The ‘MARCH’ Network proposes that Assets for Resilient Communities lie at the heart of Mental Health (M-ARC-H) and is dedicated to advancing research into the impact of these assets in enhancing public mental health and wellbeing, preventing mental illness and supporting those living with mental health conditions.
Specifically, MARCH focuses on social, cultural and community assets including the arts, culture, heritage, libraries, parks, community gardens, allotments, volunteer associations, social clubs and community groups, of which there are an anticipated 1 million in the UK.
The network is led by a consortium of researchers from UCL, Queen Mary University of London, University of Exeter, University of Nottingham, Leeds Beckett University and the School of Advanced Study, University of London. It is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the 2018 Cross-Council Mental Health Network Plus call. It consists of a Disciplinary Expert Group of researchers, a Policy Group of major national policy bodies, a Patient Public Involvement Group of national mental health charities, and a Community Engagement Group of national organisations representing community assets.
Across three years, our network will unite research with policy and practice to tackle critical questions of research priorities, methods, and implementation in this field; understand and resolve barriers to mobilising community assets; and provide training and support to the next generation of researchers.
The MARCH network will be officially launching in Autumn 2018. If you are interested in receiving updates about the network or becoming involved, please provide your details below. We will use these details to send you newsletters and announcements about the network and network events. We will not release your details to third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time.