Catalyst Launches Community Engagement Research’ webinars
source :
Catalyst/Quaye Botchway
published : 4 November 2026
On 29 October, Catalyst 4 Change launched its Community Engagement Research webinar series to promote CHERP, a trusted hub linking researchers with underserved African and Caribbean communities in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country.
The opening webinar, ‘Research - Our Stories, Our Legacy, Our Future’, was hosted by Quaye Botchway, Research Programmes Consultant at Catalyst 4 Change, with Hannah Ackom-Mensah (University of Cambridge) and Jean-Claude Kabuiku (Bold Actions CIC). The panellists emphasised that including African and Caribbean voices helps research reflect community priorities and improve health, social care and wellbeing for often-underrepresented communities.
Jean‑Claude described community research as a way to rebalance power and connect community researchers with academics and commissioners.
He added,
"Platforms such as CHERP provide a useful role in connecting community researchers with academics and public health commissioners of research. Ultimately, it provides an amplified voice for people like us from the franco-phone communities of Birmingham, Solihull and Black Country."
Hannah also highlighted the importance of Black voices in health and wellbeing research, drawing on her doctoral study of autism among children of West African descent. She explained that;
"When Black people are underrepresented in research, there is less evidence of how conditions, treatments and services affect African and Caribbean populations. Research may therefore overlook their priorities and fail to reflect their language and cultural experiences."
Join us for our next edition on the 4 December 2026 for what promises to be an interesting, informative and insightful discussion on the potential use of CHERP to amplify voices of the underserved communities in health, social care and wellbeing research.
For more information about CHERP and our December community engagement webinar visit www.cherp.org.uk and click Visit the Hub (top right). Sign up with your name and email - it’s quick and free.
Research is stronger when communities are a part of it.
Visit CHERP. Discover. Connect. Contribute.
For more information about CHERP and to get involved in community-relevant research, please contact Quaye Botchway (Research Programmes Consultant) on 07931 700 391 or via
quaye.botchway@catalyst4change.org.uk
