June was an especially busy month for the PIONEER team, filled with opportunities to meet communities, share ideas and discuss the importance of public involvement in research. One of the highlights came on 28 June, when PIONEER joined colleagues from the University of Birmingham’s Public Involvement Hub at the Neighbourhood Futures Festival in Edgbaston.
Organised by Birmingham Settlement in partnership with the University of Birmingham Centre for Urban Wellbeing, the festival brought together local residents, community organisations, researchers and charities for four days of activities, discussions and practical ideas focused on creating healthier, more sustainable neighbourhoods. With more than 2,200 visitors attending throughout the festival, the event provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with people from across Birmingham and celebrate the power of communities working together.
A Festival Focused on the Future
The Neighbourhood Futures Festival encouraged people to think about what thriving communities look like and how individuals, organisations and local networks can play a role in creating them. Across the festival site, visitors explored a wide range of stalls, workshops and activities centred on wellbeing, sustainability, nature, food, health and community action.
From environmental projects and community gardens to conversations about health, housing and social connection, the festival showcased the many ways people are working together to tackle challenges and improve lives across Birmingham.
Despite temperatures reaching around 30 degrees Celsius and occasional strong winds that threatened displays and information boards, the atmosphere remained positive throughout the day. Stalls were secured with ropes, weights and plenty of determination, while volunteers kept themselves hydrated and sought refuge beneath umbrellas whenever possible. The warm weather certainly presented a challenge, but it did little to discourage the hundreds of visitors who came along to take part.
For the PIONEER team, the event was another reminder of the enthusiasm and interest that exists within local communities when people are given opportunities to engage, ask questions and share their experiences.
Creating Meaningful Conversations
Working alongside the University of Birmingham Public Involvement Hub, PIONEER helped support a welcoming and interactive stall designed to encourage conversations about research and public involvement.
Throughout the afternoon, visitors stopped by to learn more about the different ways people can contribute to research taking place across the University. Some arrived with existing experience of research studies, while others were encountering the topic for the very first time.
One of the most rewarding aspects of community events is the chance to have informal conversations that might not happen in traditional settings. Away from lecture theatres, meeting rooms and conference venues, people often feel more comfortable asking questions, sharing opinions and exploring topics they may know little about.
The Public Involvement Hub stall created exactly that kind of environment.
Families, individuals and community groups spent time chatting with staff and volunteers about the importance of including public voices in research. Discussions covered a broad range of topics, from how research projects are designed to the ways patients and members of the public can help shape studies that aim to improve health and care services.
These conversations reinforced an important message: research works best when it is informed by the people it seeks to benefit.
Can the Public Be Involved in Research? The Answer Might Surprise You
One of the most popular activities on the stall encouraged visitors to think about where members of the public can contribute during the research process.
Displayed prominently was an illustration showing the different stages of the research cycle, from identifying research priorities and developing questions through to conducting studies, analysing findings and sharing results.
Participants were invited to place a coin on the stage where they believed public involvement was most valuable.
Many naturally chose one or two points in the process. Some selected the beginning, believing public involvement was most useful when deciding research priorities. Others chose the end, where research findings are communicated back to communities.
The activity was designed as a gentle trick question.
The correct answer was everywhere.
Members of the public can play an important role at every stage of the research cycle. They can help researchers understand which questions matter most, advise on study design, review participant information, contribute to steering groups, interpret findings and help ensure that results are communicated in a clear and accessible way.
The exercise sparked countless conversations throughout the day, helping visitors understand that public involvement is not an optional extra or a final step. Instead, it is something that can strengthen research from beginning to end.
Many visitors were pleasantly surprised to learn just how many opportunities exist to become involved.
Listening as Well as Sharing
While community events provide an opportunity to raise awareness about research, they are equally important for listening.
Throughout the festival, members of the PIONEER team had conversations with local residents about their experiences of healthcare, health services and the challenges faced by communities. These discussions offered valuable insights into people’s priorities, concerns and interests.
For organisations involved in health and care research, these conversations are incredibly important. Understanding what matters to patients, carers and local communities helps ensure that future work remains relevant, meaningful and focused on issues that can make a real difference.
Some visitors shared personal stories about navigating healthcare services. Others spoke about supporting family members with long-term conditions or discussed broader issues affecting their communities. While every conversation was different, a common theme emerged: people want opportunities to be heard and to contribute to decisions that affect health and wellbeing.
Events such as the Neighbourhood Futures Festival create space for those discussions to happen naturally.
Building Connections Across Communities
Another valuable aspect of the festival was the opportunity to meet a diverse range of organisations working across Birmingham.
Community groups, charities, environmental projects, researchers and volunteers all came together with a shared goal of supporting healthier and more connected neighbourhoods. The festival highlighted the incredible amount of work already happening across the city and showcased the passion of the people leading these initiatives.
For PIONEER, building relationships with communities is an important part of our mission. Meaningful engagement does not happen through a single meeting or event. It develops through ongoing conversations, trust and collaboration.
Events like the Neighbourhood Futures Festival help create those connections by bringing people together in a welcoming and accessible environment.
Whether visitors stopped for a quick conversation or spent longer discussing their interests and experiences, every interaction contributed to a broader understanding of the communities we serve.
Small Moments That Make a Difference
Community festivals are often remembered not only for the formal activities but also for the small moments that happen throughout the day.
There were plenty of those moments in Edgbaston.
Volunteers worked together to keep displays standing against the wind. Visitors paused for conversations they had not planned to have. Families discovered new opportunities to get involved in community projects. Children engaged with activities that introduced them to new ideas in fun and accessible ways.
And then there were the unexpected highlights.
Among the many stalls at the festival was Incredible Surplus, whose volunteers were generously sharing garlic chives with visitors. By the end of the day, many attendees had left not only with new knowledge and connections but also with herbs to take home and enjoy.
These small acts of kindness and generosity reflected the wider spirit of the festival: people coming together, sharing experiences and supporting one another.
Why Public Involvement Matters
At PIONEER, we believe that health and care research should be shaped by the people it is designed to benefit.
Public involvement helps ensure that research addresses real-world priorities, reflects diverse experiences and produces outcomes that are meaningful to patients, carers and communities.
The conversations held during the Neighbourhood Futures Festival demonstrated how interested people are in contributing to this work when given the opportunity.
Many visitors had never considered that they could become involved in research. Others were unaware of the range of opportunities available, from joining advisory groups and reviewing materials to helping shape research questions and study designs.
By opening the door to these discussions, events like this help make research more accessible and inclusive.
They also help build understanding and trust, creating stronger connections between researchers and the communities they serve.
Looking Back on a Brilliant Day
Although June brought a packed schedule of events for the PIONEER team, the Neighbourhood Futures Festival was a particularly memorable occasion.
The combination of enthusiastic visitors, meaningful conversations and a strong community spirit made it a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Even the heatwave conditions and blustery winds could not dampen the enthusiasm of those attending.
Most importantly, the festival highlighted the value of bringing research and communities together in informal, welcoming spaces. By creating opportunities for people to ask questions, share experiences and learn more about how they can get involved, events like this help ensure that research remains connected to the people at its heart.
We would like to thank the University of Birmingham Public Involvement Hub, Birmingham Settlement, the Centre for Urban Wellbeing and all those who visited the stall and stopped for a conversation.
From discussions about healthcare and wellbeing to learning about the many ways people can influence research, the day was full of valuable exchanges and new connections.
And, of course, a few garlic chives.
PIONEER was delighted to be part of the festival and looks forward to continuing these conversations with communities across Birmingham and beyond, helping ensure that the future of health research is shaped with the public, not just for the public.
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