‘A Mile in Their Shoes’ was an immersive workshop designed and piloted with 17 researchers. The aim was to explore the importance of community champions and the critical role they play in ensuring diverse voices and lived experiences are woven into research design.

 

Led by the Made by Mortals team, the workshop involved the researchers putting themselves in the shoes of Community Champions to encourage them to delve into the challenges they face: the competing demands on their time, and the immense responsibility of advocating for and supporting their communities day in and day out.

Wide-ranging discussions were opened up around the challenges and opportunities for researchers and Community Champions to work together.

The importance of the community champions role has been captured in a best practice guide. Reflections from participants in the workshop:

“Made me think about barriers more, but also about opportunities.”

“Appreciation for the hard work of community champions.”

“Inspiration for how I can try to address some of the barriers/challenges that researchers present to community champions – e.g. giving more time!”

 

Download the Guide for engaging with Community Champions here.