Welcome Aphie & Sacha
The Humankind Research team has expanded over the last few months and we wanted to take this opportunity to introduce Aphie and Sacha! Find out more about their journeys so far belowAphie Gover, Senior Researcher
Tell us a bit about you and your background / journey before Humankind Research
Prior to my role at Humankind, I was Research Lead at Stronger Stories, a storytelling agency with a focus on narrative-led strategic thinking for social and environmental good. I got to combine my social research skills with creative storytelling and worked with a lot of amazing clients doing some fantastic work across education, health, and tech.
What drew you to Humankind Research?
Everything! There’s a growing focus on values in the world of work, and Humankind really feels like it’s leading the way as a genuinely values-led organisation. I’m especially passionate about participant-led methods, so it’s been exciting to join a place where that kind of approach is embedded in the culture and practice.
What have you enjoyed working on so far?
In my first two months I’ve already worked across such a range of projects, but my favourite so far has been with disabilities charity Sense. This has involved learning a lot about and having some very in-depth discussions with people across the UK with complex disabilities who are going through periods of transition in their lives. Beyond being a fascinating piece of research, it’s incredibly rewarding to know our work is helping the charity make real, practical improvements to people’s everyday lives.
What are you looking forward to getting more stuck into in the near future?
I’ve always been fascinated by the social dimension of emerging technologies - how they shape, and are shaped by, the ways people connect, communicate, and organise. I’m especially curious about how tech can open up new spaces for participation and community-building. As these tools evolve, so do the opportunities (and challenges!) for meaningful engagement. I’m looking forward to exploring how we, as researchers, can tap into that - not just to observe, but to co-create.
What would you say is your ‘researcher superpower’?
As a former pro-storyteller, I’d say my superpower is spotting patterns and connecting the dots - finding meaning in the mess. Whether it’s in a pile of transcripts or a complex social issue, I love teasing out the narrative threads that help make sense of it all.
Sacha Westgate, Associate DirectorTell us a bit about you and your background / journey before Humankind ResearchI’ve spent most of my research career agency-side, working at places like ImpactSense and Kokoro. I started out as a mixed-methods researcher, but over time I found myself increasingly drawn to quant, although my favourite projects are always a bit of both! I enjoy the depth of qualitative insight with the scale of quant can offer.What drew you to Humankind Research? I was drawn to the opportunity to work on projects that don’t solely focus on business outcomes and commercial value but truly make a difference and add some positivity to the world. Shifting focus to purpose driven projects has brought a new sense of meaning to my role!What have you enjoyed working on so far?One of my favourite projects so far has been working with the Fire Fighters Charity. It’s been a deep dive into the world of emergency services, understanding not just the public’s perception, but also the unique pressures and support needs firefighters face. It’s a topic I knew little about going in, which made the learning curve all the more rewarding. I really hope our insights help shine a light on the incredible work firefighters do, work that’s often taken for granted in the UK.What are you looking forward to getting more stuck into in the near future?I’m looking forward to getting stuck into a large scale segmentation project, I love the process of uncovering groups within the data, understanding what makes them tick, how they think, what they value and how they differ from each other.What would you say is your ‘researcher superpower?I love digging deep into data, spotting patterns, pulling out the threads of insight that matter and turning that into an engaging story for all audiences. For me, it’s about bridging the gap between what the data says and what it means, helping clients not just understand the insight but feel confident to act upon it and drive decisions and impact.