By NIHR (Guest Feature)
The School for Public Health Research is partnering with the People’s Health Trust to develop and evaluate two of their priority areas as part of its Voluntary Sector Evaluation Scheme, known as VoySES. The Discrimination and Health programme aims to address the impact of discrimination on health through local community action. The programme is funded by People’s Health Trust and will take place in six locations in England. The evaluation of the programme will be carried out by teams from Sheffield, LiLAC and Exeter under the VoySES programme funding through the School.
Why this work matters
Discrimination, whether everyday or systemic, is harmful to health – we know this. What is less clear is what common experiences there are across marginalised people with multiple characteristics and what actions mitigate and reduce health harm. Community organisations have long been on the frontline of tackling discrimination and the public health challenges it poses but this area has not received the attention it requires. The sector’s work can be seen as small-scale if local and is too often undervalued, underfunded, and unevaluated. Promising ideas can rise and fall without leaving behind the evidence needed to influence policy or secure long-term change.
By working alongside communities, VoySES research on the Discrimination and Health programmes seeks not only to recognise the lived realities of discrimination but also to generate evidence about what helps address it. The aim is not to repeat what we already know – that discrimination damages health – but to identify systemic solutions that can create healthier futures.
As John Hume, CEO of People’s Health Trust, said at the School for Public Health Research (SPHR) 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM),
“Discrimination is affecting people’s health. The data is thinner on this but practice on the ground shows it is a real problem. We’re not here just offering relief programmes, we’re here to provide answers to these real public health issues.”
How the programmes work
The Discrimination and Health programmes are built on the belief that communities are experts in their own lives and in the injustices they face.
The programme aims to help local people experiencing discrimination – including racism, homophobia and transphobia, ablism, misogyny, and agism – to take action and secure positive change that will benefit their health. Working initially in six towns and cities in England, local people will share their experiences of discrimination and develop an action plan for tackling it. Through this work, they will engage with the places, people and
institutions that are contributing to this harm with the goal to fundamentally change this for the better. This may include widening people’s participation in decision-making and services, to ensure that marginalised groups have a seat at the table, are heard and included, biases are reduced, accountability is stronger, and representation is increased. It may also involve working together with different agencies, stakeholders, and across sectors to collaborate on things like inclusion, accessibility, and tackling discrimination and hate crime.
Where VoySES comes into this is as a participatory evaluation project that explores how community-led action can resist discrimination and reduce its impact on health.
The project is designed as a two-year collaborative evaluation, bringing together researchers, community organisations and funders. Rather than focusing on single projects in isolation, this VoySES project looks across initiatives funded by People’s Health Trust’s Discrimination and Health programme. These initiatives aim to address discrimination at its roots, within institutions, systems and everyday life.
We are using a comparative case study approach to examine two or more case studies to identify similarities and differences. We will combine in-depth and light-touch case studies. Central to this are participatory and creative methods such as systems mapping (a method of tackling large complex problems by considering their different elements as being interconnected), stakeholder interviews and timeline interviews with people who have lived experience of discrimination. Our approach to using these tools will be informed by the current needs, capacities, and scope of impact within partner organisations. These tools will help to trace the pathways through which discrimination affects health and to show how communities resist or interrupt those pathways.
Evaluation in VoySES is not something done to communities, it is something done with them. Funded organisations will co-design the approach, shape the questions and interpret findings. This ensures the evidence produced reflects the realities and priorities of those most affected.
In this way, VoySES aims to generate knowledge that strengthens practice and informs policy and funding decisions, contributing to healthier and more equitable communities.
The team involved
This evaluation is being delivered by a team of researchers from the University of Sheffield (Lois Orton, Stephanie Ejegi-Memeh, Katie Powell, and Sangeeta Kalia), LiLaC (Yessica Mestre), and the University of Exeter (Daniel Mutanda). The SPHR lead for VoySES is Bronia Arnott. Discrimination and Health programme-funded organisations include: Bristol Women’s Voice, Leeds Muslim Youth Forum, Just for Women Centre CIC, Support Northamptonshire, English for Action, and MindOut. We are excited to take this work forward and contribute to solutions with People’s Health Trust for communities across the nation.
Read more below to find out more from one of the People’s Health Trust Discrimination and Health partners.
Who’s involved and what are they doing
From Debra Newrick on behalf of a partner organisation, Bristol Women’s Voice (BWV)
Amplifying the Voices of Women Over 55: A New Chapter in Our Work for Equity
At Bristol Women’s Voice, we’re proud to be building a city where women from all backgrounds and communities are heard, valued, and empowered. With over 4,000 members and subscribers, we are a women-led organisation working to create a Bristol where gender equity is not just an ambition but a reality. Our work is shaped by the voices of women in Bristol – especially those who are too often overlooked.
Thanks to the generous support of People’s Health Trust under their Discrimination and Health programme, we’re excited to highlight a new strand of our work: the Over 55’s Health Discrimination Project. This initiative is part of our wider commitment to tackling health inequalities and ensuring older women are not left out of key conversations that affect their wellbeing.
Listening, Empowering, Changing
At BWV, we focus on three key areas: Campaigning, Connecting, and Celebrating.
Campaigning is central to our work – we champion the issues women tell us matter most. In 2024–25, our priorities include:
- Addressing economic inequality by championing investment in the caring economy.
- Tackling safety concerns by supporting organisations to take action against misogyny and sexism.
- Highlighting and challenging the health discrimination experienced by women over 55.
Through projects like Disabled Women Take Action, our Young Women’s Forum, and now the Over 55’s Health Discrimination we make sure lived experiences inform decisions made at every level.
Connecting women is just as vital. We bring women together through workshops, talks, and community events – creating networks of support, shared experience, and collective strength.
Co-production in Action: VoySES Over 55’s Health Discrimination
My first week in post was energising and inspiring. I had the opportunity to attend the SPHR ASM in Bristol with our CEO, Katy Taylor. John Hume opened the event with a
powerful message on the importance of co-production and the role of community voices in shaping health systems. His words reinforced exactly why our work matters – the real experts are the diverse women in our communities.
With the Over 55s Health Discrimination project, we are proud to be part of this movement toward community-led, participatory research. So far, we’ve connected with over 45 women, and our very first session in June already uncovered important insights. Many women shared that they feel isolated and avoid green spaces due to fears of prejudice and antisocial behaviour – experiences that are directly affecting their health and wellbeing.
This is just the beginning. The women in the group are now leading the design of the project – co-producing the solutions and shaping how we move forward. This approach ensures that their voices aren’t just heard – they are driving change.
Looking Ahead
We’re committed to continuing this important work. With our funders’ support, we’ll keep growing this project, reaching more women, and working to influence systems that have failed to meet the needs of women over 55.
Together, we can challenge discrimination, improve health outcomes, and ensure that all women – regardless of age – are empowered to shape the city they live in.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
Learn more about Bristol Women’s Voice over-55’s Project.
Read the original blog post here.