Social Action for Health and Queen Mary’s Centre for Public Engagement hold public event to hear from young people on the future of community health
An event aimed at addressing the future of community health and spotlighting insights and priorities from local young adults will take place at the Octagon on Monday 14 November from 4 to 6 p.m.
Organised by Social Action for Health and Queen Mary University of London’s Centre for Public Engagement (CPE), which works to embed public engagement within the university, the event is open to all – members of the public as well as staff and students. Registration is needed.
The event will be an opportunity for local young adults to share their priorities and insights on health in our community, and to start a wider discussion with the local community and academics on how these views can shape and influence future work and initiatives.
This event demonstrates the CPE’s support for community initiatives and the need to establish an intergenerational community dialogue.
The CPE’s Community Engagement Manager Sarah Gifford said: “We strive to create an environment where the University’s ground-breaking research, inspiring teaching, and work can be shaped, shared, and co-created with the public as partners in this process. This event is a perfect example of our civic and public engagement in action.”
Furthermore, the event will showcase young people’s work around issues such as ‘how can we build trust in our communities?’ and ‘why are minoritised groups not well represented in research?’ and ‘what are the health priorities for young people?’
A group of young adults, who took part in a summer work experience placement with us at Social Action for Health, which has partnered for more than 25 years with Queen Mary University of London, will showcase their findings at the event. They will explore how we can build trust in our communities and share their perspectives, views, and feelings regarding health and social wellbeing.
Also, students from Beal High School’s sixth form in Ilford, Essex, will share their work on health inequalities and representation in medical, and particularly genetic, research. With support from staff at the Sanger Institute, Social Action for Health, and their teachers, the students have researched these topics and will showcase their work in exhibition-style presentations at the event.
Ceri Durham, CEO at Social Action for Health, said: “Our work ensures that those traditionally excluded from health research and priority setting – often from communities with the worst health outcomes – are key stakeholders in driving agendas, policies, and ultimately change. This event is the culmination of months of community research and engagement with young people from a variety of backgrounds to ensure that their voices are also part of this conversation."
More information
The event will not be recorded. If you cannot attend but would like to access more information about the project, please visit our News page or sign-up to our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/g907QT.
To attend the event, please visit: https://the-future-of-community-health.eventbrite.co.uk