Institute for Health and Human Development

Dr Marcello Bertotti

Position: Research Fellow

Location: Room UH250, Stratford Campus

Telephone: +44 (0)20 8223 4139

Fax: +44 (0)20 8223 4282

Email: m.bertotti@uel.ac.uk

Contact Address:

School of Health and Bioscience
University of East London
Stratford Campus
Water Lane
London E15 4LZ

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Brief biography:

Current post

I am a research fellow at the Institute for Health and Human Development (IHHD).  My research interests are largely focussed on urban deprivation and local economic development.  Within this area my work specifically explores social and community enterprises in the health sector, enterprise support policies, community development, and governance.   I work closely with colleagues within and outside UEL to develop research projects investigating community and health as well as social and community enterprise and also developing research projects on the theme of social enterprise in the UK, and South Korea.

Projects

Over the last ten years, I have been involved in research commissioned by a range of funders including the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Big Lottery, BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills), CLG (Department for Communities and Local Government), GLA (Greater London Authority) and DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). The most recent work was as a Principal Investigator for an AHRC/ESRC funded research project investigating the meanings of community within and across various research traditions which used a meta-narrative approach to conducting systematic reviews. In addition , I am involved in a research project on the contribution of the creative industries to urban regeneration for the research project entitled ‘Everybody on Board’ funded by the  Netherlands RAAK-International (Regional Attention and Action for  Knowledge Circulation)in  collaboration with the University of Rotterdam. Part of this large project investigates what lessons for urban regeneration can be learnt from the experience of creative industries enterprise centres in London and Rotterdam. I am also actively involved in processes of community engagement for Well London, a Big Lottery funded £10m programme aimed at improving the health and well-being of people in 20 of the most disadvantaged areas of London. This work involved about 1,400 people across 20 areas via the 'world café', a novel methodology to engage people from local communities.

Previous posts

Prior to this, I worked for four years at CEEDR (Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research) based at Middlesex University where I was involved primarily in enterprise and local economic development research. In particular, I contributed to research projects concerning the development of ethnic minority owned businesses, the impact of social enterprise on rural

communities, and the contribution of enterprise to disadvantaged areas for a range of central government bodies including Small Business Services, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, and the Greater London Authority.

Education

Prior to joining IHHD I was awarded a CASE studentship by the ESRC and the London Development Agency, to undertake my doctorate at Middlesex University. This examined economic competitiveness and governance in the context of urban deprived areas using qualitative case study methodology and focussed primarily upon the analysis of the impact of the City Growth Strategies, a US inspired government policy based on the development of geographic clusters of economic activity. I also hold an MA in Local Economic Development from Middlesex University and a degree in Economics and Politics from University of Trento in Italy.

 

Academic publications:

Published:

• Syrett, S and Bertotti, M (forthcoming) “Reconsidering Private Sector Engagement in Sub-National Policy”, Environment and Planning A
• Bertotti, M. Harden, A., Renton, A. and Sheridan, K (2011) “The contribution of social enterprise to building social capital in a disadvantaged area of London”, Community Development Journal, doi: 10.1093/cdj/bsr020
• Bertotti, M, Leahy, G and Sheridan, K (2011) “To what extent do social enterprises measure their social and environmental impact?”, British Journal of Healthcare Management, 17 (4): 152-156
• Sheridan, K, Adams-Eaton, F, Trimble, A., Renton, A., Bertotti, M (2011) “Community Engagement using World Café: The Well London Experience”, Groupwork and Wellbeing, 20 (3), 32-50
• Bertotti, M. Adams-Eaton, F., Sheridan, K and Renton, A. (2010) “Key barriers to community cohesion: views from residents of 20 London deprived neighbourhoods”, GeoJournal, online version available at [http://www.springerlink.com/content/223l23w77j87um7r/]
• Yu, G., Renton, A., Schmidt, E. Tobi, P., Bertotti, M, Watts, P. and Lais, S. (2011) “A multilevel analysis of the effect of bonding social networks and support on leisure time physical activity: evidence from 40 disadvantaged areas in London, Health and Place, 17, 1023-1029
• Lyon, F and Bertotti, M (2007) “Measuring the contribution of small firms to reducing poverty and increasing social exclusion in the UK” in Stoner, A F and Wankel, C (eds) “Innovative approaches to reducing global poverty”, Information Age Publishing Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina
• Smallbone, D, Bertotti, M and Ekanem, I (2005) “Diversification in ethnic minority business. The case of Asians in London’s creative industries”, in Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol.12, No.1, pp. 41-56

Research reports:

