Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub

Field Report Research Impact Sustainability May 2026

Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub at the Research & Innovation Showcase 2026: Translating Community-Led Sustainability Research into Practical Action

Idugboe, E., Abboah-Offei, A., Kamble, R., Tiwari, A., Molina Murillas, G., Ofori-Mensah, K., Adele, T., Khan, M. A. R., Erdogan Onur, B., & Demir, A.

Presented at: Roehampton Research & Innovation Showcase 2026, University of Roehampton, London, UK | Date: 12 May 2026 | Academic Lead: Associate Professor Ayse Demir | Presented by: Eva Idugboe, Abena Abboah-Offei and the Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub research team

This field report documents the Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub's contribution to the Roehampton Research & Innovation Showcase 2026, held at the University of Roehampton on 12 May 2026. The showcase brought together academics, students, staff, industry partners, community organisations, funders and external guests to explore research that addresses real-world social, environmental and community challenges. The Hub was presented as a university-led, community-powered and evidence-driven platform connecting academic research, student involvement, community engagement, SME support and public sector collaboration across three live partnership projects: the Air & Living Infrastructure Initiative, Green Skills for South London, and Kingston Hive Impact & Capacity Building.

Research Impact Sustainability Community Engagement Air Quality Green Skills Living Infrastructure Kingston Hive South London Wandsworth Evidence-Led Action Community-Led Research

Key Findings

The showcase demonstrated the Hub's role in moving sustainability work beyond discussion and into real-world delivery, connecting research, policy, theory, community insight and implementation into a full pathway from evidence gathering to practical execution.
A central message from the research team was that meaningful sustainability solutions must begin with listening — the Hub's work is shaped by community needs, local business challenges, environmental evidence and direct engagement with partners.
Three live partnership projects were presented: the Air & Living Infrastructure Initiative (with A Greener London), focusing on indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring across Roehampton, Putney and Wandsworth; Green Skills for South London (with The Community Brain CIC), supporting SMEs through green skills development, business engagement and waste-sharing; and Kingston Hive Impact & Capacity Building (with Kingston Hive), strengthening community-led climate action through impact communication and evaluation.
Meaningful conversations were held with visitors including Chris Kelly, Dev Mehtab, Loanna Rossi and representatives connected to Wandsworth Council, creating opportunities to share current project outcomes and explore future collaboration.
The showcase reinforced that the Hub's wider partnership network — spanning the University of Roehampton, The Community Brain CIC, A Greener London, UKSPF, BIG South London, Kingston Hive, the Mayor of London and Wandsworth Council — is central to delivering place-based sustainability impact.

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APA 7th Edition

Idugboe, E., Abboah-Offei, A., Kamble, R., Tiwari, A., Molina Murillas, G., Ofori-Mensah, K., Adele, T., Khan, M. A. R., Erdogan Onur, B., & Demir, A. (2026, May 12). Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub at the Research & Innovation Showcase 2026: Translating community-led sustainability research into practical action. Field report presented at the Roehampton Research & Innovation Showcase 2026, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom. Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub.

Field Report Community Engagement Green Skills May 2026

Green Skills for South London: Findings from the Academic Collaboration Showcase, University of Roehampton

Kamble, R., Tiwari, A., Idugboe, E., Yankson, J., Abboah-Offei, A., Erdogan Onur, B., Uzochukwu, J., & Demir, A.

Presented at: Academic Collaboration Showcase, University of Roehampton, London, UK | Date: 12 May 2026 | Project: Green Skills for South London, Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub

This report documents the findings and engagement outcomes from the Green Skills for South London project presentation at the University of Roehampton's Academic Collaboration Showcase (12 May 2026). The showcase brought together academics, council representatives, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) professionals, engineers, healthcare workers, sustainability organisations, and international attendees from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The session generated substantive discussions on green skills development, sustainable business practices, waste management, and community-centred approaches to industrial sustainability. This report synthesises the key themes emerging from those discussions and outlines their implications for the future direction of the project.

