Blackpool Researching Together community blog

I’ve secured an internship with the Applied Research Collaboration North West (ARC NW) in knowledge mobilisation. In simple terms, that means focusing on how we take the knowledge and evidence we already have and make sure it’s put into practice more effectively across the health sector, in a way that’s sustainable, practical and well-supported.

As part of this role, I’ll be developing an intervention, training programme or service designed to help reduce existing inequalities. I’ve chosen to focus on transgender healthcare access, an area closely aligned with both my academic background and personal interests. The aim is to help improve local provision and support for people who want to access gender affirming care.

While there are well-recognised challenges - including wider national policy barriers - I’m confident there’s still real scope to make a positive difference locally. I’m particularly motivated to contribute to better support for a community that continues to face significant structural barriers in accessing care.

The internship begins in June, and I’m really looking forward to getting started and working in an area I’m so passionate about.

Matt, Senior Co-researcher

I was able to attend an art exhibition at Liverpool’s Open Eye Art Gallery for the Household Support Fund evaluation project I have been working on. This project aims to evaluate how the HSF fund has been used to assist food insecure families with young children in four main areas: Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool and Knowsley.

During this, I was able to explore some of the powerful interpretations of our Liverpool dataset by local artist Jane MacNeil. Her work included photographing community support services such as food banks, faith groups and charities, capturing both the sense of hope these spaces provide and the underlying fragility of people’s lived experiences during challenging times.

I’m excited to see what our Blackpool creative will be able to achieve and do in the coming future to represent our communities in this work. Hopefully I will be able to go visit the work in Knowsely and look forward to Manchester’s work also.

Matt, Senior Co-researcher

As part of Big Evidence Fortnight, I supported an academic researcher in delivering a presentation on a project we are both currently involved in. The project explores the drivers contributing to the high levels of long-term residential care placements in Blackpool.

I was asked to present on some of the emerging qualitative findings, drawn from interviews I carried out with staff from Adult Social Care. I reflected on how my nearly 30 years of lived experience in this field helped me build rapport with participants and shape the direction of questioning, allowing for deeper insights and strengthening the quality of the evidence gathered.

Although I would usually feel quite nervous speaking in front of a group, I felt much more confident on this occasion. Having a strong understanding of the topic meant I felt comfortable responding to questions.I received really positive feedback from both colleagues and other attendees, which has helped to build my confidence for future presentations.

Sandra, co-researcher

I was recently asked to present at two workshops during Big Evidence Fortnight, showcasing our work as part of Blackpool HDRC. It felt like a real milestone for me -having started as a co-researcher 2.5 years ago feeling unsure, I was now confidently speaking in front of around 30 people!

At my first workshop, “Blackpool’s Research Ready Community Pilot,” I shared my experience as a parent navigating children’s mental health support, and how this helped me connect with others during interviews and strengthen our research.

My second workshop focused on creative community engagement, where I spoke about two projects with Healthwatch:

A menopause project, where we gathered women’s experiences and helped highlight the need for better workplace support.
A care homes project exploring how extreme weather affects residents, using creative methods to help people share their views.
These experiences gave me the chance to truly connect with local communities and contribute to meaningful change. I really enjoyed speaking -far more than I expected - and it’s given me the confidence to do it again in the future.

Sharon, Co-researcher

I was invited to attend the HDRC Seed Funding Panel, where applications for up to £20,000 of research funding for local projects are reviewed. As part of this, I carefully assessed nine applications, each with detailed supporting information. This involved reading through them multiple times to fully understand each proposal, ensuring they met the criteria, and scoring them accordingly.

I regarded being chosen to attend the panel as a privilege. It was very time consuming, but I was happy to invest the time as I could see how much effort had been put into the applications and I wanted to be as fair and accurate as I could be with my scoring.It was also important to me to be well prepared so that I could contribute at the panel meeting, which I did. Even though most of the panel members had more Seed Funding knowledge and experience than me, I felt I was listened to.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, it was interesting and incredibly rewarding, I learnt a lot and I would certainly consider doing it again.

Sandra, co-researcher

I attended the Applied Research Collaboration North West (ARC NW) ARC Fest event at Blackpool Football Club. This event was part of the official launch of the ARC 2 themes which include Women’s Health, Evidence4Impact, Analogue2Digital, Long Term Health Conditions and more. During this conference I was able to co-present alongside the Research Lead on the Streetlife project, Blue. Here we discussed the impacts of Blackpool Researching Together’s Seed Funding and the ongoing research project work with the incredible young people at Streetlife. This led to some insightful conversations on the value of living experiences in research.

It was interesting to hear about the developments within the themes for ARC and how these will impact the lives of people within some of the most challenging areas of the country. I will look forward to keeping updated on all of these as they continue to progress over the coming months.

Matt, Senior Co-researcher

I attended the wonderful Coastal Communities Creative Health Making Waves event where some interesting developments within the project have started to take shape. The session was hosted at the incredible House of Wingz where we had a fun creative space to engage critically with the CCCH’s development. Some of this included an early test version of a new interactive dashboard, where we were able to share feedback on improvements, as well as a dance session led by young people from House of Wingz and poetry from Nathan Parker. There were also a range of workshop sessions, creating space to explore key issues within the creative health sector.

Overall, the event was a good progression step for the project and I look forward to seeing further developments of this work and the impacts it will have in the community.

Matt, Senior Co-researcher

“I attended the masculinity, men's health, and end-of-life care symposium at Lancaster University this month. It was an opportunity to learn from researchers about their current findings regarding men's healthcare experiences and the factors that influence them. Alongside the presentations, the event included several networking and discussion sessions to share our thoughts on the findings, discuss what healthcare services do well, potential improvements, and what areas are yet to be discovered and researched.

“I found this symposium very useful, as it allowed me to explore new topics. Some of the issues we explored remain invisible at different levels, even going unnoticed by those directly affected and by their healthcare practices. We discussed the lack of research to identify inequity and developed approaches to address it. It was a valuable opportunity to come together, share our knowledge, and discuss what has been overlooked and areas to explore."

