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The Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) recently took part in the ESRC Festival of Social Science by hosting an interactive activity stand in Sheffield's Moor Market.

In October 2023 team members Dr Parvati Perman-Howe, Anna Butters, Lucy Burke and Ellen McGrane spent the day talking with members of the public about SARG and using hands-on activities to explore some of their research work on the health and wellbeing impacts of alcohol and gambling.

Inspired by the No/Lo Project which is investigating the impact of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks on public health, visitors were challenged to guess the number of units in a pint of beer or glass of wine, take part in a virtual night out and test their knowledge with an alcohol-themed quiz.

Ellen McGrane's work on gambling advertising was highlighted by a 'match the sponsor to the shirt' game which demonstrated the number of gambling companies sponsoring Premier League football clubs.

Dr Perman-Howe who coordinated the stand said "It was great to get out into Sheffield and share some of our research with members of the public. There was a lot of interest in the No/Lo Project and many people were surprised to see how many top football clubs were sponsored by gambling companies – we had plenty of interesting discussions on both topics."

The Festival of Social Science is an annual celebration of research and knowledge about humans and society and celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. It's an opportunity for anyone to explore topics relating to social science – from health and wellbeing to crime, equality, education and identity – through events run by researchers from UK universities.