Grandma's House
Younger and older members of society are underrepresented in research. People from deprived communities and ethnic minorities are also underrepresented. Grandma’s House is joining these communities with researchers from across the School of Medicine and through academic networks such as the UoN Health Inequalities and Communication network.
Traditionally in Afro-Caribbean society, young people visit elder members of the community to learn practical life skills, such as sewing and cooking, parenting and to share experiences. This is known colloquially as visiting ‘Grandma’s House’. We are replicating this generation-to-generation support model. Working with community members, highlighting and applying the community’s shared cultural heritage to strengthening community cohesion, creating educational opportunities, tackling taboos and building stronger relationships between community members, researchers and health and social care services.
Sited within local ethnically diverse and socially deprived Nottingham city wards, young and old are invited to interact and learn from each other. Grandma’s House is a culturally appropriate vehicle for creating positive impact, built around the needs of the people involved.
Ultimately researchers will be able to drop in to Grandma’s House to:
- join activities building mutual trust and confidence, removing one-sided power dynamic weighted towards academia
- understand the day-to-day health issues people face. Share their knowledge on health-related topics
- develop community-centred ideas for research, co-produced with the community
Grandma's House vs Fernwood School
Grandma’s House launched its inaugural event on 22 April 2025 in collaboration with the Fernwood School, Nottingham – purposefully coinciding with Stephen Lawrence Day.
As well as our community team members, four local elders – some from the Windrush generation – joined with twenty Year 10 students to:
- invite students and elders to share their experiences of growing up
- guide conversations to reflect on how communities and attitudes to racism have changed over time and to share peoples’ hopes for the future
- discuss what students think of school now and efforts to help everyone feel included
- develop shared understandings and mutual respect across generations