Focus on Research and Equity (FORE) our newly launched web-resource that aims to contribute to increasing the research evidence base for action that can reduce social and health inequalities, has been travelling wide and far. After it’s official launch was joined by attendees from multiple countries, Distinguished Professor Jennie Popay offered a demonstration of FORE to over 70 attendees across the NIHR ARCs.

An important question was raised at the latest event: Is FORE a standalone web-resource for people to explore and navigate through at their own peril?

Truth is, the FORE web-resource is a collaborative product of NIHR ARC NWC and SPHR, funded as such by the public so it’s only fair that it is open access and free for all to use. All are welcome to tour the website and use the Health Inequalities Assessment Toolkit (HIAT) to help them apply an equity lens to their research.

Having said that, FORE is only part of a number of actions planned by ARC NWC in an effort to support the mainstreaming of equity in health research. More on what that means can be found on our dedicated Health Equity Mainstreaming Strategy webpage: https://arc-nwc.nihr.ac.uk/midas/overview/health-equity-mainstreaming-strategy-2020-2024/

FORE is also only one of many resources developed to support individuals and teams to think about equity and health inequalities in the context of their own work. Another resource that can be used in conjunction with the HIAT and the wider FORE for example is the A-Z package of resources co-developed with Public Advisers and also free for anyone to download and use.

But it’s not just about tools. We know that formal and informal discussions within a wider network of colleagues, a Health Equity Community of Practice, Health Equity Research Champions, and formal workshops (watch this space for upcoming dates!) are equally if not more helpful than tools themselves and ways ARC NWC utilizes to support its member organisations in mainstreaming equity, conducting and consuming applied research that can help reduce health inequalities in the NWC region.

They say travelling leaves you speechless and then it turns you into a story teller. We’d love to hear about your equity research journey and discuss how ARC NWC can support you to get to your next destination or your stories about using any of the resources. You can email k.panagaki@lancaster.ac.uk or reach out to a wider community via Twitter under #ImplementEquity and #4equityresearch.