Between November 2024 and May 2025, the Partnership held six ‘Afternoon Tea and Policy in Renfrewshire’ workshops on the University’s Paisley campus. Amongst the participants were representatives from private, public and third sector organisations. At the workshops, participants discussed how the cost of living crisis, housing issues, employment and training, care/caring, and health and wellbeing play out in Renfrewshire. At the sixth and last workshop, discussion focussed on how to use the learnings from the workshops to influence public policy debate and practice.

UWS was proud to welcome workshop participants to its campus, showing that the University is serious about playing its role as a ‘civic institution’ and ‘anchor institution’ in and for the local community.