Vlad, Community co-researcher

"As part of International Women’s Day celebrations, I had the opportunity to deliver a workshop at Blackpool Sixth Form College focusing on ‘Women in Research’. It was a great chance to engage with young people and raise awareness of a topic many had never considered before.

"Working alongside another co‑researcher and an academic colleague, we designed a short session exploring:

• The underrepresentation of women in STEM research
• How women’s voices and experiences can be overlooked in studies
• The challenges surrounding research into women’s health
• The value of lived experience in shaping meaningful research

"I then spoke about my journey to becoming a co-researcher and the importance of lived experience within research.

"We delivered the 20‑minute workshop seven times throughout the day to groups of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils from local schools. Many students initially struggled to define what “research” meant, which made the conversations even more valuable. Their teachers were equally engaged - one showed particular interest in our Menopause Matters project.

"Although the day was busy, it was incredibly rewarding. It was inspiring to see young people begin to realise that research is for everyone. I feel proud of the impact we made and excited for future opportunities to champion research within our community."

Sharon, Co-researcher

"I got the opportunity to take part in an adult ADHD workshop, to look at possible changes to relevant services in Lancashire and South Cumbria. The purpose of the workshop was to look into how the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board are providing services for adults who think they may have ADHD. The event was hosted on teams and run by Chantelle from the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board.

"I got to hear the views of others on how systems run and could be improved. Such as the diagnosis process, with a repeated theme on the struggles women face, as their symptoms may present differently than men. I found these discussions to be important, as myself and other participants were given the space to speak freely, whilst feeling heard and understood. At first, it felt a little daunting to speak about all my experiences, however the facilitators ensured it was a calm and welcoming space.

"My favourite part were the breakout rooms, as the groups were smaller, and the facilitators were super friendly, which made it easier to talk more openly. We were asked a variety of questions and discussed the diagnostic process and the need for preventative care."

Keira, co-researcher

"Today I had the opportunity to visit Lancaster University campus of Health Innovation for the Health Inequalities Research Capacity and Capability Program celebration event.

"I had the pleasure of meeting a number of dedicated and inspiring individuals who are truly passionate about research. The event was an opportunity to celebrate our colleagues and recognise the amazing work they have achieved. The day was well structured, allowing time for networking, ice-breaker activities, and insightful presentations showcasing the projects people have been working on.

"I found each speech to be informative and motivating. Listening to my peers instilled me with confidence and inspiration to continue developing my own public speaking skills. It is encouraging to see the impressive work being carried out by the people I am grateful to learn from and work alongside.

"One of my key learnings from the day was that research extends far beyond desk-based work. I realised that effective research involves understanding what truly matters, engaging with individuals who have real-life experience, and learning from those working in the field. Whether through face-to-face interaction or shadowing colleagues, I gained a deeper appreciation for how hands-on and collaborative research can be."

Caitlain, co-researcher

“I attended workshop 4 of the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy (HIRCC) programme at Lancaster University this month. The theme was ‘Research Methods - how to involve the public and co-production’. The idea of co-production works well for our topic area in that those living with COPD can share decision making with researchers and organisations to discuss what works best for them regarding health information for self-management, ensuring everyone has a ‘say’ is mutually respected and given the opportunity to be actively involved.

"We also discussed how to ‘apply an equity lens in research’. I found it tricky at first to understand the different terms such as ‘equity’ and ‘equality’ but the training session gave examples to illustrate the differences. We then had a lovely relaxing afternoon where the company ‘Made by Mortals’ came to engage with us through music and how this genre could be used in our own research.

"For our research project we are at the stage of deciding what dissemination would look like in terms of our ‘audience’ who we're trying to reach out to and how. For us in order to make a real change and transform people’s lives living with COPD we need to be thinking about how organisations are using health information to inform practice. I can’t believe in two months’ time we will be presenting our final research topic at the Celebration Event back at Lancaster University, the time has flown by!

"The session was really insightful and reminded me that research should help with change – not just research for research’s sake! In an ideal world we should try to follow the process of co-production in all research.”

Sharon, Community co-researcher

"I recently attended a Trauma Informed Bereavement in Services workshop organised by Frontline Network Services. Although we are not directly involved in front line working in this area, losing someone through a traumatic event can impact on mental health, which is one of our priority research areas, so it was an important session for us to be part of.

"David Gill of Risk & Resilience delivered an excellent presentation exploring individual and organisational responses to bereavement, which was both interesting and informative. The other attendees, who were from a diverse range of front-line services, shared their experiences of how they had been affected by the death of someone they had worked closely with and what support they had been given by their line managers and organisations to process and deal with this. This support varied widely between individuals and organisations, and we discussed how policies varied and were often outdated and inflexible in respect of staff being given time off for a bereavement.

"Overall, I found the workshop to be a valuable learning experience and I fully intend to put what I have learned into practice. It has enhanced my knowledge so that I am better informed, it has also increased my confidence as I feel better equipped to deal with situations and conversations that I might previously have felt uncomfortable with".

Sandra, Community co-researcher

"I am currently involved in a project involving Healthwatch Blackpool, Blackpool Council and the University of Hull looking at the effects of extreme weather on care home residents, staff and services, and how they are planning, and adapting to the changes. I enjoy interacting with the local community and I was particularly interested in this project as in my previous role as a social worker I visited care homes and residents on a regular basis and felt comfortable in this environment.

"The surveys were conducted face-to face in the care homes. After a brief introduction about the project, we engaged the residents in a short ice-breaker activity so that they would feel more comfortable talking to us. We asked them about their care home and the different areas they can access and used flipchart paper to capture the information. Staff were happy to complete the survey using the QR code but some residents were reluctant to do this, even with our help. To ensure their voices were heard we gave them different coloured post it notes and made notes of their answers on accompanying coloured post it notes, we then input the information for them.

"It can be difficult to monitor and evaluate the impact of the projects I am involved in. Value gained cannot always be measured in economic terms as there may be a social value in terms of improved health and wellbeing. Hopefully, the results of this survey will influence policy and practice to enhance the comfort and safety of care home employees and residents in the future".

