Climate Resilience, Social Justice and COVID-19 Recovery in Preston

The ‘Climate Resilience, Social Justice and COVID-19 Recovery in Preston’ project explored, both conceptually and with stakeholders from Preston’s anchor institutions and diverse communities, how disruption from one threat might galvanise momentum to address another. It examined how recovery from COVID-19 could be a springboard to accelerate action for a new and better future - a future that respects and prioritises the wellbeing of people, places and the planet.

The project was led by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), working in collaboration with Preston City Council, Community Gateway Association and Climate Action Preston. It ran from 2021-2022 and was funded by the Place-based Climate Action Network (PCAN), an ESRC-supported network that brings together the research community and decision-makers in the public, private and third sectors, with additional support from UCLan’s Institute of Citizenship, Society & Change and Centre for Sustainable Transitions.

The project had two main strands:

A rapid literature review, supported by a webinar and workshop, looking at the inter-connections between three concepts - Place-Based Climate Action; Community Wealth Building and the Preston Model; and Doughnut Economics. This work examined how they could collectively help frame and shape future thinking and strategic planning.
A research study using interviews and focus groups to capture perspectives from a total of 68 stakeholders – including staff and students from UCLan; officers and councillors from Preston City Council; staff, tenants and Board members from Community Gateway Association; and individuals from Preston's voluntary, community and faith sectors and its diverse communities. Additionally, to support a co-productive approach, five volunteer community researchers were recruited and trained to work with the UCLan researchers on the data collection and analysis.