rachel Crossdale is currently in the process of writing up her research on how workplace policy procedures affect this category of workers.

Completed Projects