Sandra, Community co-researcher

"October saw us meeting again at The Solaris Centre in Blackpool for workshop 3 of the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy (HIRCC) programme. Unfortunately, only two of us out of our group were able to attend, which then can make it difficult to agree on ideas collaboratively.

"The session looked at evaluation and research and brought up the question of how we see these two areas within our own research topic. We then discussed about evaluating quality improvement and how this would link to our research question to understand what outcomes can help improve the lives of those living in Blackpool.

"We then had a session on data collecting. Through looking at scholarly articles we've found our research topic to be lacking in a qualitative approach to data collection, which is why we want to find out what ‘experiences’ people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Blackpool have with regards to self-management and health literacy. We then had chance to chat to the academics on the programme to give us advice and guidance for our next steps.

"The programme is flying by, and we realise we need to start gathering our thoughts on how we are going to present our research question in January before the next couple of months creeps up on us. I felt more positive and less anxious about the programme after this workshop and finally feel I’m getting to grips with the 'what, why and where' of our research topic".

Sharon, Community co-researcher

"I was lucky enough to go to Liverpool for the Household Support Fund (HSF) evaluation launch workshop. The project is being evaluated in four areas; Blackpool, Knowsley, Manchester and Liverpool, relating to food insecurity and families with young children. An important piece of work to showcase HSF’s need and continued funding for helping the most vulnerable people in our community.

"The launch event was a wonderful opportunity to meet research partners and local organisations across all four areas in person for the first time. There were people from various sectors and areas at the event, including council staff, food banks, universities and more. For me, working in a collaborative of this nature offers different types of knowledge which is really valuable in a project like this. It also offered some interesting conversations around how HSF has been used across the different areas.

"During this workshop we created systems maps, to understand the interconnected nature of the issue, and a creative output of relationships with food. I am looking forward to the continued progress of the project and cannot wait to learn more about its contexts for Blackpool to best help our local communities".

Find out more about the Household Support Fund evaluation

Matt, Community co-researcher

"This month we attended the Let's Talk About Suicide conference in Blackpool, which was helping to raise awareness of suicide and provided information on the things that can be put in place for prevention. There was a wide variety of organisations at the event, ranging from mental health support charities to bereavement for those who have lost someone.

"The event provided an opportunity to listen to stories told by speakers with lived experience. The room had a strong sense of empathy as people shared their own personal backgrounds regarding mental health. The day was incredibly valuable as it opened the door for people to speak in a space with no judgement and solidify the idea that mental health shouldn't be a taboo topic, which can lead to people not reaching out for help. The organisers really wanted to break that stereotype down and spoke very passionately about how it needs to change.

"Mental health is one of our four priority areas so attending the event was a good learning opportunity. We were also able to speak with other organisations who are in a similar sector, to better build connections and learn more about the help that's available in the town so we're better informed to signpost the community".

Keira, Community co-researcher

"Cy and I got to attend the Inclusion Conference for SEND hosted by Blackpool Council, alongside our colleagues in the Blackpool co-production team. The conference touched on all elements of SEND related services in education settings.

"Whilst there we got to hear some of the wonderful actions being undertaken by local schools to assist children and their well-being. We also had the opportunity to speak with different services across the town about the types of research that could be useful to help showcase and fund their work. It was informative to hear all the data around the work being undertaken by Blackpool Council and wider national government schemes.

"My favourite part of conference was hearing the brilliant voices of young people in our town and the difference an inclusive environment made for them. Being inclusive is never tokenistic, but rather real valued change that can help break barriers and encourage us to be the best versions of ourselves".

Matt, Community co-researcher

"I was able to attend an inspiring session discussing the real harm being done to our young people around ketamine. This workshop session included voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations (VCFSE), community members with lived experience and researchers looking at different aspects of use, why people use and the ways we can help address this public health issue.

"The most important part was hearing from our lived experience community members who understand more than anyone else the things that can actually help those going through this. We participated in valuable mapping sessions on prevention, people’s individual lived experiences and community organisations connections. All of these showcased the interconnected relationships we must build to have a better response and understanding of those going through ketamine use.

"For myself, the most valuable part was being able to challenge the status quo alongside community members, whose experiences showcase change needs to come through co-designing services and building these relationships".

Matt, Community co-researcher

"This was our second year attending the Blackpool and The Fylde College freshers fair. It was a great opportunity to interact with new students and other organisations from across the town.

"To make the most of the event the team split into two groups, one stayed at our stall to meet students and inform them of the work we are doing. We got to meet students on a wide variety of courses and see where our four priority areas aligned with their interests/needs.

"The other group explored the event further, getting the chance to network with the other organisations in attendance and hear about the work they're involved in. This also gave us the opportunity to hand out QR cards for signing up to our e-newsletter. The event was really valuable and we got to have some good conversations with residents and local organisations".

Sign up to receive our e-newsletter

Keira, Community co-researcher

"September saw us meeting up again for the second workshop of the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy (HIRCC) programme. I can’t believe how time has flown since our first get together in early June when we formed our research groups and gathered ideas of what research we wanted to look at in Blackpool.

"Our chosen research area is health literacy. We used the session to discuss how to make the world of research more accessible to the people of Blackpool, how to access research network and funding, and how to critically appraise the research we've already collected. We also gained an understanding of evidence informed decision making and how an intertwining of own expertise, research evidence and the accounts of the client and the situation can all be pulled together to improve care outcomes.

"The last part of the day saw each group do a mini presentation on their chosen research area. I was a little nervous as it still feels so early in the programme to be sure which direction we want our research to go. I shared my personal experience of seeing patients readmitted to wards with worsening conditions which, through our research, may link with the type of health literacy given to patients and whether it is fully understand in terms of self-management of conditions.

"We had some great feedback which will help us improve our final research question. I’m really enjoying the programme and feel part of a lovely group, looking forward to our next workshop".

Sharon, Community co-researcher

"This September, my colleagues and I had the opportunity to attend Blackpool Council’s Active into Autumn networking event at the Salvation Army.

