Invitation to Participate Information letter
Retrofit Ripple Effect Workshop and Action – Hesters Way
As a resident or homeowner of Hesters Way Community, you are invited to take part in a workshop that will help you take action on saving energy in your home and community.
UWE Bristol Retrofit researchers and experts in retrofit design from local firm Adapt Architects, team up with Cheltenham Borough Council planners, housing energy experts, community organisations and interest groups, with the aim of helping you plan for cozier, more comfortable home environment and lower energy use. The workshop will offer advice and the opportunity to meet others in your community with the common goal of taking steps to retrofit.
We are therefore inviting you to come to the retrofit ripple effect workshop at 2pm – 5pm on sat 16th Sept in the Hesters Way neighborhood to learn more about what you can do and how to access relevant information.
To save yourself a place, please complete the sign-up form that can be accessed via the QR code below or this link https://hesters-way-cosy-homes.eventbrite.co.uk. There are some optional survey questions about your home, your needs and what you want the workshop to deliver for you. More information about participating is below.
Who is funding the workshop and what is the aim?
The workshop has been initiated by UWE Bristol via funding aimed at moving research knowledge and expertise out into the community where it can be actioned to help drive change for good. UWE Bristol approached CBC Cheltenham Zero team, who were keen to collaborate and provide opportunity for communities in Cheltenham. The funding comes from the Impact Accelerator Account [AHRC IAA]. Launched in April 2018, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The Arts and Humanities Research Council is one of nine councils within the UKRI, funding research that addresses some of society’s biggest challenges.
Why Hesters Way?
You may have noticed some changes in Hesters Way recently. Cheltenham Borough Homes have made a £1.6 million commitment to retrofitting existing council tenanted dwellings using part of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund for domestic retrofit. Sixty of these have been completed in the Hesters Way area with more coming – homes have received fabric upgrades and other improvements. Researchers asked the question: – what about other people living in Hesters Way? – how can they benefit from Retrofit? – can the existing retrofit act as a catalyst to further community action?
Why have I been invited to take part?
Anyone is invited to take part if they are interested in the topic and want to know more. We ask that you currently live in Hesters Way, Springbank or close by.
Do I have to take part?
Taking part in the workshop and answering any survey questions is entirely voluntary. We ask that you let us know you are coming to the workshop by signing up, but if you change your mind you are not obliged to attend. If you do decide to take part, you will be given a copy of this information sheet at the event to keep.
We will also take the opportunity to ask some survey questions in our communication with you, before, on, and after the day. You do not have to answer these questions and you can still attend the workshop if you don’t. The subject and focus of the questions will be about retrofit and your experience of comfort, energy usage and community retrofit action. We will also ask for some feedback on the event. The answers you give will be fully anonymised.
If you answer the survey questions, but then change your mind, you will be able to have your responses withdrawn without giving a reason, until the point at which your data is anonymised and can therefore no longer be traced back to you. This point will take place a week from completing the survey. If you want to withdraw your answers from the survey within this period, please write to louise ciotti at louise.ciotti@uwe.ac.uk. Deciding not to take part or to withdrawal from the study does not have any penalty.
There may be a circumstance of a participant giving feedback informally in conversation. If this information aligns with the questions posed in the feedback survey, it might be recorded as observational, and no personal or identifying characteristics will be assigned to the observation.
What are the benefits of taking part?
This workshop and survey is funded to respond directly to the need to find ways to help householders manage energy consumption and improve comfort levels in their homes. Cheltenham Borough Council s 2024-26 ‘Action Plan for Pathway to Net-Zero’ prioritises helping owner-occupiers to create more energy efficient homes. The project will facilitate this aim.
There will be an opportunity to sign up to a mailing list so that you can receive further information on the topic from the project partners after the event if you wish to.
What are the possible risks of taking part?
The workshop is a public event, and you will be participating alongside members of your community who may or may not be known to you. We do not foresee or anticipate any risk to you in taking part in the workshop or any survey. The research team are experienced in conducting community workshops and are sensitive to the subject area. The workshop activities have been designed with these considerations in mind. If, however, you feel uncomfortable at any time you can stop the activity.
What will happen to my information?
All the information that you give in surveys will be kept confidential and anonymised within a week of receipt. Your anonymised data will be analysed together with other survey information, and we will ensure that there is no possibility of identification or re-identification from this point.
You can tick a box to receive further information directly related to the subject matter. You can have your contact details removed from this contacts list at any time via link to unsubscribe on the mailout. This database of contacts will not be shared beyond the project partners and will be destroyed six months after the workshop.
Will the survey findings be published?
The responses to the survey will be used to inform the content of the workshop and to inform researchers of useful direction for further work on community retrofit in Cheltenham. The funding conditions require that an account of the event and subsequent outcomes are summarised in a report. You will not be identified in any report/publication. Anonymous and non-identifying direct quotes may be used for publication and presentation purposes. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the report, you can contact Principal Researcher Louise Ciotti on louise.ciotti@uwe.ac.uk
Key findings will also be shared both within and outside UWE Bristol. The results may go on to be published in a journal or at a conference and project partners may use aspects in social media posts.
Who has ethically approved this research?
The project has been reviewed and approved by CATE University of the West of England University Research Ethics Committee. Any comments, questions or complaints about the ethical conduct of this study can be addressed to the Research Ethics Committee at the University of the West of England at Researchethics@uwe.ac.uk
What if I have more questions or do not understand something?
If you would like any further information about the study, please contact:
Principal Researcher Louise Ciotti, UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Road, Bristol. BS16 1QY louise.ciotti@uwe.ac.uk
Or Francisco Sierra, UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Road, Bristol. BS16 1QY francisco.sierra@uwe.ac.uk
What if something goes wrong?
Concerns, and/or complaints can be made in the first instance to:
Principal Researcher Louise Ciotti, UWE Bristol, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Road, Bristol. BS16 1QY louise.ciotti@uwe.ac.uk
Further concerns, and/or complaints can be made via the Research Governance Manager. Researchethics@uwe.ac.uk
Thank you for agreeing to take part in this retrofit ripple effect workshop and action.
15 July 2023
