Early this year we launched REACH (Research Engagement and Community Health) Worcestershire, an exciting new project that aims ‘to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and address health inequalities through cohesive, targeted and research-informed support for communities in Worcestershire’.
A key part of this project focusses on increasing participation in community health research by diverse and seldom heard groups – just one the ways the Alliance is helping to address health inequalities.
We have been speaking with people from diverse Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise organisations across Worcestershire to learn how health and care research is currently perceived. We’ve been listening to suggestions of which communities would most benefit from better involvement in research.
Many thanks to everyone who has taken part so far, your input is invaluable and we hope to keep the conversations going!
These conversations have pointed us towards working more closely with:
- Older people who may be digitally excluded or experiencing social isolation
- People who are refugees from various countries, including Ukraine
- Young people
- People from Gypsy Romany Traveller groups
- People from other marginalised ethnic groups
Next steps – exploring the barriers to participation in research such as: the rural nature of the county, trust in statutory services, confidence with technology and feelings of disempowerment.
We welcome your input to help us understand more about perceptions of health and care research and how more people can be better be involved.
Are you interested in enhancing the voice of people in the above (or other) communities within health and care research? We’d really like to hear from you. Please contact coordinator@worcsalliance.org and tell us!