"The event brought together colleagues from a wide range of organisations across Blackpool, all working towards improving life experiences in our town. It was a great chance to connect and have discussions on what has been achieved so far, and the areas of improvements.

"I believe this was a very useful opportunity for all of us to gain a clearer understanding of the incredible work different people and services in Blackpool do right now. I came away feeling more connected, and confident about how we can collaborate to reach our common goals more effectively".

Vlad, Community co-researcher

"Over the past few weeks Matt and I have been running sessions with The Streetlife Trust, a lottery funded charity who help vulnerable people aged 16-25 years old with multiple complex needs. We've held four sessions, once per week, to engage with some of the young people there. The sessions have involved discussing different parts of research to design a research question.

"When we began the first session, we covered what they wanted to research, what was interesting to those in attendance and what we wanted to focus on broadly. In the second session, we began expanding on those and discussing all the elements involved in each idea. In the third session, we then reduced it to a specific point that focused on an intersection of three of our priority themes. In the fourth session we then discussed what future sessions will be.

"The sessions were wonderful and showed the great depth of lived experience and knowledge the young people have for their community and the issues they face. Now, we are at a point in developing a funding bid to secure money to develop a research proposal. To the young people involved, we want to thank each one of you for the continued dedication, generosity, and value that you brought to this work and will continue to do so".

Emily, Community co-researcher

"For the past 12 months I have been involved in Research Ready Communities, a project researching people’s experiences of Parental Health Literacy with regards to supporting mental health. I recently attended the final session titled ‘Looking back, moving forward’, which was a great way to reflect on our personal journeys, how we have developed skills along the way to utilise on future projects and looking ahead.

"I initially applied to be a co-researcher on the project due to personal experience of being ‘left in the dark’ when trying to decipher ways to help someone with a mental health condition. I’m proud of how well I integrated within an already established team and my involvement within the project. A moment that mattered was when I had to ‘think and act’ quickly in order for an interview to go ahead rather than rescheduling, after the participant had made the effort to attend. The project also highlighted for me the minefield of ethics that goes hand-in-hand with research.

"It was quite sad knowing my involvement on the project had come to an end, but the knowledge, skills and confidence gained will be so beneficial for the future".

Sharon, Community co-researcher

"Over the past few weeks, I have been involved in the ongoing planning and implementation of the Coastal Communities Creative Health projects art sessions with local community members with lived experience. I had the opportunity to be involved in the substance use and bereavement workshops, whilst working collaboratively with numerous educational institutions and community members.

"What I found really impactful was the growing connections we made between ourselves as the groups progressed. Working with local artists Jayne Simpson and Henry Iddon was a wonderful time to experience the emotional capacity of artistic expression, as well as how we can utilise art as a way to cope and increase awareness, acceptance and connection with those with similar experiences.

"I really cherished the time we had together and the wonderful creative outputs we had in such a short time. Cannot wait to see the exhibition space, and please when it is open, come by and visit to see the great work created!"

Find out more about Coastal Communities Creative Health

Matt, Community co-researcher

"Last month we ran sessions at Moor Park Library around our four priority areas: conception to age 2, education, employment and skills, housing, and mental health. We focused on one area per session and invited local people to discuss what issues they’re having and what solutions could help. As well the impact research can have in terms of making those solutions happen.

"We spoke to a generous amount of people interested in our ongoing work about the impacts we’ve had so far and how we can further our community development. We had wonderful contributions raised around housing quality, navigating the benefits system and issues around community support.

"From these conversations we’ve pulled out some research themes and topics we can develop further into questions to create more research in our communities, as well as pass onto our connections in Blackpool Council to ensure resident voices are heard. For myself, the loveliest thing was meeting all our young creatives who coloured in some beautiful drawings which we will be displaying on our office walls".

Matt, Community co-researcher

"This year I've signed up to be part of the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy (HIRCC) programme. The first workshop took place this month at Lancaster University. It was great to meet everyone else on the programme, especially my project team.

"The day consisted of re-caps of the purpose of the programme and the chance to talk in our teams and thrash out ideas moving forward. Academic advisors were on-hand to assist with steering us in the right direction and encouraging us to think about narrowing down our search criteria. We have decided on a project looking at healthy outcomes for patients self-managing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) but have poor health literacy themselves. Although I feel we’re still a long way from finalising our research question, I think we're off to a good start.

"Members of staff from Lancaster University library gave a talk about how to do literature searches and the best way to access these from sites relevant to our research. We then had a go picking out literature reviews and will be sifting through their content before we next meet. The day was very productive and I feel more confident about the future and my capabilities".

Sharon, Community co-researcher

"In my role as a co-researcher I regularly have to speak to people about my role or the projects I'm involved in. This could be to a small group or in front of a larger audience and I am naturally a shy, quietly spoken person so I find this quite daunting. When an opportunity came up recently to attend a two-day training course on Public Speaking, I put my name forward.

"The training was excellent and was relevant to my role. I was pushed way out of my comfort zone but we were given useful tips to improve our skills and confidence, such as using humour and anecdotes to emphasise a point and keep our audience interested. I learnt the importance of 'starting with a bang' to engage the audience from the beginning and 'ending strong' by giving them something to take away that they will remember.

"By the end of the session I felt much more confident when speaking in front of the group. I am sure that I will still be nervous when public speaking, but I intend to put what I learnt into practice and speak with increased confidence and clarity at any events I am presenting at in the future".

Sandra, Community co-researcher

HDRC collaboration annual event, Leeds - June 2025

"On Thursday 26 June, I attended the NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) annual event at the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds. It was a great opportunity to hear from other HDRC's across the country and key speakers such as Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, and Professor Brian Ferguson, Outgoing NIHR Public Health Research Programme Director, who we previously welcomed to Blackpool in April.

"Some key discussion points raised which I found interesting were:

• The tension between gaining a range of diverse perspectives from different sources of knowledge vs presenting a clear message for policy/decision makers
• The continual push to make research feel relevant and worthwhile for community members
• The logistical problems for integrating community involvement into HDRC’s, including questions around is it always needed to outsource to community organisations for co-production?

