Ealing Community Involvement in Research Event Report
Author(s)
Type
Report
Abstract
Executive summary
Approach
The Imperial Biomedical Research Centre Patient Experience Research Centre (PERC), in collaboration with Saira Minhas—member of the Ealing Parent Carer
Forum and Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Community Partner— organised this event, where the local community was invited to get involved in research, with a particular focus on involving Ealing Parent Carers.
Ealing Parent Carers are parents and carers of disabled children and young people, up to the age of 25, who live in Ealing. Saira’s established relationships within the
community were instrumental in building trust and encouraging attendance.
The event was similar to a previous public involvement methodology used by PERC, called a People’s Research Cafe, and was co-designed with Saira, who supported
the engagement and design process to adapt it to the needs of the local community. It aimed to inspire parent carers and the local community to get involved in research, ensuring their voices were heard and healthcare research addressed their needs. It also provided a platform for researchers to gather valuable feedback in an informal pop-up café setting, allowing visitors to learn about public involvement and see
examples in action.
Event overview
The project selection criteria focused on topics that were a priority for the community hosting the event. Saira guided the selection process, choosing projects based on these priorities. Additionally, the criteria included projects at any stage of the research cycle, as long as they were still open to being influenced or improved by the community’s feedback. Out of the 13 applications submitted, 9 projects were selected.
The event took place on Thursday, October 10th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the West Acton Community Centre. Nine tables were hosted by at least one researcher and co-hosted by an Imperial BRC Community Partner, to engage visitors in discussions about their projects. The 25 community visitors in attendance rotated between tables every 15 to 30 minutes, allowing them to learn about different
research projects and share their feedback.
Feedback and impact
The feedback from all attendees highlighted the strengths such as the positive atmosphere and organisation. Suggestions for improvement included better acoustics, easier venue access to increase footfall on the day and healthier food options.
Approach
The Imperial Biomedical Research Centre Patient Experience Research Centre (PERC), in collaboration with Saira Minhas—member of the Ealing Parent Carer
Forum and Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Community Partner— organised this event, where the local community was invited to get involved in research, with a particular focus on involving Ealing Parent Carers.
Ealing Parent Carers are parents and carers of disabled children and young people, up to the age of 25, who live in Ealing. Saira’s established relationships within the
community were instrumental in building trust and encouraging attendance.
The event was similar to a previous public involvement methodology used by PERC, called a People’s Research Cafe, and was co-designed with Saira, who supported
the engagement and design process to adapt it to the needs of the local community. It aimed to inspire parent carers and the local community to get involved in research, ensuring their voices were heard and healthcare research addressed their needs. It also provided a platform for researchers to gather valuable feedback in an informal pop-up café setting, allowing visitors to learn about public involvement and see
examples in action.
Event overview
The project selection criteria focused on topics that were a priority for the community hosting the event. Saira guided the selection process, choosing projects based on these priorities. Additionally, the criteria included projects at any stage of the research cycle, as long as they were still open to being influenced or improved by the community’s feedback. Out of the 13 applications submitted, 9 projects were selected.
The event took place on Thursday, October 10th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the West Acton Community Centre. Nine tables were hosted by at least one researcher and co-hosted by an Imperial BRC Community Partner, to engage visitors in discussions about their projects. The 25 community visitors in attendance rotated between tables every 15 to 30 minutes, allowing them to learn about different
research projects and share their feedback.
Feedback and impact
The feedback from all attendees highlighted the strengths such as the positive atmosphere and organisation. Suggestions for improvement included better acoustics, easier venue access to increase footfall on the day and healthier food options.
Date Issued
2025-06-05
Citation
2025, pp.1-22
Publisher
NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre
Start Page
1
End Page
22
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International License
Identifier
https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/laura.alvarado-cruz21
Subjects
community involvement
parent carers
public involvement
research design
Publication Status
Published