A KEY figure in Whitley has been recognised by the University of Reading.
Trisha Bennett was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters in a ceremony on Friday, July 1, acknowledging her contribution to supporting underserved communities.
Dr Bennett has worked alongside the university in various capacities for almost 20 years, tackling issues surrounding well-being and social exclusion in South Reading.
“I am committed to genuinely community-led regeneration of left behind neighbourhoods using a community development approach underpinned by the building of trust with those who feel marginalised and forgotten,” she explained.
“The honour evidences the work the university can do within our local community. It’s about doing that joint work so that researchers, who can impact at a higher level, hear from people and are working with them and not talking or researching about them.
“That’s the absolute key, I think this is a two-way process and if we’re going to affect real change for people who are experiencing difficulties, then we need to be working jointly.”
Dr Bennett is part of the leadership team at the Whitley Community Development Association (WCDA), which runs numerous community-facing initiatives, most notably its food surplus.
WCDA won Charity of the Year at the 2021 Pride of Reading Awards for its continued work during the pandemic.
Dr Bennett has played a key role in the Whitley Researchers initiative, a collaborative project between academics and residents to find solutions to issues facing the community.
After residents identified a lack of direct transport links to the Royal Berkshire Hospital, the group worked with Reading Buses to reroute the number nine bus.
As the community lead for the UKRI-funded FoodSEqual project, Dr Bennett has also joined forces with the university to give residents a voice in combating food security concerns.
Her mantra is to ensure residents are spoken to, and not spoken about, in conversations affecting their futures.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof Carol Fuller, Head of the Institute of Education, said: “For Trisha, solutions are always best when they are arrived at in collaboration, when approached as a partnership and with the clear and profound belief that absolutely nothing is impossible.
“Regardless of your background, your goals and ambitions can be achieved.
“Trisha Bennett is a clear example of the ‘unsung hero’ – the hero who devotes her life to the well-being of others, who strives hard to give voice to the voiceless and is unapologetic in reminding us all, that there is no such thing as one group of people who are better than another.”
Dr Bennett said she had known about the recognition for about a year, but insisted that the individual accolade signified the success of a wider effort.
“I do what I do because I love what I do. I don’t expect any awards for it,” she said.
“With me working with the university, and then them honouring me, it really evidences the fact that Reading University really believe in working directly with local communities and affecting change from the bottom up.
“Yes, I may have skills in this department, but they are no use if I keep them to myself.”
Dr Bennett has dedicated her life to community work, completing a diploma in the field at Dundee University after leaving school.
After moving to Reading, she worked at Berkshire Youth Community Service and family centres to support women’s groups.
She has also worked in local authorities, been a freelance community development consultant and trainer, and has volunteered in various roles across the district.
In April of this year, Dr Bennett was invited to the Houses of Parliament by Dame Diana Johnson to speak on behalf of ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods.
Whitley has been her family’s home for the past 41 years.
“For me, I’ll spend my whole life, whether it’s work or in my own life, fighting for those who don’t have a voice,” Dr Bennett explained.
“I’ve experienced not having a voice and there is absolutely no way to live life without having the unheard heard.”
