Debbie Ringham: Local Engagement

Local engagementDebbie RinghamSenior Local Engagement & Development (LEAD) Manager

Birmingham Cancer Research UK Centre

Centres initiative

Establish a nationwide network of up to 20 Cancer Research UK Centres

17 Centres launched to date:

Barts, Belfast, Birmingham, Cambridge, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Imperial, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Sheffield, Southampton and UCL.

Cancer Research UK Centres - Birmingham

Partnership between:• Cancer Research UK• University of Birmingham• University Hospitals

Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

• Birmingham Children’s Hospital

Aims of the Cancer Research UK Centres

To enhance cancer research in the UK To ensure that cancer research feeds through to improved

patient care and public health To train the clinical and non-clinical research workforce of

the future To ensure broad research coverage across the UK

(geography, cancer types, modalities, research areas) To expand public engagement, information provision and

local fundraising

Objectives of my local engagement activities

Foster relationships between Cancer Research UK, our Centres and local cancer communities – including patients, researchers, the NHS clinical groupings, universities and our supporters.

Help to raise awareness of the Centre, local research and the Charity – people will feel more closely connected to Cancer Research UK.

Maximise the impact of the Charity’s national strategies at a local level.

Help to deliver the local engagement priorities for the Centre.

Objectives of my local engagement activitiesObjective MeasurementTheme: Science engagement

Engage local pupils with science (specifically ‘bench to bedside’ cancer research) and encourage pupils to consider studying at the University of Birmingham.

Work with the University Outreach department to support a minimum of two activities per year. Participation in the Big Bang Fair in March 2012. Delivery of a minimum of two activities with Thinktank Science Museum per year.

Theme: Raising the profile of the Centre, internally and externally

Recognition of achievements and success in local engagement within the Centre.

Recognise staff/students supporting local engagement activities via individual feedback, a verbal update at each Cancer Sciences senior staff meeting, and a presentation delivered at the annual Centre Away Day.

Delivery of a ‘thank you’ event to Centre staff to review 12 months of achievement and support in local engagement.

Raise awareness of the Birmingham Cancer Research UK Centre via suitable external communications channels and activities.

Participation in the University Community Open Day 2012 (10,000 attendance in year 2011). Production of a Centre DVD. Delivery of a minimum 3 lab tours or Centre visits per year for external visitors (not CR-UK supporters).

Theme: Patient engagement (including cancer survivors)

Inform patients/survivors about the Centre and local relevant advances in cancer research.

Hold a patient event for disease site specific cancer patients/survivors to inform them of recent advances, and gather evaluation feedback.

Support UHB’s membership objectives by hosting a visit for Ambassadors who engage with QE patients, and by proposing Centre-related content for membership communications.

Attend and contribute to external events as appropriate – eg support events for patients organised by UHB/BCH.

Theme: Continuing to support CRUK on a local level, including offering support to national initiatives

Raise awareness of local CR-UK staff, volunteers and fundraisers by providing regular opportunities to learn about current research taking place within the Centre.

Two local CR-UK staff forum meetings to be held within the Centre per year, including an update from a Centre researcher/clinician.

Host lab tours for volunteers/fundraisers as requested by CR-UK departments, collating evaluation feedback. Involvement from Centre staff to ensure the Centre supports a minimum of 1 CR-UK activity per month (or

equivalent).

Theme: Health engagement (driven by Senior Research Nurse Karen Doyle)

Work in partnership with Cancer Research UK to effectively deliver information on the signs and symptoms of cancer and healthy lifestyle messaging, prioritising opportunities to target low-income, hard to reach groups.

Deliver a ‘reduce the risk’ health awareness activity a minimum of once per quarter (or equivalent). Develop links to deliver at least two more awareness and detection training days in local communities, following a

successful pilot with Sandwell PCT.

13 April 2023

Examples of local engagement

Pan Birmingham Cancer Network Meeting

Communicating about our work

Demonstrating our research

Tailored activities at suitable events

Teaching others about cancer and ‘reduce the risk’ messages

Supporting fundraisers and volunteers

How to measure success / impact / outputs

Keep a record of your activity


2008/9 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 to date

Number of events supported

23 56 99 82

Number of researchers involved

104 187 268 255

Number of supporters reached

6656 23309 75809 62169


Keep a record of your activity Evaluation forms / feedback


I am definitely more ‘connected’ to Cancer Research UK following today and seeing local

work in action.

Very inspiring, and want to go out and do much more to

help such a wonderful cause.

Meeting the scientists and laboratory assistants was fascinating. I really

enjoyed hearing all about they do on a day to day

basis.

This is an experience I believe everyone should have. Very

interesting and inspiring.


Keep a record of your activity Evaluation forms / feedback Evidence – anecdotal and actual


Keep a record of your activity Evaluation forms / feedback Evidence – anecdotal and actual Has it delivered what you wanted? Any learnings?

13 April 2023

What’s in it for you?

Pan Birmingham Cancer Network Meeting

Supports grant applications“8.1.1. World class research relies on world class fundraising and

much of our fundraising is strengthened by the presence and collaboration of our scientists. CR-UK expects Grantholders and

Research Personnel to contribute as much as possible. Contribution could be by hosting lab tours, speaking at fundraising

events, volunteering at national events like Race for Life or actively participating in events”

“AC12 Public engagement in science Key audiences for MRC grant-holders to consider in their communications activities are: • Opinion formers, influencers and policy makers; • Scientific community; • Health professionals; • Consumers/patients; • Next generation of citizens; • The public.

Benefits those who participate

• Skills development

• Career enhancement

• Enhancing your research quality and its impact

• New research perspectives

• Higher personal and institutional profile

• Influence and networking opportunities

• Forming new collaborations and partnerships

• Enjoyment and personal reward

• Additional funding

• Increasing awareness of the value of research to UK society

• Increasing student recruitment

• Inspiring the next generation of researchers

Get involved...

Debbie Ringham – room 202 (1st floor)

School of Cancer Sciences

[email protected] 07766 902009

mailto:[email protected]

13 April 2023 Pan Birmingham Cancer Network Meeting

Education

Debbie Ringham: Local Engagement