"I attended workshop 2 ‘Community research: incorporating community inclusive approaches into the HDRC - Moving from policy to practice’. It was great to hear that other HDRC’s have a shared view on co-production to us in Blackpool and learn more about the history of co-production. There were 2 rooms for poster presentations and one comment which stood out on Ealing HDRC’s Poster presentation was ‘We are “data rich but insight poor” from a focus group participant. It spoke to not sharing data or utilising it to its full potential. This is something that we are and should always be considering in Blackpool. It was a great opportunity to practice networking and learn from others and I look forward to other HDRC conferences and events in the future".

Lauren, Community co-researcher

Parliamentary Roundtable - June 2025

"This month I had the opportunity to attend a parliamentary roundtable discussion about the impact of age assessments on children seeking sanctuary and asylum in the UK. Hosted by the charity Barnardo's, the event was held during Refugee Week and involved various stakeholders. Attendees included officials such as Baroness Lister of Burtersett CBE and David Bolt, the Chief Inspector for Borders and Immigration, as well as Barnardo's volunteers, Independent Child Trafficking Guardians and other community members. Young people who had experienced age assessment had also recorded interviews which were played at the event.

"I found the event highly influential. I moved to the UK a few years ago, and despite having experience of being displaced I did not have to go through this process so was unaware of its existence prior to this event. However, the age assessment process affects thousands of children annually, due to incorrect results and the process itself. This problem has existed for years and requires policy interventions and further support from the government and volunteers. Nevertheless, I'm glad that events like this exist, where community members can communicate directly with politicians and other officials, to share their points of view and suggestions".

Vlad, Community co-researcher

Research capacity and capability programme, opening workshop - June 2025

"This year I've signed up to be part of the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy programme (HIRCC), which started this month. The programme supports voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE), public health and local authority professionals in developing their capacity and capability to use and deliver health inequalities research in their roles. This will be achieved by creating their own research project in groups.

"At our opening workshop we had the opportunity to meet the other members of our cohort, discuss the research topics and their relevance, and split into groups according to our chosen research topic. From now on, we will have six more workshops and additional group meetings. Until January, we will develop our overall research capacity, and learn how to prepare a research project, and hopefully get the opportunity to submit our project through the Blackpool Researching Together seed fund scheme.

"I am excited to be involved in this project as it is my first opportunity to conduct research on the ground and deepen my knowledge of health inequalities, particularly in my region. This is an awesome collaboration of individuals who are passionate about learning about health inequalities and how to tackle them, working alongside supportive mentors and academics”.

Vlad, Community co-researchers

Blackpool Design Code workshop - June 2025

"I recently had the opportunity to take part in a Design Code workshop with a number of consultancy agencies to discuss an organisational approach to the way Blackpool looks and feels for residents. A design code is a set of principles that guide design elements of a particular area. This could include the way streets are designed, what practical uses there are, and what is more important to residents, such as the value of green spaces, parking and more.

"During this session we had some really interesting questions arise around what communities need and what they believe to be the most important aspect when designing community spaces. My previous work with Involve and the Blackpool Community Conversation was vital in representing a number of Blackpool residents' concerns and wants from a design code. This included the importance of keeping Blackpool’s art deco cultural and historic significance, the creation of accessible green spaces and practical environmental strategies.

"The session was really interesting and I felt like our community voices were heard and will assist the outcome of the design code. I hope that continued correspondence and our involvement will ensure community values and views are kept at the heart of this design code, to not only represent Blackpool residents but also the spirit of Blackpool as a town".

Matt, Community co-researcher

Pan-Lancashire Regional Hoarding Conference - May 2025

"In support of Hoarding Awareness Week, this month we attended the Pan-Lancashire Regional Hoarding Conference in Accrington. The day was a learning event for peer support groups and psychosocial interventions to combat the stigma associated with hoarding.

"There were lots of different professionals there and it was good to hear everyone's perspectives and have some open conversations. We were also joined by people with lived experience of hoarding and it was really insightful to hear first-hand the impact this has had on their lives.

"The overall take from the day was to 'see the person not the hoard'. By understanding and removing stigma we could potentially improve outcomes for both council officers and community members. This could also be applied to our other areas of research.

"It was great to see the outcomes of multi-agency collaboration to change the approach taken to people who hoard. Hopefully we can help apply this knowledge to future housing projects in Blackpool".

Emily, Community co-researcher

Exercise referral scheme review - May 2025

"I have been part of the team working on the exercise referral scheme review. We previously facilitated two co-designed workshops with participants of the scheme to identify barriers that prevented people accessing or completing the programme and to collaborate with community members involved in the scheme to improve the current model.

"We recently held a session with participants and staff to feedback the learnings from the previous workshops. We split into groups and my role as a facilitator for my group was to ensure everyone had the opportunity to speak, stay focussed on the topic and keep to time. All attendees engaged well and had plenty to say. I particularly liked the exercise where we all wore a “thinking cap” which could be either a positive or negative cap, the wearer had to think of specific positive and negative points rather than just making general comments.

"The suggestions and comments made in the previous workshops were captured in the analysis which was fed back to the attendees. It was pleasing for the participants and staff to see that some of their suggestions made in the previous workshops had already been implemented, with others put forward for further consideration.

"I felt the overall aims of the project were met and this event was a good example of what can be achieved through collaborative working. I was privileged to be a part of it".

Sandra, Community co-researcher

Research capacity and capability programme celebration event - April 2025

"Some of the Blackpool Researching Together team had the pleasure of heading over to Lancaster University to attend the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy programme (HIRCC) celebration event for 2025!

"This event celebrated the hard work put in by groups made up of participants from numerous organisations including voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE), local authority and Lancaster University. The idea being that in these groups you can create your own research project and questions from the ground up and create real collaboration with lots of different experiences, understanding and professional expertise. The end goal would hopefully be for the project bid to go forward and secure funding either through Blackpool Researching Together seed fund scheme or other funding calls.

