This initiative aims to engage diverse voices and perspectives to shape health improvement projects.

What we did

We conducted a discovery workshop to gather insights on community hopes, concerns and the key ingredients for successful engagement. We explored themes that resonated with local communities and identified how to create effective communication materials.

“There was a researcher... I asked him when I first came what am I here for? He said, ‘you are here to tell us what it is like outside.’”

Key insights

• Concerns: Researchers told us that many people were intimidated by the science and sceptical about public involvement initiatives.
• Our key audience: Community members from various backgrounds, particularly those from marginalised groups, plus local clinicians and organisation leaders.
• Key ingredients for success: Effective communication is jargon-free, inclusive and honest. Building long-term relationships with the community and identifying local champions were highlighted as critical factors.

Themes for communication

To encourage participation we used real stories and quotes from the community to demystify research. We tailored messages for different demographic groups, making the messages accessible and clear, aimed to make sure that the community feels heard and valued and offered useful rewards for taking part.

Design outputs

We created templates for social media posts, web thumbnails, flyers, adverts and e-newsletters which will be used by the research teams across QMUL to connect with different audiences across East London.

If you’re interested in collaborating on health research that prioritises community voices, please get in touch.