PhD Scholarship - Developing a Community-Led Approach to Mental Wellbeing in Wigan

We’re here to create and harness knowledge, to deliver opportunity for everyone. 

About the Opportunity

Based in the Faculty of Education, this is an excellent opportunity for a talented and motivated applicant to undertake an original and applied programme of research on the development of community-led approaches to mental wellbeing in Wigan as part of Edge Hill University’s Civic Agreement with Wigan Council. We are seeking a high-quality applicant who will become an embedded researcher with the Public Health team at Wigan Council and who can strike an effective balance between undertaking academic research, engaging in practice, and supporting knowledge and evidence translation activities to demonstrate impact.

The successful applicant will work closely with academic researchers and colleagues at Public Health to evaluate the development of a Mental Wellbeing approach that is designed with and delivered by the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise Sector. The learning from the project is intended to inform the future design, delivery and evaluation of the Council’s Mental Wellbeing Transformation work aligned to its Progress in Unity Mission. The project will be led by Professor Andy Smith, Head of Secondary and Further Education, and Director of the Centre for Mental Health, Sport and Physical Activity Research in collaboration with colleagues from Public Health, Wigan Council.

About the Research Project

The project provides an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to make an important contribution to the development of Wigan Council’s future Mental Wellbeing Transformation work which is aligned to its Progress in Unity Mission. The project will involve significant and sustained engagement with local residents to develop a Mental Wellbeing approach that is designed with and delivered by the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCSFE) Sector. The successful applicant will draw upon their experience of conducting mixed methods research to explore the impact of the VCSFE-led approach on supporting sustainability, capacity building, resilience, behaviour change and improving the mental health and wellbeing of residents. This will be complemented by an evaluation of specialised training and education programmes on the wider social determinants of mental health and wellbeing, and specific interventions which contribute to the VCSFE approach, including the Manbassadors men’s health programme.

Manbassadors is a 2-year National Lottery Funded Programme Men’s Health Programme that adopts a universal approach to:

• Raise awareness locally of the mental health issues facing men (including young men of education age); 
• Grow a network of local organisations acting as men’s health advocates; 
• Help men to access the local services and support they require on issues that impact on their mental health; and 
• Develop a network of men’s social and community activities, creating safe spaces (e.g. sports and cultural organisations, education settings) for men to be able to talk to one another about mental health.

In Year 1, the project will focus on evaluating the implementation and impact of the Manbassadors programme as well as equipping the VCSFE sector with basic tools to learn from, and evaluate, the impact of Manbassadors interventions. The outcomes of this phase will inform the nature and scope of the work undertaken in Year 2 and 3 which will further influence the future design and delivery of the Council’s wider Mental Wellbeing Transformation work and scale-up of a community-led approach to mental wellbeing. 

Given the nature of the project, the successful applicant will ideally have previous experience of successful partnership working with multiple stakeholders, alongside academic research experience and evidence translation, is essential. The successful applicant should have a broad understanding of public health and should have specific experience and skills in communication, community engagement and facilitation.

It is expected that the successful candidate will spend a proportion of time in Wigan working alongside colleagues across public health and the wider system to shape this work, and to work with academic researchers to support the learning and development of the Public Health team.

About the Research Partner

Ten years on from re-imagining public service, Wigan Council has taken the opportunity to reflect on our philosophy and strategic intent to ensure we support our residents and communities through the specific challenges and opportunities of this coming decade. 

The outcome is a new co-produced movement for change, Progress with Unity, which will be delivered as a borough-wide partnership. At the heart of this are two key missions focusing on addressing inequalities and helping the towns and neighbourhoods in Wigan to flourish. 

The council will support these missions with a stronger appetite than ever for radical reform with a renewed commitment to neighbourhood working, deeper community engagement and co-production, investment in our workforce and digital transformation.

Details of Funding 

The successful applicant will:

• Be awarded an annual stipend for three years in line with the UKRI doctoral stipend and fee levels (minimum £20,780, per year).
• Benefit from fully paid UK-rate tuition fees.

Applicant Eligibility

This opportunity is open to UK-based applicants eligible for home fees. 

At Edge Hill University we value the benefits a rich and diverse workforce brings to our community and therefore welcome applications from all sections of society.

How to Submit Your Application

In the first instance please complete the online application form through our Full-Time online link as per below:

qpl.edgehill.ac.uk/apex_qlive/f?p=PV_ONLINE_APP:101::::APP:APP_COURSE_INSTANCE:856620958 

Once you have done this, please send the following items in one email to graduateschooladmissions@edgehill.ac.uk quoting the studentship and project title, in the subject of the email:

• A downloaded copy of your application form.
• A short project proposal outlining how you would approach the project (up to 2,000 words, excluding references).
• A full academic CV (maximum of three A4 pages, using size 12 font) which includes the contact details of two referees.
• A copy of your qualification certificates and passport.

Key Contacts:

• For informal enquiries about this research project, please contact Professor Andy Smith: Smithand@edgehill.ac.uk 

• For any PhD registration and qualification enquiries, please contact graduateschooladmissions@edgehill.ac.uk 

Deadlines and start date.

Closing date: 13^th July 2025 at 23:59

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 22^nd July 2025.

Candidates invited to interview will be required to deliver a 10 minute presentation on the proposed research topic.

The successful applicant will be required to start in October 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. This is for a full-time PhD position.