Local Engagement and Web Launch

Our Clean Air Network launched its website in July 2020 and already is ready to share a unique set of experiences of working in engagement and research.

The UCL team was able to conduct work in early 2020 with the support of a small UCL Grand Challenges grant, for local engaged work around Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Clean Air Framework.

Part of our task is the one which became familiar to scientists and politicians in the pandemic – how do we balance one set of values against another? In the case of the pandemic, the re-opening of schools is a good example.

We started the project well before the pandemic, with preparatory meetings in the Autumn of 2019. Yet, like everyone else locally, we had to deal with the realities of lockdown and finding new ways of doing things.

As well as the COVID-19 emergency, the other global emergency around climate and sustainability continues. And ironically if there is an upside to this terrible time, it has been the illustration that things do not have to be the way they are. With less traffic, less pollution and for some people more time, there has been an opportunity for creativity.

With the encouragement of the Public Engagement Manager at the School of Life and Medical Sciences, Helen Craig, we focused on engagement. This side of our work will bring lessons from local knowledge.

By launching this website, we are opening a channel to share lessons immediately with our Clean Air Network.

Clean Air Network home page