‘Brotherhood’: Community Participation, Belonging, Mental Wellbeing and Positive Futures for Boys and Young Men

About the project

About the Project About the project Boys and young men are increasingly recognised as needing better support to feel they belong, yet many experience isolation, uncertainty about their identity and pressures around mental wellbeing. A strong sense of belonging can help young people build confidence, resilience and positive relationships. This is especially important for those growing up in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), where opportunities to feel connected and supported may be more limited. This PhD project will explore how taking part in community-run youth, sports and arts or cultural organisations shapes the experiences of boys and young men aged 13 to 24 from diverse ethnic backgrounds. It will look closely at how belonging, identity and mental wellbeing develop in these settings, and at what the project calls "brotherhood": supportive relationships between peers, built on shared identity, mutual trust and a sense of collective responsibility. The researcher will work alongside community organisations and youth workers to understand how young people themselves experience and describe brotherhood in different community settings. A key focus is understanding what works, for whom and under what circumstances. Community spaces can give young people room to build friendships, develop confidence and explore positive ways of expressing what it means to be a man. The project will examine the mechanisms behind this, and will pay particular attention to young people who have experienced exclusion from one another and from their communities, so that the findings reflect a wide range of voices and experiences. This research has the potential to inform local policy, practice and community-based services, responding directly to local priorities around inclusion, belonging, confidence and positive mental wellbeing. It will also develop a framework to explain how community participation shapes belonging and brotherhood, helping to guide future collaborative work across LLR that supports mental wellbeing, strengthens communities and expands opportunities for boys and young men. This project has been co-created with and is supported by researchers from De Montfort University, the University of Leicester and partners at Leicester City Council. The successful candidate for this project will be enrolled at De Montfort University. Project Aims and Objectives The project objectives are: Explore how boys and young men understand and experience belonging, 'brotherhood', identity and mental wellbeing in their everyday lives. Examine how participation in community-run organisations across youth, sports and arts or cultural settings shapes opportunities for belonging, 'brotherhood' and positive mental wellbeing, including the factors that enable or constrain participation. Investigate the social and cultural roles of community spaces in the lives of boys and young men and their communities, and how these are shaped by wider socioeconomic circumstances. Develop an explanatory framework for understanding how, for whom and under what circumstances community participation contributes to belonging, 'brotherhood', identity and positive mental wellbeing, to inform policy, practice and community development. What is Collaboratory? Collaboratory is a research programme, led by Universities for Nottingham and the Leicester Universities Partnership, that places community knowledge and experience at the heart of research. This eight-year initiative is pioneering a new approach to collaboration, working closely with local communities and community-focused organisations to develop and deliver research that addresses the needs and priorities of local communities. Who are we looking for? Collaboratory aims to bridge the gap between academia and communities through a holistic programme of co-created research that actively embeds public groups within its research. As we strive to establish an innovative approach to conducting PhD research, we seek candidates who can demonstrate a deep knowledge of and commitment to Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland and communities. Prospective candidates should demonstrate the extent to which they meet the project competencies, detailed in the full advert on the Collaboratory website. How to Apply Applications to all Collaboratory 2027 PhD studentships must be submitted through our online applications portal. It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants attend one of the online support sessions, prior to submitting their application. Full details of the Collaboratory programme, studentship funding, eligibility criteria and link to the application form can be found on our website at collaboratoryresearchhub.ac.uk/2027-studentships. Applications open at 11am on Monday, 5th October 2026 and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, 29th November 2026.

Research areas