The Centre for Rural Health Research (CRHR) with the University of British Columbia is currently embarking on a new project to study community resilience in response to COVID-19 and other health care emergencies.

Last year, members of the Rural Citizen Advisory Committee identified a critical gap in knowledge – the experiences of rural communities in response to COVID-19.

A survey was launched and over 500 people from B.C.’s rural communities responded, sharing their stories of resilience and adaptability in the face of this health crisis. To see the findings from this survey, please click here.

As we pass one year since the pandemic began, the need for community-led research is as great as ever. We plan to launch another survey, focused on the resilience of B.C.’s communities in the face of COVID-19 and other disruptions. In particular, we’re interested in understanding the economic, social and community-health services impacts of COVID-19, and learning more about the actions communities have taken in response.

The findings from this research will be used to understand what rural community resilience looks like in B.C. and what strategies we can use to build resilient communities that are capable of preparing and responding to new challenges.

We’re looking for community input and guidance to help us build this research project. If you are passionate about rural health and are interested in participating in a dynamic team, then we would love to hear from you!

We are currently looking for eight individuals from rural communities to join the Rural Community Resilience (RCR) Advisory Committee and co-create our research goals and processes, keeping rural community perspectives front and centre.

Commitment would involve participating in virtual meetings once a month and would last until the end of March 2022. Your time and feedback are extremely valuable and members of the RCR Committee will receive a $500 honorarium.

To see a list of communities that qualify as rural for the purposes of this project, please click here.

If you are interested in participating, please send an email to our research coordinator Claire Styffe at [email protected] and include the name of your home community as well as a few paragraphs detailing your interest in the committee.

Please note, in order to participate you must have resided in a rural B.C. community since March 2020.

Centre for Rural Health Research at the University of British Columbia.

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