Abstract

This article offers ‘insider perspectives’ on participatory action research (PAR) by exploring the reflective narratives of older volunteer researchers who were involved in a recent participatory action research project into the needs, experiences and aspirations of older lesbian women and gay men (OLGs) living in Dorset, England. It explores in their own words the experiences of being a volunteer researcher on a project that explored the marginalized identities of older lesbians and gay men. The Gay and Grey project was funded for three years by the Big Lottery Fund, and was a joint initiative between Help and Care, a voluntary agency working with older people in Dorset, and Bournemouth University. In this article the volunteers offer narrative reflections on their involvement in this project, and what it meant to them. The tensions in participatory action research will be explored in terms of the different expectations of stake-holders in the research. Consideration will be given to what can be learnt from the narratives of volunteer researchers, and the issues of inclusivity within marginalized voices.