The ARC NWC CoREN (Community Research and Engagement Network) held an event in Preston to provide voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations and the communities with which they work an insight into the key principles of research, the benefit of working with universities and identifying research questions for communities.

Held at the Gujarat Hindu Society Temple, topics such as What is Research? Why research? and details of how to work best with the academic members of the ARC collaboration were all answered in a series of presentations and interactive sessions.

Additional presentations on research conducted in Blackpool by the local Citizens Advice Bureau offered a real insight into the challenges of community research and earning the trust of communities. The role of the VCFSE sector in the new Lancashire and South Cumbria Health and Care Partnership was also featured in a presentation from Lancashire’s Community Futures organisation.

Claire Selby, Stakeholder Research and Engagement Network Manager for ARC NWC, said: “This is a great example of what the CoREN can do in facilitating and enabling the dissemination of existing research, outlining the benefits of working with ARC NWC and bringing together groups aligned with our members who are delivering community services. At the heart of the CoREN is the desire to create conversation and connections and today has been a great example of that.”

Get involved with the CoREN by visiting their webpage here https://arc-nwc.nihr.ac.uk/get-involved/coren/