Our vision is to ensure that public voices and our communities are at the heart of our research.
Shu
Beatrice
ZyThe Young Person Advisory Research Group (YPAG) is made up of 20 young people aged 16-24 and was established in July 2022. Our group members come from range of communities and backgrounds across Greater Manchester.
The group help inform our research priorities and realise our ambition of improving the health and wellbeing of the citizens of Greater Manchester through applied research.
The aims below were decided by group members during their initial team meeting.
Our peer support group, consisting of Angela, Pat, and Russ from our Public Community Involvement and Engagement Panel, have been integral to the creation of the YPAG from the beginning; they provide invaluable input in team meetings and offer support and advice, drawing from their extensive experience in public involvement.
Below are a few examples of the projects our young people have co-produced or been involved in.
In 2020/21, we conducted research with local community groups on responses to the COVID-19 vaccination programme and experiences during the pandemic.
Interviews and discussion groups were held with diverse communities in Greater Manchester, focusing on those most affected. We are now co-developing an accessible output with the YPAG to share the findings and encourage further discussion.
Hidden LIVE is a collaboration between a vibrant group of young people, Made by Mortals, the NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research Centre (GM PSTRC) and our Mental Health research team. It is an immersive performance that will challenge you to encounter life as a young person struggling with their mental health.
In February 2024, two young people from Greater Manchester led an event with research teams from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust; Manchester Metropolitan University, Made by Mortals, 42nd Street, Mindset Revolution and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM) to find better ways to engage young people in mental health research through innovative participatory methods.
To ensure the event was relevant and relatable, ARC-GM YPAG members played a significant role in its planning and delivery.
YPAG members Beatrice and Ash not only helped plan the event but also served as hosts and facilitators.
The ABouT Research study is aimings to understand reasons of mistrust or trust in digital health technologies and research among Muslims and learn approaches.
This project involves carrying out a series of focus groups in mosques across the UK and YPAG have joined the initial remote steering group. Public Community Involvment and Engagement will support the project in evaluating our research approach as well as research outputs and their relevance to building the trust among Muslims.
Peer Support "Uncle" Russ
PCIE Panel Member and YPAG Peer Support "Uncle" Russ blogs about his involvment in supporting the YPAG here.
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