At UnLtd we believe that research is both exciting and integral to our mission. We use research to learn about social entrepreneurs and gather evidence about the most effective ways we can support them. It is a form of action and a continual learning process. This ensures we enhance the impact of UnLtd awards on social entrepreneurs and in turn, enhance their impact on the worlds in which they work.
UnLtd Research prides itself on delivering research findings which develop UnLtd’s role in supporting social entrepreneurs effectively. Our recent evaluations have generated findings about the role social entrepreneurs play in community cohesion, refugee integration and social deprivation.
We believe research both informs and inspires action and social change. We are committed to sharing our findings to inform public policy, academic thinking, practitioner knowledge and the growth of the sector.
Explore and learn about the inspiring people we support at UnLtd by following the links to the right. You will find information about our research team, our research questions, our research methods and what we have learnt.
Click
here for UnLtd Research internships: Longitudinal Study.
The team...
Katharine Danton – Director of Research
Katharine Danton started her career with a research interest in Social Psychology, particularly focused on pro-social behaviour and resilience of young disadvantaged people. Having delivered in two academic posts, Katharine moved into applied research to work with The Prince’s Trust. There she was instrumental in the set up of an organisation wide monitoring and evaluation system, as well as delivering a range of research and evaluation projects for all of the Prince’s Trust programmes. Moving on to act as an independent consultant, she worked with a variety of charities and NGOs including The School Food Trust, UNICEF and Crisis. Projects ranged from feasibility studies to introducing performance management, organisational improvement and impact assessment.
Katharine is looking forward to developing the impact of UnLtd Research to assist and inform social entrepreneurs and those who seek to support them.
Amy Sutton – Research Manager
Amy’s more interesting work and life experiences have involved teaching in Japan, coordinating a women’s programme in Belize, Central America, working with refugees and women seeking asylum in London and studying Human Rights at the University of London. This latter experience led her to the world of social research, beginning as an intern at UnLtd on the first RISE programme as a researcher. She then carried out the evaluation of UnLtd’s partnership programme with the NDC in New Cross Gate which involved developing the novel technique of video letter exchanges between social entrepreneurs.
As a Research Manager she now gets to see the bigger picture, working across all our evaluations and luckily, this still involves a lot of research with real people – our current and former award winners. This ‘real world’, action based research and evaluation is part of what Amy enjoys about her job and values about UnLtd Research.
Nissa Ramsay - Researcher
Nissa began her career as a social researcher studying Human Geography at the University of Sheffield. Her PhD looked at craft production and consumption in Swaziland (southern Africa). This involved working with a fair-trade organisation, Gone Rural, alongside carvers, candle-makers, basket weavers and glass blowers. Learning about their vision, determination and entrepreneurial attitude towards making craft was the highlight of this research.
Back in Sheffield, Nissa worked for an organisation called Rattle as a researcher and accounting assistant for two years. They design social technologies for the web based upon interaction research and also run a website company Folksy.com which marries individual crafters with buyers. This provided her with first-hand insight into the difficulties and rewards of setting up a business in a new field. Together, these experiences inspired her research interests in social entrepreneurship.
Nissa is now a Researcher for UnLtd, working across all externally funded programmes as well as our longitudinal study to help improve our understanding of social entrepreneurs and the ways in which UnLtd supports them.
Judy Lyle – Research intern
Judy describes herself as the part-time, long-term, old-timer (senior) intern in UnLtd Research. Although her past career paths have been in medical research as well design and technology education, a post-retirement urge to complete an MA in Human Rights led her to social research and UnLtd. Although she has lived in Australia, Malaysia and Germany, she’s settled in London, celebrating the crossing of tradition with international modernity . Topping up life’s journey at UnLtd Research adds to her endeavours in craft, song, civic duty, family fun and loving London.
If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments about UnLtd Research, please
contact us:
UnLtd Research
123 Whitecross Street
Islington
London
EC1Y 8JJ
Tel: 020 7566 1100
email:
research@unltd.org.uk
