Transformative research practice, youth support and young people empowerment.

Welcome to ‘Hear Us’ a unique research collaboration, established to identify how arts-based approaches can facilitate safe conversations and shape the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Through the delivery of a dedicated 12-week project, with young people at the centre of our research, Hear Us constructed mutual learnings around inequalities, marginalized identities, and sensitive topics such as mental health and bereavement; for transformative research practice, youth support, and children and young people empowerment.

Hear Us focussed explicitly on how building trusted relationships through the power of ceramics can improve positive outcomes for young people.

The Hear Us project brought together the expert interdisciplinary CHAMPIONS team led by Professor Monica Lakhanpaul, Professor of Integrated Community Child Health from UCL in partnership with Dr. Nadia Svirydzenka, Associate Professor of Culture, Identity and Mental Health De Montfort University, Leicester, the Community Engagement Panel, UCL Professor of Pediatric ENT and trialist Professor Anne Schilder, Associate Professor of Engineering for International Development Dr. Priti Parikh, Hannah Sender, Ph.D. student Research Fellow in the Institute of Global Prosperity, Independent charity ‘Inspire’ Chorley Youth Zone and the Children and Young People participants.

This project was funded by Research England’s Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) administered by UCL Innovation & Enterprise.

MATTHEW HIRST

Matt Hirst is the CEO of leading energy technology provider ESG with over 700 staff and operations in the USA, Canada and the UK. ESG’s UK headquarters are based in Chorley, Lancashire.

 

ESG empowers global leaders in energy to deliver on the future promise of energy through its SAAS solutions for Customer and Market Data Management and Smart Metering. Matt has a background in Sales and Marketing and led a MBO of UK company Utiligroup in 2014 before it was acquired by ESG in 2017 and has been with the business for 24 years. Matt won an EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2016 as well as being a judge in 2018 and in 2017 his team was awarded the UK Regional and National Mid Market Management Team of the Year awards by the BVCA. Matt holds a BSc (Hons) degree from The University of Salford and a MBA from Lancaster University.

Ryan powell

head of operations

Hi, I’m Ryan and I’m the Head of Operations at Inspire Youth Zone.

Email: ryan.powell@inspireyouthzone.org

Inspire Youth Zone