Raising Voices

The Raising Voices project is a project commissioned by VOICES on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent Hardship Commission. The project involves Staffordshire University, Expert Citizens CIC, All The Small Things CIC, and, most importantly, the people of Stoke-on-Trent. It aims to make a real difference for people experiencing poverty, by bringing people together, sharing our stories of hardship and working collectively to influence change.

More specifically, the project aims to:

  • Raise Voices of people living with hardship by valuing their stories, supporting their engagement, and involving them as equal partners in addressing hardship in Stoke-on-Trent.
  • Change Minds by raising public awareness through a creative and impactful social media campaign. We will also make information the hardship commission already has more accessible and easier to read.
  • End Poverty by creating a clearer picture of the impacts of policy decisions on people’s experiences and sharing impactful stories with decision-makers to influence change.

Raising Voices invites you to share your experience and thoughts about poverty and hardship in Stoke-on-Trent. You can either send us your thoughts, photos, poems or stories or you can attend one of our workshops.

The activities and sessions you are involved with will collect and record your experiences, which will help to create a clearer picture of the impacts of poverty and hardship in Stoke-on-Trent. The sessions and activities will take place face-to-face, online, and remotely.

More details about how to get involved in the project can be found at the project website.

Lead researcher

Nicola Gratton

Lead Civic Eng'Ment & Evalu - Assoc Prof

Nicola leads on civic and community engagement strategy for Staffordshire University and is also an active participatory action researcher, supporting others to take part in researching and addressing issues that affect them.

Nicola's profile

Associated researcher

Ryan Fox

Engagement Officer

Project funder

Commissioned by VOICES on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent Hardship Commission.

Project partners

  • Expert Citizens CIC
  • All The Small Things CIC
  • The citizens of Stoke-on-Trent
UK University

StudentCrowd University Awards 2022

for Job Prospects

StudentCrowd University Awards 2022

for Student Satisfaction

Complete University Guide 2022

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

for Course Content

StudentCrowd University Awards 2022

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021