Research & Impact
Projects & Publications
We believe research should make a difference – not sit on a shelf. At CoLab, our Research & Impact work is grounded in co-production, lived experience, and real-world application. We work with universities, funders and communities to understand what works, challenge what doesn’t, and amplify the voices of those most affected. Whether it’s evaluating projects, shaping policy, or creating innovative tools like the Talking Deck, we turn insight into action and learning into leadership.
Evidence with empathy. Learning that leads.
Last year, our hub and collaborative projects supported thousands of people to access the health and wellbeing support they need. This impact report explores the progress we have made towards our strategic objectives in the first year of our Supporting and Sustaining Community Life Strategy. We would like to celebrate what our staff, partners and the people we support have achieved in the last year.
Download our 2024 Impact Report
2024-25 Impact Report
Welcome Team Evaluation
An evaluation of the Welcome Team Pilot Project in 2024, drawing on 49 interviews with service users, CoLab partners and CoLab staff and external partners. It includes recommendations for the future resourcing of the Welcome Team as well as the wider City/System. The report details what the Welcome Team does (Triage, One Stop Hub, Community Knowledge, Risk Management and Diffusion) and the psychologically informed relationships that support the work of CoLab, Hub partners and external partners.
Download our Welcome Team Evaluation Report
Robin Jakob
Head of Service for Research & Impact
Robin is a researcher and public health practitioner with 15 years of experience in the charity and public sectors. He is driven by a passion for working with people and organisations to generate evidence-based insights into health inequalities and injustices, and to use that knowledge to challenge decision-makers to listen to and act on the needs of their communities.
His work has focused on amplifying the voices of those most often excluded from traditional health and social services, while tackling complex and stigmatised public health issues. Robin has held roles in sexual health and HIV, public mental health, and suicide prevention. He has worked in a wide variety of roles; as a sexual health worker and campaigner, managing an information service, as a public health practitioner and as a researcher.
He now leads our Research and Impact Team, continuing to work towards inclusive, community driven approaches to public health.
“Health is political!”