"It was a wonderful event showcasing the projects they had designed as well as tackling some really pertinent issues that Blackpool is facing. It will be interesting to see the next steps. We then had discussions about each project and the fundamental ideas from each, some barriers that may occur, or if we had any conflicting ideas on certain aspects of the projects design. It showcased the real impact it can have on individuals and the wider professional community that is super important for collaborative research.

"Overall it was a incredible experience to see such valuable work being done, and what the future holds for this training opportunity".

Find out more about Blackpool Researching Together training opportunities

Matt, Community co-researcher

Protect Trans community event - April 2025

"I recently attended a peaceful demonstration in the heart of Blackpool in support of our transgender and LGBTQ+ community members. Not only was I there in a personal capacity, but to remind the community that Blackpool Researching Together is an inclusive and safe space for everyone.

"The LGBTQ+ community are more likely to suffer from health inequalities. It is necessary to support everyone to be able to receive the healthcare they need, and the systemic changes that need to occur within healthcare systems to support that are numerous. The demonstration showcased the power of transgender voices in our community and that they are brave enough to stand for what is right.

"The most wonderful part of this demonstration was hearing everyone’s experiences in the healthcare field and the amount of difficulty they had is monumental. I gave a speech reminding community members of the historical context we live in and that transgender people have existed and are documented for thousands of years. Blackpool Researching Together support our LGBTQ+ community members when dealing with health inequalities and the wider determinants of health".

Anyone seeking support can find help at Lancashire LGBT and Renaissance.

Matt, Community co-researcher

Training opportunities - April 2025

"I have recently joined the Blackpool Researching Together team as a community co-researcher, through my new role at Boingboing Foundation as a co-production coordinator.

"Over the past few months I have been building my capacity to do research through the health inequalities research capacity and capabiliy programme. The programme is co-delivered by Blackpool Researching Together, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals and NHS NW Research Development Unit, working alongside Lancaster University academics. As part of the programme we are constructing a research proposal which focuses on co-productive methods in children’s social care system design, enabling me to develop my skills in literature reviews, developing a question and presenting a proposal.

"I also recently attended the 'Introduction to research' training sessions run by Blackpool Research Together, which was an introduction to different parts of the research process. The ability to practice skills such as thematic analysis and see the tools you would use to do this was really helpful and through the training my confidence in my research skills has grown.

"I will be continuing to develop my skills as part of an internship I am doing with the NIHR where i will be completing my own small scale research project. I would not be as comfortable going into this internship if I had not done these training programmes".

Find out more about Blackpool Researching Together training opportunities

Lauren, Community co-researcher

NIHR visit to Blackpool - April 2025

"I was excited but a little nervous about the visit from Professor Brian Ferguson, Director of the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) Programme), to Blackpool. I’m not used to meeting people from ‘high places’ but he made us feel at ease from the start and gave the impression he was really interested in what we do. The set up on the day was like a ‘market place’ where Professor Ferguson listened to groups on three individual tables and their involvement in Blackpool Researching Together. There were talks on the co-production teams journey map for those affected by Born into Care, why communications is an important factor, involvement of projects such as Cosy Homes in Lancashire (CHiL) and how teams are capacity building.

"My role on the day was to give my feedback on the Introduction to Research training I had attended recently and how it had given me confidence to apply for the health inequalities research capacity and capability programme starting in May. He was happy that as co-researchers we are expanding our knowledge base to improve our work. My table showcased what research the first cohort team on the programme had highlighted as an issue surrounding anxiety in woman asylum seekers living in Blackpool, followed by a discussion with him whether this topic could become a full scale research project.

"Later in the day we heard from some of the other co-researchers about how proud we are living in Blackpool but that unfortunately we have higher rates of health inequality than in other parts of the country particularly in areas such as homelessness, life expectancy, poverty and children born into care. Through research and funding, we could help address these health inequalities.

"I felt honoured that Professor Ferguson had taken the time to visit Blackpool and listen to the Blackpool Researching Together team. It felt like a positive step, boosting morale and driving us forward to make a difference for the people of Blackpool".

Read more about the NIHR visit to Blackpool

Sharon, Community co-researcher

Introduction to research training - April 2025

"Last month the co-researchers and our wider collaborators participated in research training led by our fantastic research fellow, Amelia.

"Over the weeks we learned about all sorts of different aspects of research that can help us understand how we can push forward community led research. All of these aspects can help us develop projects that the community want to see and do research from the ground up. The training topics included ethics, different forms of data and how to utilise them, and different ways to analyse these.

"It was really great discussing all the different roles that researchers take on during the creation, doing and finalising of a project. It was also important to find out what different co-researchers were interested in, so they get the opportunity to push their interests and passions in research and the community gets the best experience with our projects.

"For me, the most important and wonderful aspect of these sessions was to see how we all worked together to get the best outcomes for all".

Matt, Community co-researcher

International Womens Day event - March 2025

"This month a group of our co-researchers went to Blackpool Sixth Form College to celebrate the very important International Women’s Day. Co-researchers Emily, Vlad and myself went along to talk to students about our four priority areas and where they think research is missing for local women, young people and students.

"We had some really wonderful suggestions and ideas from the students and found out some really interesting concerns from our community. We discovered the main two areas of concern for them were mental health and education, employment and skills. We got some incredible feedback on the types of research that we could do in these areas and hope to develop these further.

"The value that the opinions of young people can bring to the world of research not only showcases the gaps we have in our knowledge, but also the awareness of the concerns our communities have. Even to the point that young people notice things that adults may not.

"It's always a pleasure to speak to such passionate and inspiring individuals! I know the team cannot wait to go back to talk about more research possibilities".

Matt, Community co-researcher

Streetlife Research Champions - February 2025

"Myself and Emily were invited to some sessions run by the NHS, training young service users at Streetlife around research to become NHS research champions. Streetlife is a youth work charity providing emergency shelter and support to vulnerable and homeless young people aged 16-25 in Blackpool.

