More than 100 members of the public enjoyed live music, dancing and delicious food on Saturday 20th June for the Public Involvement Summer Festival at St Martin’s House, Leicester.
The event celebrated crucial and very much needed role public contributors play in shaping health and care research across Leicester and beyond while offering visitors an opportunity to learn more about ongoing research and meet the people behind it.
Throughout the day, attendees explored interactive research stalls hosted by teams from The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) infrastructures across Leicester. Activities included hands-on demonstrations, health and wellbeing activities, health and research-themed games and opportunities to speak directly with researchers about their work.
A popular myth-busting activity helped challenge common misconceptions about commercial research. The festival was also supported by valued community partners, including South Asian Health Action, who joined researchers and public contributors in engaging with local communities.
Jeev Gunasekera, NIHR Public Involvement Manager in Leicester shared: “The event was a wonderful opportunity to thank the people who help shape our research in a relaxed and informal setting. I was delighted to see how engaging and joyful the day was.”
“Visitors discovered how research is improving and the impact of their contributions which have made huge difference across range of health areas, including respiratory disease, infection, diabetes, cardiovascular and public health.
“We also gathered feedback from attendees on their research priorities to ensure future research continues to reflect the needs of the communities we serve.”
The festival featured live performances, family-friendly activities, food from a variety of cultures and a chance to talk to our public involvement team.
A highlight of the day was the dance performance by Dance and Health community group. This community group of public contributors established by NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Leicester in 2017, to bring communities and researchers together through dance, has helped engage people who are traditionally underrepresented in health research.
More info on the group- Dance and Health Project Transforming Community Engagement in Health Research – NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre
Following their performance, the group invited attendees to join them on dance floor, with other public contributors, researchers, staff and visitors all participating in the joyful celebration of the local community, wellbeing and research.
Public involvement is a key part of our research, ensuring research is relevant, inclusive and focused on improving outcomes for patients and communities.
Thank you everyone who attended, volunteered, hosted activities and helped make the event such a success. We look forward to welcoming even more people to future events and continuing to build meaningful partnerships.
The event was jointly organised by NIHR infrastructures in Leicester namely, Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), Commercial Research Delivery Centre (CRDC) and Clinical Research Facility (CRF).