Health and Dementia Support on the North Yorkshire Coast to Benefit From New Research Grants

Health and wellbeing services for coastal communities will be explored and improved after two local organisations secured community research funding.

Health and wellbeing support across the North Yorkshire coast will be explored and improved after two community organisations secured new research funding.

Services for people living with dementia and community-based health hubs will benefit from the 2026-27 Community Research Grants. The funding pairs voluntary groups with experienced university researchers to investigate issues that matter to local people and develop practical solutions.

In Scarborough, the Sparks Project will work with researchers from York St John University to better understand the real-world impact of its Pop-Up Health Hubs.

Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Sparks Project, Michelle Davison-Ward, said:

"Our Pop-Up Health Hubs are about taking support directly into our communities and making it easier for people to talk about their health and wellbeing in places where they feel comfortable.

"We know from the people we meet that the hubs are making a difference, particularly in communities where we see significant health inequalities. What we now want to understand is exactly what that difference looks like, what works particularly well and where we can do more.

"Working with York St John University will give us the research and evidence to demonstrate that impact, learn from it and use what we find to make our approach even stronger. Most importantly, it will help us make sure the support we provide continues to be shaped around what local people actually need."

Dementia care on the coast will also receive focused attention. Dementia Forward will use the funding to explore how services and support for people living with the condition can be better designed around their specific needs and experiences.

Chief Executive Officer and founder of Dementia Forward, Jill Quinn MBE, said:

"At Dementia Forward, we have always believed in a ‘local for local’ approach, making sure people living with dementia and their families can access the right support within their own communities.

"Coastal and rural communities can face particular challenges in accessing services and staying connected, so this research is a valuable opportunity to listen directly to people living with dementia and those who support them, and to better understand what they need from us.

"We’re delighted to be working with York St John University to build the evidence that will help us shape services around those experiences. Ultimately, we want what we learn to lead to practical improvements and ensure people affected by dementia on the North Yorkshire coast feel supported, informed and included."

The grant programme is led by the Scarborough Coastal Health and Care Research Collaborative (SHARC) in partnership with the Institute for Health and Care Improvement at York St John University. The initiative attracted strong interest from across the coastal voluntary sector, with thirteen organisations applying for the scheme.

SHARC Programme Manager, Trevor Mahon, explained the importance of the initiative. He said:

"One of the things we have always wanted SHARC to do is make sure research starts with the issues that matter to our communities, rather than simply being done about them.

"These two projects are great examples of that. Sparks Project and Dementia Forward already have a wealth of knowledge and experience from working directly with local people. Bringing that together with the research expertise at York St John gives us a real opportunity to better understand what works and use that evidence to make a difference.

"I’d also like to thank every organisation that applied and the five groups that worked with researchers to develop proposals. The level of interest shows there is a real appetite within our coastal communities to get involved in research and help shape better health and care."

The collaborative research projects began in late September and will continue until July 2027. Officials hope the work will build a deeper understanding of local needs and identify practical ways to improve health and wellbeing across coastal communities.

Director of York St John University’s Institute for Health and Care Improvement, Professor Garry Tew, added:

"We’re very grateful to the Institute for Social Justice for enabling SHARC and the Institute for Health and Care Improvement to build on its Community Research Grants model. It offers a fantastic opportunity to bring community organisations, the NHS and university researchers together to develop research that is genuinely relevant to local communities.

"We’re looking forward to seeing what these two projects can contribute to improving health and wellbeing on the Yorkshire coast."

Following a strong response to the programme, the Community Research Grants are set to return in 2027 to create further opportunities for local organisations to turn community knowledge into practical research.