UCLan review of effective peer research to inform new £5.2 million youth initiative

6 October 2021

Peer Action Collective (PAC) aims to make neighbourhoods fairer places to live and work

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is to play an important role in a new youth-led network which aims to reduce community violence and make neighbourhoods fairer places to live and work.

The Peer Action Collective is a £5.2 million programme, which aims to give young people the chance to make their communities safer, fairer places to live. It is funded by the Youth Endowment Fund, the #iwill Fund (a joint investment between The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) and the Co-op group.

Helping to guide PAC’s work across ten sites in England and Wales is UCLan’s Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation which has co-created a ground-breaking review of evidence on effective peer research.

UCLan’s Cath Larkins, Professor of Childhood Studies and Co-Director of the Centre for Children and Young People's Participation, said: “Young people are the heart of this initiative to use research and action to try to make their communities safer, inclusive places to live and we are delighted to be their Learning Partners. Building on our report of current evidence on effective peer research, developed with young researchers and academic colleagues in the UK and Australia, guided by the PAC, we will gather and share new ideas to create a legacy of insight, supporting future generations of peer researchers too.”

For more information on the launch of PAC please read the official press release here: