黑料网吃瓜爆料

Skip to main content

Share this page

Social media

Latest news

27
April
2026
|
13:40
Europe/London

黑料网吃瓜爆料 Urban Ageing Research Group recognised with national Team Achievement Award

Summary

The  黑料网吃瓜爆料 Urban Ageing Research Group (MUARG) at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 has been recognised with a Team Achievement Excellence Award at the 2026 Vivensa Academy Excellence Awards, celebrating a decade of interdisciplinary, co-produced research that is helping to shape more inclusive, age鈥慺riendly cities. 

Led by Professor Tine Buffel, MUARG brings together researchers from across social sciences, architecture, geography, public health and the arts to explore the relationship between population ageing and urban change. Central to its work is a commitment to co鈥憄roduction 鈥 working in long鈥憈erm partnership with older people, community organisations, policymakers and practitioners to ensure research is grounded in lived experience and leads to real鈥憌orld change. 

Professor Buffel said the award recognises the collective effort that underpins MUARG鈥檚 work: 

MUARG has always been about bringing people together 鈥 across disciplines, communities, policy and sectors 鈥 to work towards a shared goal. This award reflects the contribution of everyone who has been involved in our projects and co鈥憄roduction activities over the years. It belongs to a community of people, not just a research group.

Professor Tine Buffel

Research driven by partnership and lived experience 

MUARG鈥檚 work is shaped by long鈥憇tanding collaborations with partners across Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and beyond, including local and regional government, third鈥憇ector organisations and older people themselves. A key part of this approach is MUARG鈥檚 Older People鈥檚 Forum, a diverse group of residents from across Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 who help to set research priorities and guide activity. 

Elaine Unegbu, Chair of the Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Older People鈥檚 Network and a longstanding MUARG co鈥憆esearcher, said: 

I was brought in as a co鈥憆esearcher and felt real ownership of the work because I was part of it. Being involved in research that helps improve how people age in place 鈥 and seeing that make a difference locally 鈥 has been incredibly positive.

Elaine Unegbu, Chair of Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Older People's Nework (GMOPN)

Reflecting the University鈥檚 commitment to social responsibility, MUARG鈥檚 work focuses on tackling inequalities in later life and supporting people to age well in their communities. Projects span creative and participatory methods, from collaborative filmmaking and comics co鈥慶reated with older refugees and asylum seekers, to the co鈥慸esign of age鈥慺riendly neighbourhoods and arts鈥慴ased interventions including exhibitions, films and zines. 

Recognising collaboration across Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 

MUARG鈥檚 partnerships across the city鈥憆egion were highlighted by Paul McGarry, Head of the Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Ageing Hub and Assistant Director for Public Service Reform at the Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Combined Authority, who represented the team during the award process: 

Working with MUARG reflects the kind of ecosystem we鈥檝e been building in Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 for many years 鈥 bringing together research, policy and lived experience to support people to age well. This award recognises that shared commitment and strengthens the foundations for taking this work further, in Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 and beyond.

Paul McGarry, Head of the Greater 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Ageing Hub and Assistant Director for Public Service Reform

Niamh Kavanagh, an urban sociologist in the University鈥檚 Department of Architecture and a core member of MUARG, added: 

MUARG is so much more than a research group. It鈥檚 a space of support, challenge and reflection that makes genuinely engaged research possible. Winning this award is a powerful testament to the collective effort involved in working with communities in meaningful, embedded and creative ways.

Dr Niamh Kavanagh

Celebrating 10 years of MUARG 

The award comes at a landmark moment for the group. In April, MUARG celebrates its 10th anniversary with an interactive event in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 showcasing the creative, participatory methods that have defined its work over the past decade. 

The event will also mark the launch of a new collective publication, Collaborative Research for Ageing in Place: Stories of CoProduction in Practice, bringing together insights from 18 MUARG projects. The book shares practical learning on co鈥憄roducing research in communities shaped by inequality 鈥 highlighting partnership, trust鈥慴uilding and experimentation as essential ingredients for impactful research. 

鈥淲ith this book, we want to be open about what co鈥憄roduction looks like in practice 鈥 the challenges as well as the potential,鈥 said Professor Buffel. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about sharing learning that others can build on.鈥 

Download

Investing in people and future impact 

Looking ahead, MUARG hopes to build on this recognition by developing as an international centre of excellence on urban ageing, rooted in 黑料网吃瓜爆料 but globally connected. Funding associated with the award will support three priority areas: 

  • Coproduction and community leadership
  • Knowledge exchange and policy engagement
  • Team culture, mentoring and capacitybuilding 

At least half of the funding will be directed towards supporting community leadership, including paid roles for older people as co鈥憆esearchers. 

Investing in people and relationships is essential,鈥 said Professor Buffel. 鈥淥ur research only works because of the trust we鈥檝e built over time. Supporting community leadership and co鈥憄roduction is key to creating research that genuinely improves lives

Professor Tine Buffel

Find out more: Read MUARG鈥檚 publication  and learn more about the 黑料网吃瓜爆料 Urban Ageing Research Group on their .