Dr Sarah Ward

Programme Director MA Learning in Communities; Lecturer in Learning in Communities

Biography

Background

Sarah is a qualified Community Development practitioner with twenty years' experience in youth and community work practice.  Her PhD study evaluated a multi-site Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) programme, using theory-based evaluation to understand the contextual factors that limited the success of ABCD, and the Capabilities Approach to extend its social justice potential. She previously held a research post at Children's Neighbourhoods Scotland, a Scottish Government-funded programme at University of Glasgow, where she developed a capabilities research model with children and young people, to promote youth voice in policy and programme decision-making. She is a committee member of CLD Standards Council.

Qualifications

Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (University of Edinburgh, 2024)

Associate Fellow in Academic Practice (University of Glasgow, 2021)

PhD, Urban Studies, University of Glasgow, (2018) Thesis title: 'How can Asset Based Community Development support community wellbeing?'

MLitt Creative Writing, University of Glasgow (2010)

MSc Adult Education and Community Development, University of Glasgow (1998)

Postgraduate certificate in Adult Education, University of Strathclyde (1997)

Responsibilities & affiliations

Edinburgh Futures Institute Research Affiliate

Human Development & Capabilities Association, Education Thematic Group Coordinator (since 2020)

CLD Standards Council Committee member (since 2020)

Awards: Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize 2017, University of Cambridge

Undergraduate teaching

MA Learning in Communities Programme:

Community Learning 1: Building Professional Identity (EDUA07004)

Community Learning 2: Working with Groups with groups (EDUA08122) (Course Organiser)

Postgraduate teaching

MSc Social Justice and Community Action programme:

Activist Social Research (REDU11074) (Course Organiser)

Community Engagement (EDUA11358) (Course Organiser)

MSc Dissertation Supervision

MSc Education Dissertation Supervision

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

I am interested in supervising doctoral students in the areas outlined under the research tab.

 

Current PhD students supervised

Anne O'Donnell

Topic: Informal education in the mental health survivor/service user movement in Scotland https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/anne-o-donnell-student

Fiona Lindsay

Topic: To build and research a curriculum to provide safe and effective physiotherapy CBR skills.

(Assistant supervisor with Dr Liz Grant and Dr Aisha Holloway  https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/fiona-lindsay

Research summary

Community Development:

Using dialogue in groups

Building collective agency

Evaluating the resources to support grassroots participation

Youth work:

Participatory research with young people

Using the creative arts to support youth participation

Using the Capabilities Approach to understand youth priorities for change in high poverty neighbourhoods in Scotland

Current project grants

2025 (under submission): UKRI, Living It and Lived It: Understanding Inactivity and CoCreating Working Futures. Co-Lead. £1,198,615.

2025 (under submission): Leverhulme Trust. Ambivalent anxiety: exploring the politics of climate anxiety through education. Co-Lead. £279,516.

2025: Springboard Fund, University of Edinburgh. PI. Exploring the generative processes and practices of speculative fiction writing on climate futures.

2024-25: HAN University of the Applied Sciences, Evaluating Community Strength Building in Community Development in The Netherlands. Consultant. £5,915

Past project grants

2023-24: British Academy Seed Fund. PI. Pilot research project, The barriers and enablers to youth activism. £2,268.

2021: University of Glasgow KE Fund. PI. Capabilities Research model for children and young people. £8,000

2019 - 2022 : Scottish Government. Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland Project Grant, Capabilities Workstream Lead. £2.2m

2018 – 2019: Baillie Gifford, Children’s Neighbourhoods Scotland Pilot Grant. Postdoc researcher. £30,000.

2012: Big Lottery. Awards for All. Community Anthology. £10,000.

2012 - 2015: Big Lottery. Whiteinch Community Centre. £330,000.

Papers delivered

HDCA, Sept 2025. Culture, Peace & Capabilities. Presenting paper on 'How can speculative fiction enable learners to radically imagine climate futures?' 

'Youth at the Forefront of Change', Social Inclusion Journal Webinar, April 2025. Presented paper on youth activism in Scotland.

ESA Conference, Sept 2024, Co-presented paper on 'How does community-based support enable youth activism?' with Dr. Maureen McBride, University of Glasgow.

'The State of the Field': Knowledge exchange event at The University of Edinburgh, June 2024. Hosted workshop exploring the future of Community Learning & Development in Scotland 

HAN University, Njemegen, June 2024 Open Masterclass for academics, professionals and students ‘How can asset-based community development support community health & wellbeing?’ Presented paper on ‘How can asset-based community development support community health & wellbeing?’ 

HDCA, Sept 2023, Vulnerability, human development and cooperative re-building in turbulent times. Presented paper on ‘How does youth work contribute to young people’s wellbeing?’ 

Child and Youth Research Hub, University of Edinburgh, Oct 2022, Presented on using the Capabilities Approach to support child and youth activism in schools

HDCA, Sept 2022, 'Capabilities and Transformative Institutions', Presented paper on the institutional resources required to support community participation

HDCA, Sept 2022, Global Dialogue Day, Co-presented paper on what the Capabilities Approach offers as a framework for emancipatory change

HDCA, Sept 2021: Panel on ‘Children´s Participation in the 21st Century in Different Regions and in Times of Pandemic’, Human Development & Capabilities Association. Presented paper on ‘Using dialogue as a tool for critical thinking: developing  a capabilities framework with children and young people in high poverty neighbourhoods in Scotland’ 

ICSEI 2021, April 2021: Presented paper on using the capabilities approach to articulate the priorities of children and young people in high poverty areas in Scotland 

British Sociological Association, April 2021, Remaking the future: Co-presented paper on review of Youth Participatory Action Research 

Action Research, Policy and Politics, International Journal of Action Research (IJAR) symposium, October 2020: Collaboration on presentation exploring use of action research 

International Association for Social Work with Groups (IASWG) Symposium, June 2020 'The Climate is Ripe for Groupwork: Creating Connections and Restoring Hope in a Fragmented World', (Catherine T. Papell Invitational, Mutual Aid Track): Presented 90-min online workshop (Paper presentation and interactive learning activity) on ‘Building a Capabilities Framework through Collective Groupwork with Children and Young People’(recording). Co-hosted by Dr. Victoria Bianchi. 

Connecting Capabilities, HDCA Conference 2019, London, September 2019: Presented paper, ‘Building collective capabilities with children and young people: a place-based approach to child poverty in Scotland’ as part of panel led by Dr. Solava Ibrahim on ‘Linking Capabilities and Power: The Dynamics and Complexities of emPOWERment.’ 

British Sociological Association Conference, Glasgow, April 2019: Presented paper: ‘How can a Capabilities Approach enable children and young people's voices to be heard?’ 

Place Leadership Conference, Corra Foundation Conference, November 2018: Co-led ‘in conversation’ session on the initial findings of a Children’s Neighbourhood in Scotland with Professor Carol Tannahill, GCPH. 

Human Development and Capability Association Conference 2018, Cape Town, September 2017, ' Challenging Inequalities: Human Development & Social Change': Presented paper on ‘How can the Capabilities Approach help to reframe social policy interventions from a social justice perspective?’ 

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