Researchers from the University of Aberdeen will present their work as part of a free event exploring the opportunities and challenges facing and shaping the Scottish Islands.
They will showcase their research as part of the Aire air Sunnd project, which brought together University academics (Aberdeen and UHI) and the North Uist Historical Society to consider the connections between heritage and wellbeing.
Funded by the Wellcome Trust’s IDEAS fund through the British Science Association, the project has enabled researchers to hold a series of workshops and events exploring wellbeing within the North Uist community. Researchers from the Applied Health Sciences and Social Sciences, together with members of the North Uist Historical Society, explored the role heritage, Gaelic, community and the environment play in collective senses of wellbeing through the development of a community survey.
Dr Heather Morgan, Institute of Applied Health Sciences
They are among the speakers at the ‘Islands – Present’ event, taking place from March 22-23, on the University of Highlands and Islands Stornoway campus. It is the second installment of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Islands – past, present, and future event series and will feature a range of community leaders and experts as they discuss themes from language, archaeology, and landscape to the climate crisis, crofting, renewable energy, as well as many other topics.
Jess Wood, a PhD student in Anthropology from the University of Aberdeen said: “This talk will share some of the key findings from our co-produced community wellbeing survey and some of the legacies from our project. In keeping with the community co-production model, the presentation will be delivered by both a researcher and a community member, providing the audience with an insight into the multiple perspectives and approaches to wellbeing that have been at the core of this collaborative work.”
Dr Heather Morgan, Institute of Applied Health Sciences, added: “I am delighted to see all the work that Jess has carefully and creatively co-led, co-conducted and co-curated over the last two years reach this audience and in this way. I attended research events that Jess organised on North Uist and was struck by her approach and attention to collaboration. Jess’ work with community members has uncovered and immortalised important links between heritage and wellbeing within context that have not previously been acknowledged and celebrated in such a way.”