"Both of us had a wonderful time engaging and participating with such intelligent, passionate, powerfully motivated and talented young people who care immensely about their communities and utilising their expertise and experience to push for better outcomes in Blackpool. Over the course of the three weeks they developed some great ideas for what research they want to see done for our town. We also created some great relationships with the young people and saw such passion for research and the possibilities it could have to impact them and their communities.

"These sessions, and the harnessing of that passion, led the young people to start developing their own application for the Blackpool Reseaarching Together seed fund scheme with the help of the NHS and Streetlife to push their most concerned topic forward! We enjoyed every visit and hope to continue assisting and working with Streetlife in the world of research.

"Myself and Emily are wishing them good luck in achieving the funding for such an important topic for our town and community!"

Find out more about Streetlife

Matt, Community co-researcher

Reflection on my co-researcher journey - February 2025

"Being part of the Blackpool Researching Together team for almost two years has been a fantastic opportunity and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a community co-researcher. Before this I was a stay-at-home parent who lacked any confidence or self-belief. Being part of the team has opened an entire new world, not only for me but for my family as well. I received an initial six-week training program and then further training on research methods. As it was all alien to me I felt eager to learn more and being part of a team with so much expertise was a real advantage for me. My passion is supporting disadvantaged communities such as the one I reside in, where my children live and go to school. I want to create an environment where all children can feel safe and create better community spirit.

"I decided to go to college and complete my Level 3 Social Care/Pastoral Services qualification followed by functional skills Math’s and English qualifications, and now I'm approaching the end of my first year of university. I then had the confidence to start and facilitate a community group within Claremont called Chat and Play. The co-researcher position has provided me with confidence and knowledge on health inequalities and I felt I had enough knowledge to bridge a small gap. I have now been successful in gaining a new role with Healthwatch as a community engagement officer within Claremont ward. I felt after working with the group for almost twelve months I had built up some amazing connections, but more to the point I felt there is vital work that needs to be undertaken by someone who understands the diverse community.

"The Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) program is vital in collating vital health research in our communities; and I do believe it has already changed many lives within Claremont alone. The knowledge gained from HDRC has triggered a ripple effect, I am proud to say we have volunteers at Chat and Play, one of which has never undertaken any employment in many years. Our volunteer has gained level 2 in food hygiene and is undertaking work with Better Start.

"The HDRC program really has had a snowball impact and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be part of it".

Siobhan, Community co-researcher

Health Collaboration Café - January 2025

"Myself and fellow co-researcher Sandra were lucky enough to visit one of our partners, Lancaster University, over a couple of weeks for their Health Collaboration Café. The team attended a handful of these sessions that were relevant to the work we do at Blackpool Researching Together and voiced our communities experiences and concerns.

"These sessions covered interesting topics such as engaging with our community on a personal level where we allow them to make decisions that effect them, embedding research within communities and the importance of veterans health. All these conversations stirred wonderful debates and new pathways to help our communities in these areas.

"I thoroughly enjoyed meeting people from as far off as Kenya who’ve come to the university to learn more about how different organisations and collaboratives are helping improve health inequalities for our communities".

Matt, Community co-researcher

NIHR Peer Research Community of Practice event - January 2025

"I recently had the opportunity to be involved in a presentation for the peer research event held at Newcastle University and facilitated by Dr Bronia Arnott, NIHR PHIRST Fusion Knowledge Exchange Broker. The event ‘North East and North Cumbria Peer Research Community of Practice’ was a way for us to evaluate our research and reflect on best practices, barriers and enablers experienced by PHIRST and the Cosy Homes in Lancashire (CHiL) project, and feed these back to attendees.

"My role in the presentation was to pre-record my reflections as a community co-researcher within the CHiL project. This included what activities I had been involved in, what had worked well and any barriers we encountered and what I would change if I had to do the project again. I found the pre-recordings a bit tricky as I didn’t want to look away from the camera but had to refer to my notes so I didn’t forget to say anything.

"Whilst I didn’t attend the event in person, I was able to participate online and listen to the full presentation which included my pre-recorded reflections. There were a few questions from the audience specifically asking for our experience as a co-researcher and I felt I had confidently answered them to the best of my knowledge. I hope to be able to attend the a future conference in person next time".

Sharon, Community co-researcher

Chat & Play community group - January 2025

“Working as a community co-researcher has opened up a host of opportunities. As a mum myself I have an interest in supporting families, so last year I started a Chat & Play group within Claremont ward in Blackpool.

“The group is a safe space for local families of all ages to come together, we provide support alongside a hot meal, toys and arts and crafts. We also hold free clothing events and are very active within the local Claremont community.

“Gaining knowledge on health inequalities allowed me to see gaps in community spaces and provide support in communities that need it most. Developing skills and knowledge from co-research has enabled me to become an active member of the community and create places where our children can play freely and safely”.

Siobhan, Community co-researcher

Annual learning event workshop - December 2024

"Last month I got the opportunity to co-facilitate a Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) workshop at the Blackpool Researching Together year 2 annual learning event alongside Dr Bronia Arnott, NIHR PHIRST Fusion Knowledge Exchange Broker. The event was a way for us to share our learning from the last year and the work we are involved in with the local community, stakeholders and other HDRC teams from across the country.

"I found the experience co-presenting very uplifting and confidence building. I got to know the other co-presenters a lot more through working together to produce the workshop. It was difficult to cover all the areas of REM in the workshop as time was limited and we hadn’t envisaged the participants being so engaged and spending so much time in conversation with each other.

"My favourite part of the workshop was the participants reaction to the session and the positive feedback that was received. This has boosted my self-worth and confidence to help co-facilitate future workshops."

Sharon, Community co-researcher

Exercise referral scheme review - November 2024

“I was recently involved in working with Active Blackpool to improve their exercise referral scheme. I wanted to be involved in this project because I am a keen advocate on the benefits of exercise for physical and mental wellbeing and regularly attend classes at the sports centre. I am also trying to encourage a family member with health issues to consider a referral to the scheme, so I have a personal interest in how it works.

