M·E·L Research – Year in Review
As our financial year comes to a close, we’ve been looking back at some of our successes over the last year!
October: 🎤 Eurovision Impact Analysis in Liverpool
October launched with our evaluation of Eurovision’s impact on Liverpool, allowing us to assess how this global event influenced the city culturally and from a community perspective. This analysis provided valuable insight into how international events can resonate at the local level, benefiting both communities and the cultural economy. We were also joined by Paul Sutton, Skye Curtis and Holly Taylor-Dunn!
November: 💪 Supporting Help for Heroes
In November, we were working with Help for Heroes, conducting in-depth interviews and a workshop to understand the experiences of those at the heart of the organisation as part of our much larger project to develop their segmentation.
December: 🎥 Getting our Team on Film & Understanding Inclusivity in Sport
In December, we collaborated with a professional film company to capture firsthand stories from our team, understanding and underscoring what really makes M·E·L…M·E·L. Additionally, we evaluated 30 years’ of inclusivity in football for Kick It Out, and our qualitative team delivered their final report in to membership for British Cycling – both reaffirming our commitment to creating inclusive, accessible spaces in sports.
January: 🌍 Social Value Reporting and 9-Day Fortnight Initiative
We began the new year with the launch of our 9-day fortnight work model, designed to support work-life balance for our team. Alongside this, we published our comprehensive Social Value report and some of our team took a memorable trip to the Cairngorms National Park, connecting with nature and promoting well-being (as well as meeting our new clients!)
February: ❔Building the Evidence Base Around Assisted Dying with Nuffield
We delivered a population survey as part of our work on a landmark assisted dying research project with partners at the Nuffield Foundation, contributing to the national dialogue on this sensitive issue and ensuring diverse public views are represented.
March: 💼 Significant Donation to Birmingham Mind
March marked a key moment in our commitment to mental health support, with a £35,864 donation to Birmingham Mind. This donation, part of our profit-sharing initiative, reinforces our mission to give back and make a difference in our local community.
April: 📈 Team Expansion and New Charity Partnership
April saw growth within our team with new hires, including Angela, Ayesha and Evan, each bringing valuable skills to our projects. We also introduced our new charity of the year, Narthex Sparkhill, reaffirming our dedication to supporting local causes and impactful community work.
May: 🏃 Great Birmingham Run
In May, our team showcased their resilience as several colleagues took part in the Great Birmingham Run, a testament to their commitment to both personal health and team camaraderie. David travelled to Northern Ireland to present the latest of our findings around business confidence in Belfast and Elliot presented our findings around emotional engagement with museums to the MuseumNext Social Impact Summit.
June: 🏆 Prestigious Parker Prize Award & Evaluating Alternative Education Provision
In June, we were thrilled to celebrate Rhiannon Pratt receiving the prestigious Parker Prize. This achievement reflects the dedication and talent within M·E·L Research, and we couldn’t be prouder of this well-deserved recognition. Our Evaluation team also delivered their findings for Doncaster Council, looking in to the impact of alternative educational provision. Jenny Chen also presented at Cancer Research UK’s Early Diagnosis Conference!
July: 🤵 Speaking Slots & Conferences!
Sophi Ducie spoke at CHEW’s Festival of Impact and Evaluation, Elliot attended the AIM Conference for the third year in a row. We rounded up our first two year’s of project delivery for ORR on their passenger assist survey which involved us contacting more than 15,000 people to share their experience, and they asked us to continue for another three years!
August: 🌱 Nationwide Culture and Heritage Work with English Heritage and CIPD Success
August put a spotlight on our work in the cultural sector. Working for English Heritage, our team travelled across the country to gather insights, promoting inclusivity and accessibility in heritage spaces for the second year in a row. We also celebrated Zeeta’s completion of her CIPD Level 3, strengthening our expertise in people management. Our fieldwork team led the delivery of visitor surveying at Birmingham Weekender 2024 and we welcomed a host of new members to our qualitative and evaluation teams!
September: 🎉 Recognition in Research Matters & Suicide Awarness Training
We closed out the year with two of our team members, Skye Curtis and Holly Taylor-Dunn, being featured in Research Matters and Skye also attended MethodsCon – and did a write up! Our whole team also undertook Suicide Awareness Training.
It has been fantastic year and we know that the examples above are only the tip of the iceberg! A huge well done to everyone!
Latest News
M·E·L News
M·E·L Research welcomes new talent as our teams continue to grow
October 2026
M·E·L Research is pleased to welcome four new colleagues to our growing team, strengthening our research and evaluation expertise as we continue to expand our services and support clients.
The appointments of Laura Karban, Associate Director; Bethan Jewsbury, Senior Evaluation Managers; and Chloe Parker, Research Manager, alongside Rhoslyn Davies, who joins us on a short-term basis to provide additional senior evaluation support, bring a wealth of experience across social research, evaluation, public policy…
Read the full post
Industry Insights
Women’s health social research: We’ve talked about the problems. Now let’s do something about them.
October 2026
It was an absolute honour to attend the Women’s Health Conference in London this week, bringing together clinicians, policymakers, campaigners and others passionate about improving women’s health.
As a researcher specialising in women’s health social research, I was excited to have the opportunity to learn, be challenged and exchange ideas with people who share that passion. And I wasn’t disappointed.
There has (quite rightly) been a lot of discussion recently about the gender health gap. But some of the evidence shared…
Read the full post
M·E·L News
Collections inside and out: thinking differently about gardens, heritage and the visitor experience
September 2026
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak at Collections Inside & Out, a symposium hosted at National Trust Chirk Castle & Garden, bringing together people working across gardens, horticulture, heritage, collections and interpretation.
I was, perhaps, a slight interloper among so many people with deep horticultural expertise but every presentation was incredibly interesting and I learned a lot – and broadly managed to follow the general flow of what was being said (still not 100% au fait with taxa…
Read the full post
M·E·L News
Elliot Simmonds to present at Collections Inside & Out Symposium
September 2026
We’re pleased to share that our Commercial Director, Elliot Simmonds, will be speaking at the Collections Inside & Out symposium at National Trust Chirk Castle & Garden on 24 September 2026. Bringing together professionals working across heritage collections, gardens and landscapes, the symposium will explore the relationship between indoor and outdoor heritage and the opportunities created by thinking about them as part of a connected visitor experience.
Elliot’s session, “Integrating Indoor…
Read the full post
M·E·L News
M·E·L Research recognised for outstanding contribution to social value and ethical research
August 2026
M·E·L Research has been named the winner of the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Social Value & Ethical Research 2026 at the UK Enterprise Awards.
The award recognises the values that shape both the work we choose to undertake and the way we deliver it. From building trauma-informed practices into our research to improving inclusion and reinvesting in the communities around us, social responsibility is part of how we operate every day.
Read the full post
Industry Insights
Progress, persistence and the gaps in suicide prevention knowledge
August 2026
New UK-wide research from M·E·L Research’s SPARK report shows improving mental health indicators alongside continuing exposure to suicide, widespread lifetime suicidal thoughts and significant gaps in practical knowledge.
Suicide prevention depends on understanding not only how many people are affected, but also how confident the public feel about recognising risk, starting difficult conversations and finding appropriate support. The Spring 2026 SPARK report from M·E·L Research brings these issues together, providing a detailed picture of attitudes…
Read the full post
