Student citizen scientists support Lewisham Council housing retrofit programme 

Two undergraduate students trained as citizen scientists as part of a civic placement with Lewisham Council and gathered data to help the Council better understand responses to the housing retrofit strategy, addressing sustainability and resident wellbeing in the local area.

The project was part of Lewisham Council’s work to retrofit homes to make them more energy efficient, with funding from the government social housing decarbonisation fund. As part of the second wave of the project, the student citizen scientists’ role was to collect feedback from social housing residents who had already had changes made to their homes and identify learnings ahead of the next stages of the strategy.   

The citizen scientists conducted 44 phone interviews with residents and took part in energy cafe workshops, where people can get free advice, with South East London Community Energy (SELCE).  

The students prepared a report drawing on their findings from the research. Engaging with residents was key to building trust and gathering insights to inform ways to improve residents' experiences with retrofitting their homes in the future. The data they gathered is being used to improve council services. The students also presented their feedback and experiences to a roundtable convened by the council, which included council staff and other stakeholders involved in community energy and retrofit.   

The data the students gathered will help to inform training for contractors carrying out future retrofit projects. The students’ placements were part of a wider project, which sought to improve communications with residents about the retrofit programme. The outputs of this wider work will include a new welcome pack for residents, website and zine.   

For Rayan Bettache, who studied BA Politics, the placement provided a good opportunity to diversify his skills when it comes to different research methods: “it was a good experience for research skills. This was primary research, calling people and gathering evidence, compared to secondary research skills I gained while writing essays on my course."  

Rayan hopes that the outcomes of the project will lead to residents having better experiences going forward. Personally, the placement allowed him to reflect on possible career opportunities with charities and cooperatives. He said, “At first, I didn't think a people-focussed role was for me, but this has opened the door. It's fulfilling and getting good feedback from people is a positive.”   

Emma Warwick-Davies, who studied BA Politics, enjoyed gaining understanding of different people’s lived experiences and learning about how Deptford and the local area have changed over time through the interviews she conducted.   

For Emma, the placement was a highlight of her time at Goldsmiths and she feels that all students could benefit from similar placements: “It helps you in the long term, it puts you ahead in finding a job, and gives you foundational skills for problem solving in real scenarios and under pressure.”  

The placement confirmed Emma’s hopes to work in energy and help to tackle fuel poverty, with it being a problem that many people will face at some point during their lifetimes. She is now working as an energy advisor with spinal cord injury charity Back Up. As people with spinal cord injuries can struggle to regulate temperature, there is a need for energy advice for the community.   

Dr Michael Eades, Head of Civic Engagement at Goldsmiths said, “This project is a great example of civic partnership in action. We have been building closer links with local partners over the past few years via initiatives such as our Civic University Agreement, finding new ways to collaborate on shared issues and priorities.”