Our vision
Helping the Council and our communities to improve the health and wellbeing of Somerset’s residents.
We are committed to empowering the Council and our communities to improve the health and wellbeing of Somerset’s residents.
By researching critical areas like:
- housing
- education
- employment
- transport
- safe communities
- access to nature
We want to make a real difference in daily lives.
Community at the heart
Community Participation is at the heart of HDRC. We believe in working together so that the voices of Somerset’s communities are not just heard but also shape our projects.
Through our Lived Experience Advisory Panels (LEAP), we will make sure that the real needs and experiences of our community members guide our efforts.
As a Council, we do research all the time. Whether it is through surveys, evaluations, engagement exercises, needs assessments or data analysis, we are constantly trying to understand and improve.
Meet the team
Lou Woolway
Strategic lead for the Somerset HDRC. Ensuring alignment with local priorities to improve health outcomes and reduce inequalities across the county.
Brittney Strange
Programme Manager for the Somerset HDRC. Responsible for overseeing the programme’s vision, coordinating delivery across workstreams, and supporting collaboration between partners and communities.
Dr Frederick Marais
Works part-time within the Community Participation workstream, specialising in community-based participatory research and evaluation to co-produce meaningful, community-led change.
Alex Hewitt
Full-time member of the Community Participation workstream, focused on bridging the gap between researchers and communities to ensure that the work undertaken is relevant and beneficial to those it is meant to serve.
Dr Emily Dodd
Works two days a week in the Community Participation workstream, supporting communities to embed lived experience into all aspects of research in Somerset.
Dr Olly Clabburn
Splits his time between Spark Somerset and the HDRC. Contributing to the Community Participation workstream with a focus on research that delivers real-world impact for communities.
Dan Navarra
Works alongside Abbie as a Community Co-Researcher, drawing on lived experience to shape research and evaluation. Together, they collaborate with a range of groups to ensure findings lead to meaningful, community-driven improvements in health and wellbeing across Somerset.
Abbie Hughes
Works alongside Dan as a Community Co-Researcher, using lived experience to shape research and evaluation. Together, they collaborate with local groups to ensure research leads to meaningful, community-led improvements in health and wellbeing across Somerset.
Jess Horner
Collects and analyses data to support research activities, identifying evidence-based tools and developing effective ways to share insights and findings.
Ria Saha
Leads the development of the council’s research infrastructure and academic partnerships, helping to secure funding and build research capability across Somerset.
Hamed Zandian
Senior Research Fellow from UWE. Working part-time with the HDRC with expertise in health economics and evaluating public and social health interventions.
Jack Brazier
Research Culture and Capacity Building Service Manager, supporting colleagues and services to embed research, evaluation, and evidence into everyday practice and decision-making.
Emily Hutt
Health Improvement Manager working part-time in the HDRC. Leading on training and development to build research skills and confidence across the workforce.
Rosie Bennetts
Works part-time leading on communications and engagement for the HDRC. Ensuring that community voices are central and that all outputs are shared in an engaging and accessible way.