Alma Economics

Eid Mubarak from all of us at Alma! Wishing you joy, peace, and wonderful celebrations with your loved ones. 🌙✨

We’re so proud of our very own Hanna Jeppsson for taking on the TCS London Marathon 2025 in support of Mind! 🏃♀️💙 Running a marathon is no small feat, but doing it to support mental health makes it even more inspiring. With just a few weeks left until race day, let’s cheer her on and help her reach her fundraising goal 👉 https://lnkd.in/dPjT_Vkc #TCSLondonMarathon #TCSLondonMarathon2025 #LondonMarathon

We recently attended the latest best practice event from London's Violence Reduction Unit, where we shared interim findings from our evaluation of the Strengthening Fathers Programme. We also facilitated table-top discussions with attendees to explore the value of tailored support for fathers, how it strengthens father-child relationships and promotes healthy co-parenting. The VRU aims to reduce youth violence, and this event focused on bringing together community organisations and local authorities to identify gaps in services and share best practices to improve provision. We valued the opportunity to contribute to these discussions by sharing interim findings that highlighted the value of: -taking a strengths-based approach to engaging fathers. -building trust and rapport with fathers over time. -delivering programme activities rooted in fathers’ local communities.  As we move into the final phase of our evaluation, we look forward to continuing our work with the VRU team and fathers’ organisations to ensure our findings support the development of innovative and impactful ways to strengthen families and communities through prevention and early intervention. 

Every statistic tells a human story. At Alma Economics, we don’t just work with numbers. We go beyond the data to uncover the stories, struggles, and successes of communities across society. To celebrate the International Day of Mathematics, we’re highlighting one of the many projects we’re proud to have worked on. One with wider dimensions and deeply human stories behind the numbers. #InternationalDayOfMathematics #MathsForABetterWorld

Research shows that engaging in arts and culture boosts learning, problem-solving skills, and civic participation. But access isn’t equal. Studies consistently link cultural engagement to socio-economic background, with those from lower-income groups less likely to take part or pursue creative careers.

Too many barriers still hold women back. In the economy, education, work, and their everyday lives. The cost is high, but more than that, it’s unfair. At Alma Economics, we use data to expose inequalities and help shape policies that drive change. Everyone deserves the same opportunities to learn, work, and thrive. #InternationalWomensDay

Our evaluation of the Parent Carer Champion Network (PCCN) is now live, and there is plenty of content to explore!  What is the PCCN?  Launched by London's Violence Reduction Unit in 2020/21, the PCCN is a peer-to-peer support programme for parents and carers of children and young people aged 11 to 24 who have experienced violence, exploitation or grooming.  How did we conduct the research?  We applied an interdisciplinary approach, engaging directly with all those involved: Local Authorities and Boroughs, Voluntary and Community Sector Organisations, and parents and carers participating in the PCCN across London. Our research activities encompassed:   - Two online surveys  - 49 one-to-one and group interviews  - Two in-person discussion groups  - Two case studies showcasing effective or innovative approaches to delivering the PCCN locally.  You can explore all the findings on our dedicated Learning Hub 👉 https://lnkd.in/dtr8U9QW  There, you will find:  - Two reports, one capturing lessons to inform future parent carer commissions and one highlighting best practices and key learnings for local delivery partners.   - Two case studies offering targeted analysis and explanatory videos. 

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, launched the Reducing Veterans Homelessness Programme (RVHP) in 2023 to fund projects that reduce veteran homelessness and provide sustainable supported housing across the UK. With additional funding now available, Alma Economics was commissioned to investigate the current unmet and insufficiently met needs of veterans facing (or at risk of) homelessness in the UK. Our research, using a mixed-methods approach, highlights how funding should prioritise: - Increasing support for veterans with acute, complex or multiple support needs. - Promoting a needs-based approach to support provision. - Addressing bottlenecks across the lifecycle of support provision. - Promoting partnerships across support organisations. We would like to thank everyone who gave their time and energy to this study, especially the organisations who took part in our survey and qualitative fieldwork. Read the executive summary and recommendations from our report here: https://lnkd.in/d2hauzzq

What are the benefits of a rich cultural life? According to the literature, there are many: engagement with the arts and culture is associated with everything from stronger critical thinking skills to better mental health and wellbeing. However, research also shows that individuals in lower socio-economic groups are consistently less likely to participate in and engage with the cultural sector. What are the reasons for this, and what can be done to address it? We were commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) to explore this issue, and we are pleased to announce that our findings have now been published. Through a comprehensive review of the literature, our team identified the main barriers preventing less affluent groups from engaging with culture. We also spoke to experts and identified strategies to increase participation based on successful interventions implemented in the UK and internationally in recent years. We used our findings to develop specific policy recommendations, including how successful approaches can be replicated and scaled up, how funds should be allocated, and how to improve the evidence base to support data-based decisions in the future. You can read more here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gi4W6zgR

We're attached to this programme as evaluators, which means we need to say how well it's working, whether we like the answer or not… but quietly we're delighted to see the positive impacts so far.