The Civic Field Guides, the Leadership Module and the Equitable Partnership toolkit are resources that have been developed with partners during the NCIA’s three-year programme. They contain evidence-based, tried and tested approaches to embed effective, collaboration between universities and their civic partners including community organisations, public services, local authorities, and businesses to drive meaningful place-based transformations.
They were launched as part of CiviCon25, a two-day conference held at the Mowbray, Victoria and Yellow Arch Studios in Kelham Island, Sheffield, bringing together over 150 delegates including professionals, academics and senior leaders dedicated to strengthening the civic impact of higher education institutions across the UK.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard, Sheffield City Council Chief Executive Kate Josephs CB and Lord Mayor of Sheffield Councillor Safiya Saeed delivered keynote speeches celebrating civic success in Sheffield, the South Yorkshire region and nationally. The conference featured practical workshops, case studies and panel discussions by leading civic experts highlighting civic collaboration and innovation in higher education.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “Our universities are at the heart of my mission to build a cleaner, greener, healthier, wealthier and happier South Yorkshire.
“Together, we’re already changing lives. Sheffield Hallam’s Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre is tackling health inequalities head-on. The Beds for Babies programme has supported more than 2,700 children and their families, helping make sure every child has a safe place to sleep. And the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is driving innovation that reaches far beyond our region.
“Devolution gives us the chance to do things differently. If universities are to be truly civic, they need to be where people are, offering real opportunities in communities. Because when we work together, real change happens.”
The NCIA is a £4.3m three-year programme funded by Research England, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), to create collaboration and policy and practice innovation involving universities, local government and business groups, and the community sector to drive place-based transformations. It is led by Sheffield Hallam University.
Adam Leach, NCIA Programme Director said: “What excites me about our new civic resources is that they're grounded in evidence from universities actually doing this work well across England. We're not asking institutions to start from scratch. We're sharing tried and tested approaches that show how civic ways of working enhance rather than compete with academic excellence. These tools help universities understand that being civic isn't an add-on activity, it's about delivering their core missions in the most impactful ways.”
