Catherine Harris BSc (Hons), MSc
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Fellow
Summary
Cathy Harris is a Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Fellow at CRESR with over 10 years’ experience in conducting research and evaluations of programmes and interventions for a range of organisations, including national charities, local and central government and other third sector bodies. Cathy is a mixed-methods researcher, with expertise across both qualitative and quantitative methods (including surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, statistical and thematic analysis), project management, measuring outcomes and impact and producing accessible outputs for a range of audiences. Cathy has research interests in the voluntary and community sector and exploring the needs and experiences of people who may be vulnerable or marginalised.
About
I joined CRESR in 2018 as a Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Associate. I previously worked as a Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Officer for the children's reading charity BookTrust for six years, where I completed a range of programme evaluations and research projects. In particular, I focused on the evaluation of programmes aimed at supporting children who may need additional support, such as children who are looked after and children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
I also have experience of working in the mental health sector, both in hospitals and in the community, and have worked with children and adults with learning difficulties. These experiences have shaped my research interest in the voluntary and community sector, and exploring the needs and experiences of vulnerable groups.
Ï㽶ÊÓƵ
2023-24 Home Improvement Services in England – National Evaluation. Centre for Ageing Better.
2023-24 Community Led Social Prescribing. Local Trust.
2024-26 National Evaluation of Active Travel Social Prescribing Pilots. (part of the Active Travel Portfolio Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and Evaluation Programme). Active Travel England.
2022-23 Towards a Thriving Voluntary and Community Sector in South Yorkshire, Voluntary Action Rotherham.
2022-23 Mapping funding into the UK women and girls voluntary sector, ROSA.
2021-23 Evaluation of Your Work Your Way, Child Poverty Action Group.
2021-23 National Evaluation: Preventing and tackling mental ill health through green social prescribing, DEFRA.
2020-21 Evaluation of Ask and Act, Welsh Government. Role: Principal investigator / project manager.
2020-21 Volunteering in Community Business, Power to Change. Role: Member of the project team.
2020-21 Northamptonshire VCSE Assembly evaluation. Role: Member of the project team.
2020 Health benefits of public spaces, The Health Foundation. Role: Member of the project team.
2019-22 Market Development: evaluation and learning support, Power to Change. Role: Member of the project team.
2019-22 Future Parks Accelerator Programme Evaluation, National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Trust. Role: Member of the project team.
2019-20 Camerados evaluation, The Association of Camerados. Role: Member of the project team.
2019-20 Exploring the impact of community businesses delivering foundational infrastructure, Power to Change. Role: Member of the project team.
2019-20 Parks for People Programme Evaluation, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Big Lottery Fund. Role: Member of the project team.
2019 Diversity in Children's Literature, Arts Council England. Role: Project manager.
2018-19 Evaluation of the Small Employer Offer, Department for Work and Pensions. Role: Member of the project team.
2018-19 Local Delivery Pilot Insight Work, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council. Role: Member of the project team.
2018-19 Economic assessment of assets in community ownership, Power to Change. Role: Member of the project team.
2017-19 Evaluation of Children's Communities, Save the Children. Role: Member of the project team.
2015-21 Evaluation of Age Better in Sheffield, South Yorkshire Housing Association. Role: Member of the project team.
Publications
Journal articles
Harris, C., Lewis, A., Griffiths, R., & Anderson, L. (2023). . Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Practice, Spring (13), 18-27.
Dayson, C., Harris, C., & Woodward, A. (2021). . Perspectives in Public Health.
Robinson, D., Moore, N., & Harris, C. (2019). . British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47 (2), 91-104.
