Transforming Our Work Through Stories

As Belong in Plymouth’s community research grew, so did our understanding of what it means to work relationally. A string of conversations in late 2022 reflected a shift—from collecting stories to co-creating insight.

One standout moment came from Karen Pilkington, who shared: “Different parts of the system have different understandings of what ‘speaking with the community’ means.” She went on to note that people who aren’t professionals are often just as capable—and often more trusted—when it comes to meaningful local insight.

This spurred deeper thinking around training. “We’re now looking at three tiers: Basic, Enhanced, and Lead,” wrote Stephane. “Each builds on the last and reflects the reality of how community researchers grow into the role.”

Meanwhile, others reflected on the emotional and ethical load this kind of work carries. “It’s not just about good facilitation,” Martyn Lowesmith noted. “It’s about being grounded, curious, and consistent.”

That insight resonated widely. Whether preparing for conversation processing workshops or recruiting new researchers, the team kept returning to one theme: relationships first, outcomes second.

In a system that often prioritises efficiency and measurement, Belong in Plymouth is flipping the script. Here, the quality of the relationship is the evidence. And the work isn’t about extractive research—it’s about mutual transformation.