Community Led Research Initiatives - The right time is now!

source : Catalyst 4 Change CIC

published : February 2024

In October of last year Birmingham Voluntary Sector Council (BVSC) was awarded an NHS Research Engagement Network (REN) development grant to empower underserved communities to play a more active role in research, ensuring that every voice is not just heard, but actively shapes healthcare research.

This funding brings together a team from Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (BSol ICB), Birmingham Voluntary Service Council, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (BCHC), community sector partners Flourish and Catalyst 4 Change and regional National Institute for Health and Care Research Infrastructures hosted at the University of Birmingham.

Catalyst is thrilled to be partners in this project advocating for the greater involvement of African and Caribbean communities and their organisations to decide, shape and undertake research that will address health inequalities our communities continue to experience.

Together, this partnership will reshape the ways in which health inequalities across Birmingham and Solihull are addressed.

The partnership is laying the groundwork for a transformative era as follows:

• Step One: Identifying and bridging gaps in community engagement in research
• Step Two: creating seamless networks that eliminate duplication and strengthen community bonds
• Step Three: addressing existing power imbalances through genuine community collaboration
  

How can you get involved?

If you are an organisation that works with underserved communities and are currently and/or have been involved with health care research activities then please complete our short survey below by 28 February 2024: Please click here >

By completing the survey you’ll help the partnership understand the wide diversity of what is currently happening in Birmingham & Solihull and what further work needs to be done.

The survey’s findings will enable the project to influence funding, ensuring organisations best placed to directly support communities receive money fairly. The project is working with National Institute for Health & Social Care Research, who regularly fund community research opportunities, including paying communities for participation.

You'll have the option to keep in touch: you can receive information community led research resources, toolkits and workshops. These will support you to do more inclusive research and engagement, and help you continue to empower your community to influence change.

If you would like to know more about this project or need some support with completing the survey please contact either:

Sandra Griffiths, Business and Partnership Manager at: sandra@catalyst4change.org,uk

Or;

Jacob Standbridge, Health and Social Care Network Development Worker at: jacobs@bvsc.org

Telephone: 0121 678 8827