Reports
Gilbertson, J., Harris, C., Pearson, S., Smith, R., Wilson, I., Marshall, M., ... Smith, P. (2025). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/home-improvement-better-homes-better-lives
Gilbertson, J., Harris, C., Pearson, S., Smith, R., Wilson, I., Marshall, M., ... Smith, P. (2025). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/home-improvement-final-report
Gilbertson, J., Harris, C., Pearson, S., Smith, R., Wilson, I., Marshall, M., ... Smith, P. (2025). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/home-improvement-exec-report
Harris, C., Damm, C., & Macmillan, R. (2025). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2024). . London: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-final-report-briefing-march-2021-to-june-2023
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2024). . London: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-final-report-summary-march-2021-to-june-2023
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2024). . London: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-final-report-march-2021-to-june-2023
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2024). . London: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-final-report-appendices-march-2021-to-june-2023
Batty, E., Beatty, C., Harris, C., Pearson, S., & Sanderson, E. (2023). . Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2023). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-interim-report-summary-sept-2021-to-sept-2022
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2023). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-interim-report-briefing-sept-2021-to-sept-2022
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2023). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-interim-report-appendices-sept-2021-to-sept-2022
Haywood, A., Dayson, C., Garside, R., Foster, A., Lovell, B., Husk, K., ... Wilson, I. (2023). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/gsp-interim-report-sept-2021-to-sept-2022
Damm, C., Dowrick, L., & Harris, C. (2023). ROSA. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/mapping-the-uk-women-and-girls-sector-and-its-funding
Damm, C., Dowrick, L., & Harris, C. (2023). . ROSA.
Eadson, W., Dobson, J., Dempsey, N., Harris, C., & Munro, E. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/future-parks-accelerator-key-findings-and-recommendations
Dobson, J., Eadson, W., Harris, C., & Munro, E. (2022). . National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Dayson, C., Harris, C., Bashir, N., Bennett, E., & Woodward, A. (2022). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/evaluation-of-age-better-in-sheffield-the-impact-on-social-isolation-and-loneliness-2015-21
Dobson, J., & Harris, C. (2022). . Power to Change.
Wilson, I., Batty, E., Leather, D., & Harris, C. (2022). Community Renewal: Lifting Neighbourhoods Together Evaluation Baseline.
Harris, C., Mccarthy, L., Speake, B., Hulbert, A., & Clifford, J. (2022). . Welsh Government.
Dobson, J., Harris, C., & Macmillan, R. (2021). . Power to Change. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/network-support-community-business-peer-networking-before-and-during-coronavirus
Ellis Paine, A., Damm, C., Dean, J., Harris, C., & Macmillan, R. (2021). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/volunteering-in-community-business-meaning-practice-and-management
Eadson, W., Harris, C., Parkes, S., Dobson, J., & Dempsey, N. (2021). . Heritage Lottery Fund. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/why-should-we-invest-in-parks-evidence-from-the-parks-for-people-programme
Dayson, C., Harris, C., & Woodward, A. (2020). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/evaluation-of-age-better-in-sheffield-qualitative-insights-into-interventions-to-address-social
Batty, E., Harris, C., Leather, D., Pearson, S., Wilson, I., Carter, C., ... Willis, B. (2020). . Save the Children, UK. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/childrens-communities-final-evaluation-report
Batty, E., Bennett, E., Devany, C., Harris, C., Pearson, S., & Woodward, A. (2020). . Sheffield: Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Ï㽶ÊÓƵ.
Eadson, W., Harris, C., Gore, A., & Dobson, J. (2019). . National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Community Fund. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/space-to-thrive-a-rapid-evidence-review-of-the-benefits-of-parks-and-green-spaces-for-people-and
Harris, C., & Stiell, B. (2019). Arts Council England.
Stiell, B., Harris, C., & Leather, D. (2019). . Arts Council England.
Archer, T., Wilson, I., Parkes, S., Batty, E., & Harris, C. (2019). . Power to Change. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/our-assets-our-future-the-economics-outcomes-and-sustainability-of-assets-in-community-ownership
Dayson, C., Harris, C., & Pattison, B. (2019). . Ï㽶ÊÓƵ, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Ï㽶ÊÓƵ. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/evaluation-of-age-better-in-sheffield---understanding-the-impact-on-isolation-loneliness
Batty, E., Harris, C., Leather, D., Pearson, S., Wilson, I., Coldwell, M., ... Willis, B. (2018). . Save the Children UK. /centre-regional-economic-social-research/publications/childrens-communities-programme-evaluation-2018-report