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Table 3 Community-led research and engagement projects funded through the Community Sandpit

From: “We are not hard to reach, but we may find it hard to trust” …. Involving and engaging ‘seldom listened to’ community voices in clinical translational health research: a social innovation approach

Project name

Project description

Project partners

Skin deep

Focused on skin problems and treatments in the African community in South Manchester. The project aims to engage up to 50 parents and children, and to help researchers identify key research priority for African skin health.

AfroTots and researchers in the Manchester BRC Dermatology theme

Shisha or no shisha

An action research project capturing responses from people who frequently visit Wilmslow Road area where most of the City’s Shisha Cafes operate. A 5–10 min film of the project will indirectly raise awareness about the effects of Shisha smoking and stimulate insights into people’s attitudes towards Shisha smoking.

A partnership between the Ethnic Health Forum, C4Change, GMBME Network, University of Manchester and the Public Health Team at Manchester City Council

Amplifying Voices

A training toolkit to enable authentic ethnic voices to be amplified within health research, across GM, to support research to become more culturally appropriate and influence health outcomes.

A partnership with Afro Tots, Dynamic Support, CS-UK, the New Testament Church, Alchemy Arts, Ethnic Health Forum, Wonderfully Made Woman, and Big People’s Music.

Speak out your voice is your power

A community leaders engagement workshop focused on domestic violence for Black Nigerian women during Black History Month in Central and East Manchester. The project aims to support researchers to understand how some isolated and vulnerable women can be engaged in research on domestic violence.

Wonderfully Made Woman

Menopause monologues

The project will provide opportunities for up to 20 South Asian women to talk about their experiences and tell stories about menopause – a taboo and sensitive subject in some South Asian cultures. Stories will be recorded to engage further audiences in a peer-to-peer approach. The project aims to empower women to take an active role in health and research related to the menopause; to stimulate research into South Asian women’s experiences of menopause; to help shape health care services regarding menopause; to break down barriers to engagement; to promote access to menopause services for South Asian women; to breakdown menopause myths, stigma and taboo

Community artist

Leading through lived experience for positive change

The project aims to share good practice of how lived experience leaders have set up initiatives and projects to improve health and well-being outcomes for people who access their project or initiatives and to learn how the lived experience leaders expertise can be utilised to support community engagement with research

Shining Stars community group