In April 2026, we were delighted to be appointed as Public Contributor Champions for the Social Care Theme within NIHR ARC NWC. The Social Care Theme is made up of three tailored sub themes:
- Dementia and ageing
- Children and working age disabilities
- Palliative & end of life care
Although we are still at the beginning of our journey, the experience has already been rewarding, inspiring, and full of opportunities to learn.
One of our first events as Public Contributor Champions was attending ARCFEST in Blackpool. This was a fantastic opportunity to meet members of the Social Care Theme and learn more about the wide range of research projects and initiatives taking place across the programme. Hearing directly from researchers, practitioners, and public contributors helped us to understand how research is making a difference to people’s lives and how meaningful public involvement strengthens that work.
ARCFEST also gave us the chance to explore the other themes within ARC NWC. It was inspiring to see the breadth of research being undertaken across health and social care and to learn how the different themes complement and support one another. The event highlighted the value of collaboration and the importance of sharing knowledge and experiences across disciplines.
Perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of the day was meeting the other Public Contributor Champions. It was encouraging to hear about their backgrounds, experiences, and motivations for becoming involved. Although we each bring different perspectives, we all share a commitment to ensuring that the voices of patients, carers, service users, and the public are at the heart of research.
As Public Contributor Champions, we see our role as helping to bridge the gap between researchers and the communities they serve. We hope to encourage meaningful public involvement, ensure that lived experience is valued throughout the research process, and help make research more accessible and relevant to the people it is designed to benefit.
These first few months have been an exciting introduction to our role, and we are looking forward to becoming more involved in the Social Care Theme over the coming months and years. We are eager to continue building relationships, learning from others, and contributing our own experiences to support high-quality, inclusive research.
We look forward to sharing more updates as our journey continues and hope that our experiences encourage others to become involved in public contribution and co-production within research.
By Jacqui Cannon and Kath Halpin