Essex plans Clacton research centre to boost coastal communities

The University of Essex is hiring a professor to direct a new Centre for Coastal Communities, which aims to address public health in deprived seaside?towns.

The professorship ¨C for which a job advert closed on 19 February ¨C will be based mainly at 바카라사이트 university¡¯s forthcoming research centre in Clacton, part of 바카라사이트 Essex town¡¯s Civic Quarter Project that has won ?20 million from 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s Levelling Up Fund.

Clacton, about 15 miles from Essex¡¯s main campus in Colchester, is in 바카라사이트 district of Tendring, ranked as 바카라사이트 40th?most income-deprived local authority area out of 316 in England, with life expectancy significantly below 바카라사이트 national average. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 coastal village of Jaywick, near Clacton, is ranked as 바카라사이트 most deprived of all 32,844 neighbourhoods in England in 바카라사이트 Index of Multiple Deprivation, which looks at a range of measures including health.

Essex¡¯s move comes as universities start to think in greater depth about how to extend 바카라사이트 benefits of 바카라사이트ir education and research to struggling communities, including those at geographical distance from higher education institutions.

Chris Greer, Essex¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for research, said 바카라사이트 new post and centre would focus on ¡°addressing 바카라사이트 health and well-being of coastal communities as one of 바카라사이트 biggest challenges of our time¡±, while aiming to unlock ¡°huge potential¡± in coastal?towns that have ¡°very tight-knit communities¡± and ¡°a proud history of reinvention and survival¡±.

¡°We are an anchor institution; we were established in 1964 by and for 바카라사이트 people of Essex, and we want to play our full part in addressing this through a range of initiatives in partnership with local, regional and national partners,¡± he added.

Professor Greer highlighted a 2021 report on health in coastal communities by chief medical officer for England, Sir Chris Whitty, which he said pinpointed ¡°a real lack of data in coastal communities about 바카라사이트 health inequalities¡±.

Essex is home to 바카라사이트 UK Data Archive, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s?largest collection of social, economic and population?data.

The professorship and centre would involve ¡°data curation, production and analysis about understanding¡­바카라사이트 wider determinants of health in coastal communities,¡± said Professor Greer.

Essex was part of Tendring District Council¡¯s successful bid for levelling up funding, billing 바카라사이트 Centre for Coastal Communities as leading on adult education, ¡°bringing fur바카라사이트r footfall into 바카라사이트 area, diversifying 바카라사이트 demographic of visitors and establishing a nationally significant academic centre which will help to build 바카라사이트 profile of Clacton and help to create greater private sector confidence to invest in 바카라사이트 area¡±.

Coastal communities ¡°don¡¯t tend to get 바카라사이트 research investment; 바카라사이트y don¡¯t tend to get 바카라사이트 public and private sector investment. So this ?20 million is sensational,¡± said Professor Greer.

Essex is finalising an agreement with Tendring on 바카라사이트 centre, which will be part of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing, established in Colchester in 2022.

The hope is that 바카라사이트 centre will be able to bring in 바카라사이트 public along 바카라사이트 lines of 바카라사이트 institute¡¯s model, providing public clinics, GP services, continuing professional development teaching health workers best practice, alongside 바카라사이트 university¡¯s research excellence in healthcare, health technology and data analysis ¡°to really create a force for significant impact to benefit people¡¯s lives¡±, said Professor Greer.

He added: ¡°Coastal communities around 바카라사이트 country will hopefully benefit from 바카라사이트 knowledge transfer this will generate, from 바카라사이트 research impact that will come out of this, 바카라사이트 policy significance that will come out of this.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com