In 2023 The Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) launched the first round of the Jane Hatfield Award, in partnership with The Ubele Initiative (‘Ubele’).
We are excited to announce the return of the award in 2024 and to introduce our second round of young researchers and their projects. They receive an annual grant of £5,000 to investigate issues or topics related to community, social action and/or social justice.
It’s with thanks to Impact on Urban Health and City Bridge Foundation for funding the award to our two project teams. Their support is enabling young researchers from Black and minoritised backgrounds to develop their skills in the leading and delivery of important research projects.
The award is named in memory and celebration of Jane Hatfield: Trustee and then Chair of IVAR between 2006 to 2021. She was a passionate and valued member of the voluntary sector. Her contributions strengthened the sector and included – among many things – supporting the next generation of researchers and activists. As Chair of IVAR, she advocated for the organisation to more proactively support people in the early stages of their careers, and always pushed IVAR’s thinking.
Researchers and their projects
Meet this year’s young researchers and find out about their passions, background and chosen research topics. We look forward to sharing their progress, project findings and future plans over the coming months.
Ernest James Ulaya serves as the ambassador and advisor of Migrant’s Rights Network where he champions the Know Your Rights campaign.
He has a background in research and policy development. As a leadership coach, he supports unaccompanied asylum seeking children and other minoritised communities during their integration process. He founded ‘The Voices of Hope’ podcast which is inspired by the journey of many migrants.
Mildred Malaika Nanteza works in the health care sector, specifically in mental health.
She has a background in Pharmaceutical Medicine and has an ardent desire to see an environment where asylum seekers have access to adequate mental health services. Mildred has a background in research and leadership.
Exploring barriers to mental health help-seeking among male asylum seekers in hotel accommodations
Focus of this research
The path to seeking asylum is an undeniably daunting and overwhelming journey, particularly within a nation where the quest for safety is often met with unwelcoming doors. For those who arrived in the UK to seek sanctuary, the journey is not only a physical one but an emotional battle too.
Despite elevated rates of psychological disorders amongst refugees, levels of mental health help-seeking is low. There is an urgent need to understand the key barriers that prevent male asylum-seekers living in hotel accommodation from accessing mental health support.
The main objective of this research is to explore the barriers that hinder male asylum seekers residing in Home Office hotel accommodations from seeking essential mental health support, ultimately improving access to necessary care.
Grace is a Black British Jamaican-Cameroonian woman from Coventry. She has six years of experience delivering and being involved in research projects. She has a passion for community-led research approaches and she is experienced in facilitating community conversations on culturally sensitive topics.
Tunde is a Black Nigerian British immigrant from London. She has six years of experience delivering research projects, as a peer researcher and a public involvement practitioner. She has a deep interest in youth-led research, and recently founded a non-profit devoted to promoting youth involvement and engagement in research.
Navigating the workplace in the voluntary and community sector as young Black women
Focus of this research
Rather than carrying out research which asks Black women to relive their trauma, we would like to use this research award to create an accessible report and practical resource by and for Black women using inclusive co-design approaches.
We will be working with a group of young Black women to co-develop strength-based research questions to understand Black women’s holistic experiences of the workplace. The findings from this research will then be used to co-design a resource to support Black women as we navigate the world of work in the voluntary and community sector.
