SHINE HIT achievements in 2020-21

Dr Suzanne Audrey, Dr Adrian Davis and Sally Hogg reflect on the achievements of the Supporting Healthy and Inclusive Neighbourhood Environments HIT in 2020-21.

SHINE co-lead, Suzanne Audrey, secured funding from the National institute for Health Research public health research programme, together with Dr Nikolai Bode and Dr Daniel Schien in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bristol, for a study examining objective data, and people’s experiences, of transport movements and air quality in the area around Upper Maudlin Street and Marlborough Street in central Bristol. An article about the study, published in Bristol247, highlighted the importance of reducing air pollution around Bristol’s main hospitals (), and a further research proposal has been submitted to work with Bristol City Council in examining efforts to improve air quality.

Co-lead Adrian Davis secured £15,000 from Sustrans to develop a Perceived and Objective Road Safety Indicators measurement tool. This research has been completed and the next steps are being considered. This is closely aligned with Adrian’s work on Safe Systems Road Safety and a project that is funded for the year 2021-22 in reviewing the most effective interventions at country and city level to help inform Bristol City Council’s development of their road safety programme.

Community engagement with neighbourhood green spaces has been co-ordinated by leadership team member Ben Barker through ‘My Wild South Bristol’. The group has disseminated learning through discussion with other community groups, Bristol City Council and West of England Nature Partnership and through online and hardcopy newsletters. A scientific equipment lending library has been established to enable more people to audit and monitor wildlife species, to encourage more people to value biodiversity and to create or conserve places that help nature to thrive.

SHINE leadership team member Zoe Banks-Gross, of Knowle West Media Centre, has been working with the University of Bristol and Bristol City Council to advise West of England Combined Authority on public engagement with respect to air quality.

Marcus Grant, leadership team member, is the editor in chief of the Cities and Health Journal, which is affiliated with SHINE and Bristol Health Partners. Marcus is working with Bristol Health Partners to create a ‘library’ of papers relevant to the HITs.