“I acted as a facilitator at two workshops for exercise practitioners and community participants of the scheme. I felt comfortable in my role as I moved around the tables encouraging and supporting the participants to express their views and ensuring that everyone had their say. It was inspiring to see members of the community drawing on their own experiences to make a valid contribution and they voiced that they welcomed the opportunity to be involved and have their say.

“Overall, it was a very positive experience and I felt privileged to be a part of the project. I got to see first-hand the advantages of co-design and it reinforced how important it is to involve those with lived experience in the process to get the best possible outcome”.

Sandra, Community co-researcher

Creative Evaluation workshop - November 2024

"It was great to welcome Violet and Jess from the evaluation team at Lancaster University down to Blackpool to run a workshop about ‘creative evaluation’. It was a really fun session with loads of interactive parts to learn more about different techniques and software we can use to evaluate what we do.

"The most interesting part to me was learning ways we can adapt each technique to suit the different projects we work on. This would enable us to really allow the individual to have a tailored experience, rather than the basic, rigid evaluation types most research projects follow.

"I am hopeful from this session that we can tailor our evaluation methods for our community to ensure they can get their points across, and feel they’re listened to!"

Matt, Community co-researcher

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time engagement - October 2024

"I had the wonderful opportunity to visit some local pharmacies, libraries, GP/medical centres and Blackpool Victoria Hospital as part of the engagement for Right Care, Right Place, Right Time, a project in partnership with Healthwatch Blackpool and the Place Based Partnership. The project is an investigation into knowledge of pre-paid certificates for prescriptions within our communities and within our pharmacy staff. 

"My fellow co-researchers Sarah, Sharon, Sandra and myself visited 60 different places around Blackpool to discuss our survey and the importance of the work we are doing to ensure that people have access to information that can help them and their health care access. Keep an eye out around Blackpool since you may see us at some upcoming engagements in the community for this project.

"If you do see one of our posters around, feel free to fill it out. It is very important and won’t take you more than a couple of minutes to do. We really appreciate the feedback we get for this and want to do our best to address the issues our systems have, and this is an important step within that. We adore the community voices we receive and cannot wait to champion that to cause the change you deserve to see!"

Matt, Community co-researcher

Active into Autumn - October 2024

"I recently got the chance to go to the ‘Active into Autumn’ event, held at the iconic Winter Gardens venue by the Place Based Partnership.

"The event enables local community members to meet with loads of different services in Blackpool and find out about the help and support that is available. I went along with other members of the co-researcher team to promote what we’re doing to help address health inequalities in our town.

"We had lots of interesting and wonderful conversations with different service providers about what gaps in research and knowledge exist that need addressing. Some being glaringly obvious gaps and some were rather unique, but all offered an interesting value for us contemplate and reflect in our project based work.

"I think it was a really fun experience for the team to engage with various types of people, and hope to see some more community people at their next event".

Matt, Community co-researcher

Blackpool and the Fylde College Freshers Fair - September 2024

"We had a stall at the Blackpool and Fylde College Freshers Fair to promote Blackpool Researching Together to the students, informing them who we are and what we do. The response we got was mixed. Some students were quite interested, asking questions and making comments on our suggestion sheet, while others just walked on by.

"Comparing our stall to other stalls we questioned if we had enough literature and freebie giveaways to draw them in and we discussed how we could improve on this for future events. During the event we were able to network with other organisations, which was useful for the mutual sharing of information.

"On reflection I enjoyed the day. It was quite exciting to be back on campus and to see the excitement and enthusiasm of the students. It took me back to the start of my journey as a mature student in the 1980’s, and here I am 40 years later, still enjoying learning new skills and gaining new knowledge".

Sandra, Community co-researcher

NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Annual Symposium 2024, Newcastle - July 2024

“It was great to attend and present at the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Annual Symposium in Newcastle and come together with the other HDRC’s that have now been set up nationally. It was inspiring to see so many dedicated and like-minded people committed to reducing the level of social harm that currently creates increasingly high levels of health inequality in the UK. The event was great and after a morning of public health professionals sharing their years of insight into the health of society the workshops began.

“At our workshop we updated people on what we’d been up to in Blackpool, the small steps we’ve been putting in place in our first year to have the biggest impact. As residents, we unapologetically spoke proudly of how things in our town need to change. We discussed the pioneering efforts we are taking in Blackpool to embed co-production and co-research within our public services, aiming to not just represent the community in our work but directly have community members involved in decision making processes that effect residents. We delivered a great workshop with many in the room really pleased to see the co-production and co-research model leading the way nationally.

“The trip to Newcastle didn’t just feel professional it felt authentic, something we are keen to implement throughout our work in the town, as residents ourselves. There is an opportunity with this work to be and create difference, a difference that we can all agree has been needed for too long but now we have an opportunity to implement resident voice into public services like never before".

Josh, Community co-researcher

Pride crochet class - June 2024

"I recently worked with local art business, Hexagram Designs, to run a crochet class celebrating pride month. The session celebrated pride within our blossoming LGBTQ+ community while helping to advocate for diversity with Blackpool Researching Together co-researchers and local charity workers.

"Members from the Blackpool Researching Together team and local affiliate Empowerment Charity were helped to create different types of pride flags and celebrate their uniqueness in or in support of the LGBTQ+ community. Attendees of the session were also taught how to do single, double and triple crochet so they can create even more from home.

"Sessions like this are vital to connect people within the community while also enabling them to learn a new skill. It’s important we prioritise and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community members, as well as our local artists".

Matt, Community co-researcher

Library engagement sessions - May/June 2024

"Over the past few weeks I have been helping local charity Healthwatch Blackpool engaging with the community to discuss menopause and perimenopause. During this time, I have been engaging with community members in places where they find important information to help their wellbeing, such as libraries and other community spaces.

"On my visits I spoke with community members about all sorts of different health related inequalities and struggles they were facing, also offering help with signposting to services that could offer support. Whilst meeting community members, I brought their concerns around our research projects to the Blackpool Researching Together team to ensure their voices are heard.

"Involvement is key to ensuring change happens and we support this vital message in our work and ongoing research".

Matt, Community co-researcher