Addressing Inequality through Funds to Local Areas

What is this project about?

This research project will bring together residents from across England to explore their priorities for reforms to how the government might allocate funds to local areas to use in addressing a range of inequalities – for example, in the number and type of jobs available in an area, or to improve health services and outcomes. This sort of activity has previously been called ‘levelling up’, although following the general election in 2024 this label is no longer being used by the Government.

To have these discussions, NatCen are holding an all-day workshop in Birmingham, where participants can come together to learn about different models of funding allocation, discuss these in small groups, and then explain their preferences for funding allocation in the future.

During the workshop, you will have the opportunity to hear from experts on the topic at hand, discuss the information with others, and ask the experts questions to help you clarify your views.

Who has commissioned the project?

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Who is carrying out the project?

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is part of a group of researchers from different universities in the UK ¹  who are carrying out a project about funding allocations. This workshop forms an important part of that and NatCen are responsible for this running this. NatCen is a registered charity and is the largest, independent, non-profit social research organisation in Britain, founded in 1969.

What will the Birmingham workshop involve?

The workshop will bring together 40-50 people who broadly represent England’s population in key demographics like age, gender and ethnicity. In addition, we will recruit a small group of participants who live in areas that have previously received funding through ‘levelling-up’. This will allow us to explore how the way funding has been allocated is viewed by different groups across society in England, as well as how it is seen by those living in areas that have received funding so far.

All participants will hear information from experts on three broad types of funding allocation models that could be used in the future. These models will be created by the researchers in the project; rather than be official policy options supported by Government. Participants will then spend time in small groups (of up to seven people) to share their views and hear other’s perspectives. Participants will move back and forth between their small group and whole group discussions, so that they can hear information in sections, before discussing this information with others.

Each small group will be led by a trained facilitator who will make sure that everyone gets a chance to speak, that discussions remain respectful, and that the conversations keep on track.

After exploring the pros and cons surrounding the three funding allocation models, participants will engage in exercises to identify what funding model they would prefer to see in the future, as well as any principles and conditions they would want to see alongside it. This will allow us to find out what funding model people most prefer, why they have this preference, and how they feel the model can best come about.

To gather this information, the facilitators of your small group will seek your permission to audio record the conversations on your table. We will also collect your views via post-it notes used in interactive activities during the day. This is so we have an accurate record of people’s thoughts on the funding models, which can then be analysed to produce the findings of this research. These findings will be presented in a report written by NatCen, but no names or identifying information will be included in the report or any other research output.

All of your personal information will be stored securely and only available to the research team at NatCen. You can read about our commitments to GDPR and confidentiality by clicking on the link included in your invitation email.  

Where and when will the workshop be?

You have been invited to an all-day, in-person workshop that will be held at The Exchange, a University of Birmingham conference venue, on the following date and at the following time:

• Thursday 30th January 2025, 09:45am – 4pm

NatCen can cover expenses incurred from getting to and from the venue, including petrol costs at £0.35 per mile and the costs of public transport. Please keep the receipt of the cost incurred - we will not be able to cover your expenses without it.

Do I have to prepare anything to take part in these workshops?

You don’t need to know anything about the topic. We will give you one page of A4 that explains some of the basics of funding to local areas before the workshop which we will ask you to read before coming. The expert speakers will otherwise provide all the information that you will need in the workshop to consider each funding model.

Why have I been invited to take part?

This research aims to explore the English public’s views on future local funding models. As it aims to ascertain the views of the public, we are looking for a range of perspectives and life experiences to contribute to the discussion. Anyone can join the discussion – you don’t need to be an expert on local funding models or ‘levelling up’ policies. Your insights are what is most valuable and the research will focus on this.

Why should I take part?

This research will provide valuable information on what the public in England think about how the government should fund local communities and areas to address the current inequalities they face. This information will be shared by researchers with government and available for the government to use in their design of future policies if they wish.

You will receive a £150 Love2Shop e-voucher as a token of thanks for taking part and contributing to the workshop. This voucher can be used with thousands of high-street shops and attractions. The voucher is treated as an award (not a payment), so it should not negatively impact access to Universal Credit. You will need to attend the workshop in-full and contribute to the discussions to receive the e-voucher. You will receive your e-voucher via email within 10 working days after the workshop.

For more information on how you can redeem these vouchers please visit www.love2shoprewards.co.uk.

How we can help you to participate

NatCen will support participants to take part if there are factors that make this more difficult. This might include, but will not be limited to, financial support and accessibility factors, like help getting to and around the venue.

NatCen will cover the costs incurred by participants from travelling to and from the in-person event. This could include train and coach tickets, fuel costs at £0.35 per mile, and taxis where they are absolutely necessary to enable participants to attend. Participants will need to produce receipts of the costs they incur to claim reimbursement.

If you have questions or concerns about taking part, you can contact the freephone number or email address at the bottom of this document.

Do I have to take part?

No, taking part is voluntary - you do not have to take part if you don’t want to, you don’t have to discuss any topics you are uncomfortable with, and you can change your mind about taking part at any point. You can also request that your contributions to the discussion be redacted and excluded from the analysis up to two weeks after the date of the workshop.

How will information be collected and used?

During the workshop, we will ask for your permission to audio record the discussions so that we have an accurate record for our research. We will also check that you are happy with facilitators taking notes during the discussions, and with us keeping your contributions to the interactive exercises used during the discussions, like post-it notes.  

All these data will be kept securely by NatCen. The NatCen team, researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham, and our secure transcription service will have access to them during the research, with all files being shared securely. These will be used to help the research team analyse the views which are discussed during the workshops. If you decide that you do not want to take part in the research for reasons related to sharing your information, you are under no obligation to take part.

NatCen will use the findings from the workshop in discussions with our research partnership to help us write a report for the Economic and Social Research Council (our funders) that we will also use to tell other people including Government about this project. However, no names or contact details will be included in this reporting.

You can find more information about how NatCen will handle your data during this research in the webpage linked in your invitation email.

What happens if I agree to take part? 

Before the workshop, we will send you all the details you will need to take part, including the address of the venue and nearby transport hubs and travel options.

The recruiter will ask you about whether you need support to help you attend the workshop. If you do, we will also be in touch with you about what access support we can provide.

If you have any questions at all about the project, please contact NatCen via the freephone number or email below and a researcher will get back to you.

Contact us

Freephone number: 0808 168 8519

Email: fundinglocalareas@natcen.ac.uk