Our society faces tough health challenges: growing levels of obesity, worries about antibiotic resistance, the health needs of an ageing population, social isolation and more. These are complex problems that arise from the interplay of many factors: who we are, where we live, the work we do, the people we know and the environment around us.
The new Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, based at the University of Exeter, is bringing together historians, literary scholars, social scientists and medical experts to work together to tackle some of the world’s most pressing public health issues.
However, we recognise that research expertise is not enough on its own; we can only tackle difficult issues effectively if we draw on people’s experiences and insights of health and wellbeing, and their understanding of the questions and solutions that matter to them and their community.
The vision of the Wellcome Centre is to engage with diverse partners to create and sustain cultures that enable health and well-being across the life course. We want our research to be influenced, created, and conducted by and with people whose lives are affected by the research and its outcomes.
So, we need you. We’re holding a workshop at Truro Community Library on Monday 12th February, 11am to 1pm (followed by lunch). We want to hear what issues matter to you and what questions you’d like answered. We’d also like to tell you about some of the ways in which individuals and community organisations can become collaborators and co-creators in our research.