Queens University Belfast Research

Students James Reavey and Zoe Wray with CEO Patrick Thompson

In 2024, Abbeyfield & Wesley in Northern Ireland welcomed postgraduate MSc placement students, James Reavey and Zoe Wray from Queen’s University Belfast. James and Zoe were interested in finding out the challenges, concerns and positives of getting older as experienced by our sheltered housing tenants. 

To carry out this research, James and Zoe hosted focus groups and individual interviews with tenants and staff to gain valuable understanding and to identify opportunities for Abbeyfield & Wesley to build on in the future. Both students said the project gave them an inviting insight into a work environment where they could put their psychological knowledge to use.  They added that, as the focus of the project exploring the perceptions and experiences of residents living in sheltered housing facilities is a largely unexplored area within the psychological society knowledgebase, this made it a pioneering experience for all involved.   

Working with groups and organisations to provide learning opportunities helps to increase our community reach as well as providing useful information.  In previous years, the research projects students have worked on with Abbeyfield residents have included the barriers and benefits for older people using digital technology and actions to promote technology, the challenges to getting outside and being active outdoors