Learning from those involved: Sharing ideas from data collected with key stakeholders

Components of the TOUS study

The TOUS study (‘Tailoring cultural offers with and for diverse older users of social prescribing’) is seeking to understand and explain how to provide creative or cultural activities that are attractive, accessible and acceptable to people from a range of backgrounds. This is because we know that being creative or engaging in cultural activities can be beneficial for people’s health and well-being. The TOUS study is focusing on global majority older adults (aged 60 years+). The research has included a literature review, a mapping exercise of what is being delivered for this part of the population across the United Kingdom, and interviews with cultural/creative providers. In addition, we have conducted six case studies with organisations across England and Wales offering cultural and/or creative activities or opportunities that are used by global majority older people.

Storytelling

Part of the case studies data has involved Storytelling. This is a method based on the idea of most significant change. We were trained in this approach by colleagues from the Old Fire Station in Oxford. Storytelling focuses on individuals themselves defining what matters most to them rather than organisations or researchers identifying outcomes or benefits in advance. A story collector (who in the TOUS study was a researcher) talks to story tellers (those taking part in activities as well as those delivering them) on a one-to-one basis, in a relaxed and comfortable setting. The story collector adopts a conversational tone; they use the following four questions to guide the conversation:

• What’s been your involvement?
• What’s changed for you?
• Why is this change important?
• How did it happen?

A range of people (between 5-10) are invited to tell stories. Each of these conversations is then condensed into a two-page summary, using and retaining participants' own words. Together, these summaries form a story collection. This collection of stories is shared with key stakeholders (e.g. people engaged in or working for an organisation, funders, decision-makers) in advance of a discussion meeting; at this meeting, key stakeholders come together to talk about what they felt was important in the stories (what stood out for them), and patterns or recurring ideas identified across them. These meetings have been a fantastic way of helping our research team to consider data (stories) from different perspectives and to identify themes in a collaborative way.

Final Storytelling meeting

Members of the TOUS research team ran the final discussion meeting for the study in March 2025. It was held at an organisation that acted as a case study in Wales. The 15 people who attended included older people who had engaged in cultural/creative activities, members of the study’s patient-public involvement group, staff from the organisation, evaluators-researchers and policy makers. Topics identified by those attending, from the stories that were collected from those involved in this organisation, included:

• Life changes occurring through coming to the organisation – helping people to experience a sense of belonging (being part of what feels like a family) and having a meaningful purpose by coming to activities (especially if they were isolated or were unpaid carers).
• The importance of the first step into the organisation – when people are often supported through a friend reaching out who encourages them to be involved.
• Challenging what ageing involves and thinking more broadly about healthy older age, including learning new skills in later life.
• Having a range of things on offer and being flexible about how they are scheduled and run – so people can select what they feel would be best for them.
• Values required within an organisation – including open-mindedness, respect and providing a space that feels safe and positive.  
• The importance of food for bonding and bringing people together.
• Difficulties people may encounter in engaging – including issues such as transport and medical appointments, and the need for organisations to try and support people in overcoming these potential barriers to ensure that cultural provision is accessible.
• The importance of language support – members of the organisation represent multiple linguistic and cultural groups – but feel a common bond around the types of barriers they face in wider society.
• Support from family members was sometimes needed for people to engage – e.g. to encourage them to go or to take them there.
• Issues associated with short-term funding, which can make delivery of services precarious.

We are using data (including stories) we collected, and key stakeholders’ reflections during discussion meetings, to develop a model that describes and explains things to consider if trying to develop cultural/creative provision for (and preferably with) global majority older people, to support their broader health and well-being. The model we produce will be presented on this webpage in due course.

The study mentioned in this blog is funded by a grant from UK Research and Innovation (MR/Y010000/1). The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the funder or the author’s host institution.