Listen before shaping
I begin with people’s lived realities, adapting language, place and format so participation is possible and useful.
Community engagement · Research · Inclusive practice
Building trust into the way organisations listen, learn and act.
I’m Damla, a Glasgow-based community engagement and research professional. I turn lived experience, participation and evidence into accessible resources, stronger programmes and practical next steps.
Evidence in motion
12community members across 2 rural areas so far
3complete training modules developed
15+WHO reports reviewed for UN research
335student interviews thematically analysed
01 / Approach
Participation should change what happens next.
My work connects careful listening with practical delivery. That means designing for access, being transparent about how insight is used, and leaving teams with something concrete.
Make evidence usable
I organise insight, feedback and research into clear materials, records and recommendations that teams can act on.
Close the loop
I explain how contributions will be used, document agreed actions and carry learning into the next stage of delivery.
02 / Selected work
Three stories. One thread: evidence that stays connected to people.
Community engagementCurrent practice
Case 01
Turning a presentation into a listening space
In rural engagement with Gypsy/Traveller communities, identity and place created overlapping barriers. I worked through trusted relationships, visited community settings and adapted the language, location and format of sessions.
Read the outcome
The sessions became discussion-led listening spaces rather than one-way presentations. I recorded anonymised themes, explained how insight would be used, and engaged 12 community members across 2 areas so far. The learning is informing a Scottish Government-facing report and future rural engagement planning.
Inclusive learningTurkish Red Crescent
Case 02
Redesigning training for multicultural groups of women
Working to a limited timeframe, I identified accessibility gaps in existing materials and developed three complete modules with participatory, culturally relevant activities.
Read the outcome
The revisions were adopted into the programme structure. I also prepared training-flow documents, checked materials against funder requirements, and maintained meeting minutes and follow-up actions.
Research & analysisUN · TED University
Case 03
Moving between interviews, surveys and policy evidence
My research practice spans thematic analysis of 335 student interviews, review of 15+ WHO reports for United Nations Volunteers, and online survey research with around 400 participants using Qualtrics and SPSS.
Read the outcome
Across these projects, I translated complex material into clear written outputs and presentations. My undergraduate study was accepted for an academic conference, where I delivered an oral presentation.
03 / Experience
A practice shaped across community, project and research settings.
Gypsy/Traveller Mental Health & Wellbeing Training Co-ordinator
MECOPP
National community engagement, accessible learning materials, participation monitoring and culturally relevant mental-health resources.
MSc, Global Migrations & Social Justice
University of Glasgow
Postgraduate study focused on migration and social justice, completed with a full University of Glasgow scholarship.
Project Assistant
Turkish Red Crescent
Training design, quality checks, programme documentation and coordination for a multicultural women’s empowerment programme.
Lab Manager
TED University
Research coordination, thematic analysis and presentation of social-psychology research.
Foundation
BSc in Psychology with a secondary field in Sociology, TED University — completed summa cum laude with a full scholarship.
04 / Toolkit
Skills I bring to the table
Community engagementInclusive trainingQualitative analysisSurvey researchMonitoring & feedbackAccessible resourcesProject documentationStakeholder coordinationPolicy researchSPSSQualtricsMicrosoft Office
Glasgow, Scotland
Good work starts with a thoughtful conversation.
If you’re working on community engagement, inclusion, training, research or social-impact delivery, I’d be glad to hear from you.
damla.ceyran06@gmail.com