Green Skills South London SME Sustainability Waste Management Community Engagement Industrial Estates Circular Economy Academic Collaboration

Key Findings

Attendees identified excessive packaging waste and takeaway culture as significant environmental challenges for SMEs, with strong demand for practical guidance on waste reduction.
Post-COVID decline in inter-business communication across industrial estates was widely recognised, with participants emphasising the need to rebuild local networks and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.
International interest was recorded, with visitors from the Netherlands sharing parallel Green Skills initiatives, indicating potential for cross-border knowledge transfer and partnership development.
Underused community spaces on and around industrial estates were highlighted as untapped assets for sustainability-focused programming and community learning.
Strong appetite was expressed for participatory, community-led research approaches, as demonstrated by the high engagement with the project's interactive activity station.
Several professionals and organisations expressed formal interest in collaboration, with contact details, email addresses, and social media information exchanged to support future partnership development.

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APA 7th Edition

Kamble, R., Tiwari, A., Idugboe, E., Yankson, J., Abboah-Offei, A., Erdogan Onur, B., Uzochukwu, J., & Demir, A. (2026, May 12). Green Skills for South London: Findings from the Academic Collaboration Showcase, University of Roehampton. Field report presented at the Academic Collaboration Showcase, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom. Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub.

Field Report Community Engagement Industrial Estates May 2026

Chessington Industrial Estate Community Forum: Summary Report on Business Engagement, Sustainability Challenges, and Community Resilience

Demir, A., Idugboe, E., Yankson, J., Abboah-Offei, A., Erdogan Onur, B., & Uzochukwu, J.

Event: Chessington Industrial Estate Community Forum | Venue: King George's Field Indoor Bowling Club, Jubilee Way, Chessington KT6 7NA | Date: 6 May 2026 | Organised by: Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub, University of Roehampton & The Community Brain CIC

This report presents the findings from the first Chessington Industrial Estate Community Forum, held on 6 May 2026 at King George's Field Indoor Bowling Club, Chessington. The forum was convened by the Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub at the University of Roehampton, in partnership with The Community Brain CIC, as part of the Green Skills for South London project. The event brought together local businesses, workers, community organisations, and strategic partners to facilitate open dialogue on sustainability, green skills, waste management, networking, and the future of the local business ecosystem. This report documents the discussions held, the challenges and opportunities identified by participants, and the key themes emerging from structured and informal engagement across the session.

Chessington Industrial Estate Community Forum Green Skills Business Resilience Sustainability SME Collaboration Kingston upon Thames Post-COVID Recovery

Key Findings

Businesses across the estate reported a significant reduction in inter-business communication and collaboration since the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying this as a barrier to collective resilience and sustainability action.
Participants identified waste management — particularly materials handling and packaging waste — as a shared operational challenge, with interest in collective and circular economy approaches to address it.
Green skills and training emerged as a priority need, with businesses expressing interest in accessible, practically oriented programmes aligned with their day-to-day operations.
Attendees highlighted networking and peer learning as underutilised resources, calling for more regular, informal opportunities for businesses to connect across the estate.
Strong consensus emerged around the value of community-led, place-based approaches to sustainability, with participants willing to contribute ideas and time to future collaborative activities.
Attending businesses included National Rescue, The Protective Textile Company Ltd, and Mollart Engineering (Chessington & Resolven) Limited, alongside a wider range of estate-based workers and organisations.

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APA 7th Edition

Demir, A., Idugboe, E., Yankson, J., Abboah-Offei, A., Erdogan Onur, B., & Uzochukwu, J. (2026, May 6). Chessington Industrial Estate Community Forum: Summary report on business engagement, sustainability challenges, and community resilience. Field report, Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom.

Implementation Framework Community Resilience Impact Research 2026

Kingston Hive Implementation Framework: Operationalising Community-Led Climate Resilience, Social Cohesion, and Sustainable Participation

Demir, A. (Dir.), Idugboe, E., Abboah-Offei, A., Erdogan Onur, B., Adekola, A., Molina Murillas, G., Jesutowo, F., & Irekeola, M.