• Bertotti M, Jamal F, Harden, A, Sheridan, K, Atim, L. and Barrow-Guevara, G. (2011) “A review of conceptualisations and meanings of ‘community’ within and across research traditions: a meta-narrative approach”, commissioned by the Arts and Humanities Research Council connected communities programme Presentation available on http://www.community-methods.soton.ac.uk/
• UEL (2011) “Creating and maintaining a health Stratford City: Principles and Practices for success”, a study by the University of East London funded by NHS Newham
• Bertotti M (2011) “Social Enterprises serving rural areas of England”, an analysis of social enterprises serving rural areas commissioned by the Social Enterprise Coalition
• Bertotti M (2010) “Social Enterprises serving rural areas of the UK”, an analysis of social enterprises serving rural areas commissioned by the Social Enterprise Coalition
• Bertotti M (2008) “Impact assessment for Hounslow community cafe’ social enterprise”, Well London, Big Lottery funded
• IHHD (2008-2009) Well London project: improving health in 20 London disadvantaged areas, £10m Lottery funded project. Well London is a £10m Big Lottery funded programme aiming to improve health in 20 disadvantaged areas of London. I produced a number of community engagement reports and managed the social enterprise stream of the programme. I produced a guide to help target residents to set up social enterprises
• Syrett S, Baldock R, Bertotti M, Lyon F, Vickers I, Etherington D, Engelbert S (2008) Review of economic assessment and strategy activity at the local and sub-regional level, a report for the Department for Communities and Local Government, Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR), Middlesex University
• Lyon, F, Baldock R, McPherson M, Ekanem I, Ellis C, Bertotti M, Sepulveda L, Oyelere  M (2007) “Types and Impacts of BME businesses”, final report to SEMEDA (South East Multi-Ethnic Development Agency)
• Smallbone, D, Bertotti, M and Ekanem, I (2003) “Play it right. Asian in the Creative Industries in London”, a report for the Greater London Authority (GLA)
• Vickers, I, Baldock, R, Smallbone, D., James P. Ekanem, I and Bertotti, M (2003) “Cultural influences on health and safety attitudes and behaviour in small businesses”, commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive
• Smallbone, D, Lyon, F and Bertotti, M (2003) “The contribution of Social Enterprise to rural economies and communities” a report for the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
• Lyon F, Bertotti M, Evans M and Smallbone D, Potts, G and Ramsden P (2002) “Measuring enterprise impact in deprived areas”, a report for the Small Business Service

Conference papers and seminars:

National conferences and seminar presentations

• Bertotti, M [invited speaker] “A review of conceptualisations and meanings of ‘community’ within and across research traditions: a meta-narrative approach”, presentation at seminar “Researching contemporary communities: concepts, methods, and policy implications” organised by Professor Graham Crow (Southampton University), Social Research Association, November 2011, London, UK
• Bertotti, M “An exploration of the Index of Multiple Deprivation”, RAAK project seminar, June 2010, London, UK
• Bertotti, M “The contribution of a social enterprise to building social capital”, UEL School conferences, 29th June 2010, London, UK
• Bertotti, M [invited speaker], “Community engagement: the experience of the Well London programme”, organised by Dr Linje Manyozo (London School of Economics), seminar, February 2010, London, UK
• Bertotti, M “US-UK policy transfer in local economic development: the case of the City Growth Strategies, School of Health and Biosciences seminars (Richard Lindsey), 15th  October 2008, London, UK
• Bertotti, M “Private Sector Engagement in urban governance: the case of the City Growth Strategies in two London areas”, Centre for Enterprise and Development Research (CEEDR) seminar, Middlesex University, 27th  June 2007, London, UK

Presentations at International conferences

• Bertotti, M “Social enterprise and early stage extra economic development barriers: the case of a community cafe’ in a disadvantaged area of London”, paper presented at the Second EMES (Research Network), International Conference on Social Enterprise, 1-4 July, 2009, Trento, Italy
• Bertotti, M “US-UK policy transfer in local economic development: the case of the City Growth Strategies”, paper presented at the Policy & Politics international conference entitled “Policy Transfer in a Globalising World”, 4th July 2008, Bristol, UK
• Bertotti, M “Private sector engagement in economic urban governance: the case of the City Growth Strategies (CGS) in two London areas”, paper presented at the IBG-RGS (Institute of British Geographers – Royal Geographical Society) conference, 31st August 2007, with S. Syrett, London, UK
• Bertotti, M “Diversification in Ethnic Minority Business: The Case of Asians in London’s Creative Industries”, Best Paper on General Under-represented Groups’- Institute of Small Business Association (ISBA) Conference, with D. Smallbone  and I. Ekanem, March 2003, Leeds, UK
• Lyon, F and Bertotti, M (2003) “Enterprise in deprived areas: assessing the impact of different types of entrepreneurship on local economies”, paper presented at the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Conference, April 2003

 

Research areas:

• Local economic development
• Urban regeneration
• Urban governance
• Social enterprise
• Ethnic minority owned businesses

Areas of interest/Summary of Expertise:

I have ten years academic research experience in economic and social regeneration of marginalised urban and rural areas. In the last two years, I have published journal articles on the themes of governance, social enterprise and community policies. My earlier work focussed on entrepreneurship and small business research in the context of urban and rural disadvantaged areas, which I further developed in my PhD. I am actively developing bids for research work at the interface between health and socio-economic aspects of deprivation which underpin my interest in developing research on the themes of community and social enterprise.

© 2010