Bringing research to the community 

On a sunny, autumnal Saturday – a perfect day for a picnic in the park or a beach stroll - it was affirming to see so many community members file into an already packed hall to learn about becoming a participant in research. 

The event was a Raising Voices in Research (RViR)* Collaborative Event hosted in collaboration with St Denys Activity Group. As a Communications Officer, newly recruited to the RViR team, I was keen to unearth what happens at a Research Collaborative event and why communities and their members should consider getting involved in health and care research. 

I also was intrigued to find out why there was an appetising, fragrant aroma wafting through the hall… 

A warm welcome from Anne 

Anne from St Deny’s Activity Group opened the event explaining the steps her community has made to encourage research participation. Understanding the views of seldom heard communities and applying these learnings to research is vital to improve lives so she urged people to get involved. 

She believes that her community is “not hard to reach, you just have to know how to reach us.” 

An audience member whispered in my ear that the delicious smell was Curry Goat (Goat Curry). Anne proudly exclaimed that “when Black [people] and Asian [people] meet, they have to have lunch.”  

At Action Hampshire we empower communities to take action THEIR way, so if food is on the agenda, bring out the buffet! 

Involvement can be an empowering process 

Anne continued to explain that there are many misconceptions around research participation, preventing people from getting involved.  For example, there is a stigma that research might be a guinea-pig process where people are ‘experimented on’.  

Of course this isn’t the case, but she firmly believes the communities she supports may still have reservations about participating.  

She continued to explain that involvement in research can be an empowering experience when it is shaped by the communities themselves. Through Raising Voices in Research, community members are involved at the research development stage so they can influence what topics are studied and shape the research projects from the beginning. 

Anne explained that people need to feel comfortable about expressing their thoughts especially if the topics are sensitive or personal. This is why reaching out to communities in the spaces and environments they feel secure in is critical. 

Karla, an artist who has worked with the St Denys Activity groups urged her community to get involved. She explained through a series of evocative, hand drawn posters how the impact of research may not immediately help this generation but is essential for our children and grandchildren.  She commented, ‘Our research participation is a gift we leave for the next generation’. 

Keesha, another community member shared with the audience how becoming involved in research empowered her.  Through her own participation she was able to express her views directly to the researcher which made her contribution valued. She also explained how involving seldom heard communities in research wasn’t to ‘tick a box’, it was to improve services, assets and information for the people which use them. 

Rapinder, a member of BAME Carer’s Group and Cowen, a member of The Priory Road Luncheon group also shared their stories about the importance of shaping research. 

Everyone has an opportunity to be heard 

As well as hearing from community members, the audience learned that the Research Collaborative is an opportunity for researchers to talk directly with communities about the projects they are working on too. The idea is that some researchers explain their project to the community and then invite those interested to take part in research, whilst other researchers invite communities to shape their research projects to meet their community’s needs.  

The audience met Dr Rosie Essery a Behavioural Scientist working on an App for acne called Acne Care Online. She shared the outcomes of the research she undertook with the Black and Asian community. Her results showed many were worried about skin lightening and preferred a more ‘natural’ approach to skin care. Participants were also asked if the imagery used was a fair representation of the community. From the research she undertook with the Black and Asian community the App was adapted to accommodate their needs and views. 

The second researcher, Dr Kai Yang invited people to take part in her research on electronic, analytical technology embedded in textiles. This could mean items such as socks to monitor diabetes or baby heart rate monitoring vests for pregnant women.  

An inclusive and warm atmosphere 

At the Research Collaborative everyone was made to feel welcome. The smiling faces, the food, the humour, the speakers with lived experience and the friendly hosts made the atmosphere so inclusive and warm. This created a perfect environment for people to ask questions and find out more about research participation. Since writing this blog 5 people have signed up to Dr Kai’s textile research project. In this full house it was clear that communities had been reached to allow voices to be heard in research. 

Would you like to join the next Research Collaborative? 

If you are a Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisation you can join us at our next event on Thursday 26 November, Riverside Centre, Newport (IOW) 10:30 – 13:00. 

Follow this link to register your place 

* One of our projects at Action Hampshire is Raising Voices in Research (RViR). The objective of this project is to put the community right at the heart of research and ensure the voices of seldom heard communities are represented. We work with our partners Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, University of Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and The Engaging Communities Research Centre, University of Winchester.