Project: Kingston Hive Impact, Learning & Capacity Project | Partners: Kingston Hive, Big Growth, Mayor of London (UKSPF) | Institution: University of Roehampton, Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub | Year: 2026

This implementation framework presents a robust, evidence-based system designed to strengthen Kingston Hive's capacity as a community-led climate resilience and social wellbeing hub. Developed through strategic collaboration between Kingston Hive, the University of Roehampton, and a multidisciplinary research team, the framework provides funders with a clear, measurable, and scalable model for community resilience, inclusion, and sustainable development. Drawing on primary survey data (n=15), observational reports, behavioural analysis, business analysis, and spatial design research, the framework integrates five interconnected layers — community engagement, behavioural impact, data and insight, communications and marketing, and operations and governance — into a coherent system that transforms Kingston Hive's lived community impact into a structured, fundable, and replicable model.

Community Resilience Climate Action Social Cohesion Behavioural Impact Kingston upon Thames UKSPF Theory of Change Community Engagement Wellbeing Sustainability Impact Measurement

Methods

Community feedback survey (n=15, mixed electronic and handwritten responses) capturing participant motivations, experiences, and behavioural outcomes.
Observational reports from Kingston Hive workshops and community sessions, documenting engagement quality, conversational depth, and participation patterns.
Business analysis examining Kingston Hive's operational structure, financial resilience, volunteer capacity, and governance infrastructure.
Spatial and psychological design analysis assessing how the physical environment influences community behaviour, trust, and participation.
Communications and marketing audit evaluating current engagement pathways, social media consistency, and conversion from awareness to sustained participation.
Behavioural impact framework development, mapping activities to outcomes across three domains: inner resilience, social cohesion, and practical preparedness.

Key Findings

100% of survey respondents described Kingston Hive as welcoming and non-overwhelming, indicating strong emotional safety as a core organisational strength.
Over 50% of participants attend primarily for connection with others, confirming that Kingston Hive functions as a social anchor rather than a conventional programme delivery organisation.
35–50% of participants reported increased connection to their community or to people who care about similar issues, demonstrating meaningful social cohesion outcomes.
30–35% reported increased awareness of local sustainability issues and resilience initiatives, evidencing informal learning and practical preparedness.
20–30% of attendees transitioned into deeper roles including volunteer, facilitator, or community organiser, indicating strong role progression and leadership development.
Word of mouth was the primary route into Kingston Hive (42.9%), confirming that engagement is driven by relational trust rather than formal communications.
Identified structural gaps include: absence of a centralised data system, inconsistent communications, volunteer dependency and burnout risk, limited unrestricted income, and fragmented operational processes.

Framework Proposals

Introduction of a light-touch, three-tier data system (event-level, monthly, and quarterly) to enable consistent, proportionate impact tracking without burdening volunteers.
A core impact dashboard built around five priority indicators: Welcoming Score, Connection Motivation Rate, Community Connection Score, Sustainability Awareness Score, and Role Progression Rate.
A structured engagement funnel (awareness → interest → participation → retention → ownership) with defined actions at each stage to address current conversion gaps.
A 90-day communications implementation plan to improve social media consistency, newsletter growth, and offline-to-online pathway integration.
Operational and governance recommendations including defined volunteer roles, structured leadership pathways, and a financial diversification strategy to reduce grant dependency.
A Strategic Plan (2026–2028) positioning Kingston Hive for Borough-wide scaling and cross-sector partnership development.

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APA 7th Edition

Demir, A. (Dir.), Idugboe, E., Abboah-Offei, A., Erdogan Onur, B., Adekola, A., Molina Murillas, G., Jesutowo, F., & Irekeola, M. (2026). Kingston Hive Implementation Framework: Operationalising community-led climate resilience, social cohesion, and sustainable participation. Implementation framework report, Roehampton Sustainable Futures Hub, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom. Produced in partnership with Kingston Hive and Big Growth, supported by the Mayor of London through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Publications & Field Reports