Nottingham Civic Exchange Re:Imagined

Nottingham Civic Exchange has been through a development process and is being re-launched with a new focus and themes. We have a new steering group made up of colleagues and external partners to help build up our work and ensure our work helps make a difference to our internal and external communities.

NCE aims to be a facilitator, storyteller and connector of people, ideas and challenges to create programmes of work that link our Schools expertise and knowledge to deliver positive change.

Re:focused on three key themes

Building on work NCE is already undertaking and having looked across a range of projects underway in the School we have created three themes listed below:

• Insecurity, Work and Communities
• Culture and Place
• Supporting the development of the Practice Pathway at NTU

We have over 30 projects at present but in the new academic year will want to bring colleagues and partners together to understand and devise programmes of work that help to drive forward change within these themes. We aim to positively shape important debates in the social, civic and economic health of places like Nottingham.

To do this we are redeveloping NCE’s structure to drive this change forward.

A re:freshed approach

Alongside a refreshed team our approach has been dialled in to ensure we make the most of our links and expertise. We will be:

• working collaboratively with colleagues in the Social Sciences and beyond to shape thinking and action to improve society.
• commissioning work aligned to NCE’s Values and Themes
• transforming research focused on addressing the needs of individuals, communities and organisations into policy and practice impact and engagement.
• supporting and showcasing how researchers can engage with partners, policymakers and communities to affect change.
• Continuing to offer work-like think-tank experiences for students

Linking to University Re:Imagined

The School of Social Science, which consists of the Departments of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Social and Political Sciences, Social Work Care and Community, and Psychology along with the Nottingham Institute of Education and the Institute of Allied Health and Professions, has set out the following University, reimagined ambitions for 2025. It aims to:

• have a social sciences curriculum that is agile, flexible and digital to enable all students to reach their potential
• pursue decolonisation and be known for the diversity and inclusion of our staff, students, and curriculum
• champion colleague agency and wellbeing through the implementation of integrated teams
• increase trust, transparency and sustainability by making governance and decision-making processes visible to all
• collaborative, intentional and deliberate in interrupting Nottingham’s cycles of disadvantage
• will be internationally renowned for our praxis: our scholarship and research will shape global policy and practice

NCE aligns with these ambitions by focusing on the interruption of disadvantage in many settings in Nottingham and beyond. We have a transparent governance structure and are supported by a Steering Group made up of five School colleagues and two externals. We will be sharing our model for working with colleagues and partners very soon that builds from our themes and vision which can be read online. This mission and purpose aim to develop, deliver and promote leading research and practice work with colleagues across the School. To do this we have to work in diverse and well-connected teams so NCE is committed to supporting the School to understand and implement ways to encourage cross-team working. This requires the use of flexible and innovative working and learning modes.

New opportunity to get engaged

At NCE we are excited to begin this new journey with School colleagues and external partners. We hope you can join us to make a difference across society in whatever way you can. NCE are keen to connect with new and existing partners and NTU colleagues to ensure that together we can promote the changes in society that we believe in.

Contact rich.pickford@ntu.ac.uk to talk about how we can work together across our three themes, reflect on our new mission and values and follow us on Twitter via @NottsCivicEx for regular updates and news about our work.