Reflections of a community involvement & engagement model: the Listening Café and community conversations

Seven years ago, I joined the Primary Care Research Centre at the University of Southampton as Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) Officer. From the outset the academic language felt inaccessible, even to me, so how could I help make it meaningful to others? I quickly noticed a pattern: public contributors tended to come from backgrounds that were already well‑represented and well‑resourced. It led me to ask important questions: who isn’t in the room? Where are the voices of people who face more barriers to involvement, or who don’t fit the more familiar profile of public contributors? And how can their experiences be included so they can influence research in meaningful ways? The existing systems didn’t work for everyone. I spent countless hours imagining what a more accessible approach might look like. This blog outlines my journey in using two approaches, Listening Cafes and Community Conversations, which place an emphasis on an inclusive, relational approach to public involvement.

In 2019, the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR) School of Primary CareResearch launched a funding call for novel approaches to involving underservedcommunities. I brought together colleagues from the Primary Care ResearchCentre and a core public contributor with a keen interest in community, theWessex Public Involvement Network (PIN), and the Bristol Centre for AcademicPrimary Care to co-write a bid. We were successful!

The Birth of the Listening Café

We reached out to a local Family Hub (formerly Sure Start) and began buildingtrust and awareness of research, with the intention of forming a long‑termcollaborative relationship with this community partner. The concept of a ‘foodfor thought’ model came about through a conversation with my husband and becamethe heart of our work. He reminded me that the best conversations often happenaround the kitchen table, shared over food. That simple insight became the seedfor something bigger.

We developed the Listening Café, a ‘food for thoughts’ model that brings researchers intocommunity spaces, connecting them with small groups of people from underservedcommunities for meaningful conversations. Working closely with communitypartners, we created safe and welcoming environments where conversations couldflourish. Community members with lived experience, who responded to theinvitation, took part in two interactive, informal sessions (each lasting twohours). The sessions were carefully co-designed to encourage open discussionand meaningful opportunities to shape research, inform proposals, influencedesign and co-produce resources We achieved this by providing refreshments,agreeing ground rules and using supportive visual prompts, which enabled peopleto share their lived experiences, identify what matters most to them andcontribute ideas for improvement. Our team’s name, The Finding Out TogetherTeam was chosen deliberately to reflect shared learning and a message that‘we’re in this together’.

Introducing Community Conversations

In August 2024, I took on a new role within the Research Support Service (RSS),University of Southampton and Partners (USP). We introduced CommunityConversations; a community engagement and involvement approach grounded in thesame principles as the Listening Cafe, designed specifically to involvecommunities underserved by research. Like the Listening Café, CommunityConversations brings researchers into community spaces for informal,interactive sessions over food and craft, creating opportunities for opendialogue and meaningful input. These conversations create opportunities to; hearfrom people whose voices are often missing from research, help to make researchmore inclusive and relevant, and shape and strengthen researchers’ fundingapplications.

What Community Conversations Look Like in Practice

Among the tower blocks in one of Southampton’s most deprived areas, we brought together fourparents of preschool children with cow’s milk allergy and the lead researcher.Over food, we listened to parents’ challenging experiences, we heard about whatmatters most, we talked about GP consultations, referrals, and the diagnosisprocess. We did some craft, making motivational boxes. Two sessions, each, twohours long, proved invaluable for both the parents and the researcher. At alocal YMCA, we shared pizza with six young women in vulnerable circumstancesand explored a novel medical device designed to improve childbirth outcomes.Across three two-hour sessions, we discussed birth perspectives, the device,barriers to recruitment and the recruitment journey. We did craft, making miniterrariums. These are just a few examples of the “how.” But just as importantis the “after.” Researchers follow up later to share what happened next and howcommunity input shaped the work. It’s simple, yet powerful, and deeplyappreciated by those who take part. At its heart, this approach has been builtslowly and intentionally, with community partners, rooted in community spaces,building confidence and connections over time.

Reflections

This evolution has been shaped not only by practical experience but also bypersonal reflection. It’s been a difficult yet rewarding journey of reconcilingtraditional methods of public involvement with the realities of underservedcommunities. Public involvement is meant to be simple, but unnecessarycomplexity often excludes the very voices it aims to include. This tensionbecame the driving force behind my commitment to find new ways of working,grounded in genuine connection, with people at the heart. A key part of thishas been working closely with community partners who are trusted within theirneighbourhood. Their understanding of local needs, cultural dynamics andcommunity priorities has been essential in building trust, reaching the rightpeople and creating spaces where individuals feel safe, respected and willingto engage. This relationship-building takes time, but it is foundational tomeaningful involvement.

Through this work, we also learned how important it is to create opportunities for peersupport, allow people to meet others in similar situations and provide gentlesignposting to information they may not otherwise access. Simple humanelements, sharing food, being warm and consistent, recognising contributionsand offering certificates that acknowledge skills in teamwork, listening andsharing ideas, helped people feel valued and part of something important. Thesemoments often boosted confidence and self-esteem. As I continue this journey,I’m reminded that real involvement starts with listening. It’s not aboutperfect models or polished language, it’s about showing up, being curious,building rapport and creating space for voices that have long been left out. That’swhat the Listening Café and Community Conversations are all about.

With enormous thanks and recognition to: Kate Henaghan Sykes, Public Partnerships Manager, including other colleagues at the Primary Care Research Centre (PCRC), University of Southampton, colleagues from the Wessex Public Involvement Network and the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC), Bristol and the team at Family Hub Pickles, Southampton.

(1) A practical guide to being inclusive in public involvement in health research Lessons learnt from the Reaching Out programme https://arc-nenc.nihr.ac.uk/resources/nihr-reaching-out-a-practical-guide-to-being-inclusive-in-public-involvement-in-health-research/