Four family picnics, two dance classes, four library events, six mosque visits, four baby classes, three research festivals, four schools and 10 care homes – Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust’s pioneering community research team have racked up the miles in their mission to make research accessible to people outside hospitals.
They are the first community research team to be set up in Greater Manchester and have supported a variety of research programmes, including Surviving Crying, which is supporting struggling parents whose babies cry excessively as well as the Genes and Health study, which is looking at improving the health of people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage.
They have also made it easier for families to take part in research, such as the ELSA type 1 diabetes screening study for children aged 3-13. By linking with local schools and extra-curricular clubs, they have screened 150 children in the NCA area so far. The team even managed to recruit 63 children in a single day through sessions at a school in the morning and brownies/rainbows that evening.
Research Nurse Rumbi Gore explained: “In doing research in the community, we’re able to reach groups that haven’t been involved in research very much and are working to help target inequalities and inequities in access to research and access to healthcare.”
Her colleague Research Nurse Jenny Mather added: “People tend to be surprised that they can actively take part in research in their own homes or at events and meetings at places like mosques, social groups and colleges. It does help to break down some of the barriers to research – it’s much easier especially if they have health problems or have a young baby or need a carer to come to appointments, it’s cheaper and it takes less of their time. “
Since the team formed in 2023, they have recruited nearly 600 research participants and are currently working on the set-up of three further studies. They have also been shortlisted for an NCA Colleague Award under the social value category.