Working with charities

Lancaster University works with charities to leverage its research and expertise in addressing social issues and driving positive change.

These collaborations allow the University to support third sector organisations in areas like improving services, increasing social impact and developing innovative solutions to pressing challenges.

By working together, Lancaster University and its charitable partners can create more effective strategies, enhance community wellbeing and use academic knowledge to tackle real-world problems. Ultimately, these partnerships help both parties have a greater societal impact.

Benefits of collaboration

We work with the charities and other third sector organisations to help our work have a positive impact on society.

Aligned

Strategic alignment: Collaborating with charities allows the University to align academic research with real-world social impact and address critical societal challenges.

Effective

Enhanced effectiveness: The institution applies its expertise to help charities improve operations, develop evidence-based strategies and increase their effectiveness.

Innovation

Innovative solutions: Partnerships foster the development of innovative solutions to complex social issues, utilising cutting-edge research and evaluation to drive positive change.

Sustainability

Sustainable social change: By combining resources and knowledge, our collaborations aim to create long-term, sustainable impact within communities.

Progress

Broader mission: Working with charities supports Lancaster University’s mission to contribute to societal progress and create meaningful outcomes which benefit both academia and the wider society.

The Health and Care Evaluation Facility

Our evaluation facility supports the design and delivery of rigorous evaluations of health services, interventions, technologies, and innovative projects designed to improve health and wellbeing in our communities.

More about the Health and Care Evaluation Facility

Success stories

Bee the Difference

Improving the outcomes for future young survivors of terror, informed by survivors of the Manchester Arena bombing.

The 2017 Manchester Arena bombing attack tragically took away 22 lives. For those that survived many suffered long standing trauma. Many of the survivors were young people under 18 years of age. Lancaster University researcher, Dr Cath Hill, wanted to explore the impact of this attack on young survivors. This was a truly collaborative research project designed by and for young Manchester survivors in collaboration with UK disaster response charity, the National Emergencies Trust.

Psychology Employability Programme

The Psychology Employability Programme is an innovative scheme that is unique to Lancaster University. We have developed partnerships with local and national organisations, such as Bay Volunteers, Age UK, and the Alzheimer’s society, to provide current Psychology undergraduate students with volunteering opportunities. Each year we place between 70-100 students in a variety of roles, including research assistants, befrienders, support facilitators, and mentors, providing vital skills and support to the third sector.

A large group of happy students, all with one arm raised

Touch and See

Our School of Engineering, Lancaster City Museums and Galloway’s Society for the Blind have worked together on the Touch & See project, which aims to improve accessibility for a range of users. A key part of this is the generation of lithophanes, which are 3D relief representations of 2D images, made using 3D printing technology at the School of Engineering. The lithophanes enable people to appreciate paintings at Lancaster Museum using touch.

Read the Touch and See case study

Research to identify the core needs of deaf children

Our researchers are investigating which questions matters most to the children affected by childhood deafness and hearing loss. The research project by the University of Manchester with Lancaster University and Aston University will survey people with experience of childhood deafness from across the UK. The project is funded by the National Deaf Children’s Society, the University of Manchester, and PF Charitable Trust.

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