Gathering insights
We started by conducting a series of focus groups to understand respondent attitudes’ towards the University as well as the types of community events they attended and why. We also sought to understand what would make them consider going to an event hosted by or in partnership with the University of Leicester.
It was clear there was a desire for events, classes and programmes based around health and wellbeing but little understanding of why these types of events would be run by, or connected with the University of Leicester. There were already activities on offer that ultimately had a similar goal that felt more fun, accessible and less intimidating because they were not associated with the University.
Communications used at the time were considered bland and unexciting and respondents often felt like the events were ‘not for them’. In some cases it was not even clear these were actual events, but rather public health messages they would see in their GP surgery.