Coordinators
Lead: Martin Harvey email harveymk@yahoo.co.uk
Gordon Dabinett email gordondabinett@gmail.com
Jo Beadle email jojobeadle@yahoo.co.uk
Projects with Partners
are opportunities for members to engage in research and contribute to shared learning in partnership with Sheffield’s universities, research institutes, museums and other organisations. The knowledge, skills and life experiences which u3a members bring can add greatly to projects of all kinds. You may contribute to researcher-led projects because you have a particular interest or life experience; you may engage in some research yourself as part of a larger project; or you may wish to devise and conduct your own original project. Your involvement offers a friendly way to learn alongside others and should be both stimulating and fun. Participation is generally not time consuming as many projects are completed online. No academic qualifications, previous experience or expertise is required. Whatever the opportunity the Research and Shared Learning Group is here to help!
All the project opportunities listed here have been reviewed against our agreed criteria (see below) before posting. For each project we have given the name of the researcher, whom you can contact directly, and the name of the RSL link person for that project. If there are any glitches we can help to sort out, or if you have any feedback, we are keen to hear about your experiences. Wherever possible we have included the timescale of each project.
Agreed Criteria:
1. Relevant to healthy or active ageing
2. Have university or NHS ethical approval and comply with TAT research ethics statement
3. Is not commercial and does not promote the services and products of other organisations
4. Is not physically, socially or mentally intrusive.
| Projects | Project Organiser |
|---|---|
| Family Photos and Family Histories - Ongoing This national u3a project, aims to look into the way families document their lives and experiences through photography. Comprehensive 'step by step' guides can be found at https://randomresources.weebly.com/26-09-23-resources.html . Other useful websites are: https://www.photo-consult.co.uk/about (Steve Gill, photo specialist) https://blog.myheritage.com/2023/08/introducing-photodater-an-exclusive-free-new-feature-to-estimate-when-old-photos-were-taken/ (using AI to date photos) https://www.knowwhowearsthegenesinyourfamily.com/blog/myheritage-new-photo-date-estimation-feature-photodater (using AI to date photos) A Facebook group has been set up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/familiesandtheirphotos The recording link from the discussion group meeting held on 26 September is available here: https://youtu.be/Cvw7XK-y4fw To be added to the group mailing list to receive information about this project and notification of any Zoom meetings please email slp@u3a.org.uk Date of next meeting: Thurs 23rd November 10.30 The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey | |
| Older People Working Part Time – until November 2023 Are you a manager or union rep within the Health, Retail, Banking and Finance sectors? This international project is looking for managers or union reps within these sectors who would be prepared to talk to researchers about their own experience of managing or representing older working adults. Any views you have on how work place policies and procedures affect older people would be very welcome. More information can be found here and a consent form is available here. If you would like to take part in this research please contact Rachel Crossdale r.crossdale@sheffield.ac.uk The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey |  |
| Their Finest Hour - until December 2024 This Heritage Lottery-funded nationwide campaign organised by the University of Oxford to collect and preserve the everyday stories and objects from WW2, either from the survivors who can remember the war as children or from the next |  |
| Multi-tasking and Speech - ongoing The aim of this research is to provide a basis for future research to find new assessment and treatment methods for adults with a speech disorders caused by neurological problems. The researcher needs members who are 55 - 75 ,in generally good health, who do not have a speech impairment so that they can be compared with people who do. The research involves an individual online session with the researcher, which would take a maximum of one hour. You will carry out separate speech and hand movement tasks and then speech and hand movements simultaneously. | |
| Laughing Through Retirement - until February 2024 Adam Carter, a researcher at Sheffield University, is looking for 4 families with a family member who is within 6 months of retiring, or who has retired in the last 2 years who would like to contribute to a project exploring the role of humour in stressful family situations. Each family will be involved in the project for between 1 and 2 months,The project will run until February 2024 and each family will be involved in the project for between 2 and 3 months. Taking part involves: - an initial conversation about the participant's sense of humour - a period where the family is provided with a video camera to capture any funny and/or stressful situations related to retirement, - a follow-up interview where we look back at some of the video footage and think about how we use humour in everyday life. For more information click here or contact Adam: adam.d.carter@sheffield.ac.uk The RSL link for this project is Martin Harvey |  |
| The Healthy Lifespan Institute - ongoing (HELSI) is one of Sheffield University's four flagship institutions, aimed at helping people live fulfilling, independent lives for longer. Sheffield u3a have formed a partnership with HELSI to ensure research into healthy ageing incorporates the lived experiences of older people. The partnership helps Healthy Lifespan researchers incorporate the insights and expertise of u3a members into their research activity. One focus is on working with people who are experiencing two or more chronic health conditions (multimorbidity). For more information about this exciting and wide-ranging project click here. Gemma Stephens (g.stephens@sheffield.ac.uk) RSL link Geoff Smith |  |
Recently Completed Project Updates
Which streets are safe to walk in at night?
This project, by Sheffield University, asked members to submit photos of streets where they felt either safe or not to walk at night.
How Local High Streets have changed
This national u3a project started in September 2020 and had three tiers of activity: surveying local shopping streets, taking photos, and identifying a local idea or ideas to explore further. The process of uploading over 24,700 photographs and data has now been completed. Sheffield U3A made a significant contribution which can be seen at Sheffield Data. This project has achieved an impressive record of our “sense of place“. To view the entire site contents click www.u3ahighstreet.co.uk.
Photo Sharing on the Internet - Differences Between Older and Younger People
This project required participants to complete a questionnaire. It is for a dissertation towards an MA Digital Media and Society. It is looking at the potentially different behaviours and motivation of younger and older people when they share photos on social media.
The researcher is Chen Zheng.
Dietary Protein Intake Study
Esme Tuttiett (ertuttiett1@sheffield.ac.uk) research into the amount and frequency of protein-containing food we eat and drink and our general knowledge about protein has now ended. He thanked us for our involvement and will publish his findings shortly.