“Collaboration brings more strength than going it alone” - Creating networks that address Yorkshire's challenges

In this opening episode of "Gerrin' on wi' it," hosts Paul Hayes and Dr Andy Mycock set the stage for exploring collaboration across Yorkshire and the Humber - a region they argue is England's trailblazer for academic-policy engagement.

Paul and Andy discuss the origins of the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Engagement and Research Network (Y-PERN) and the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership (YPIP), born from a 2021 memorandum of understanding between Yorkshire Universities and Yorkshire & Humber Councils. They reflect on how COVID-19 became a catalyst for collaboration, revealing the power of bringing together universities, local authorities, combined authorities, and communities around shared challenges.

The conversation explores what makes collaboration work: building trust through sustained relationships, understanding different institutional cultures, and creating a "network of networks" that maximises regional capacity. From Early Years education to economic growth, they discuss how partnership working has evolved from coffee conversations to formal compacts and community engagement.

This episode introduces the “Gerrin’ on wit’ it” series as a space to speak to people who are making things happen in the region and driving things forward with collaboration at the forefront.

This episode was recorded on 9 December 2025. If you would like to get in touch, please contact [e-mail]. A transcript of this episode is available. Y-PERN is funded by the UKRI’s Research England Development (RED) Fund; YPIP is funded by the UKRI’s Economic and Social Research Council.

Acronyms explained:

1. Y-PERN – Yorkshire and Humber Policy and Engagement Network
2. YPIP – Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership
3. UPEN – Universities Policy Engagement Network
4. YU – Yorkshire Universities
5. YHC – Yorkshire and Humber Councils
6. ESRC – Economic and Social Research Council

Helpful links:

1. https://www.n8research.org.uk/
2. https://whiterose.ac.uk/