Local Area Research Fortnight is underway
14 April 2016

The Local Area Research & Intelligence Association (LARIA) has launched the second Local Area Research Fortnight.

Participation is free and those who take part are encouraged to organise events or publish materials that will help the public, politicians, employees and the media understand the value and impact of local area research.

Within the fortnight LARIA will be hosting their annual conference (19th – 20th April 2016) and presenting their research impact awards. A simple retweet will do and their Twitter hashtag is #LARIA2016. The first Local Area Research Fortnight was held last year and on twitter alone there were over 1,000 tweets from over 300 separate contributors, as well as local events and a number of blog posts.

LARIA has over 1,100 members in sectors including local government, health, police, fire and rescue services, housing and education. Neil Wholey, Chair of LARIA, said “Our members face huge challenges in ensuring they maintain their relevance in organisations which are undergoing radical changes through budget cuts and shifting priorities. Taking part in the Local Area Research Fortnight helps focus attention on the work they do and amplifies our message. We would welcome contributions from any public or private sector organisation, whether they are a LARIA member or not, which we can help promote.”