Authored by Ruth Garside

I set up the Health and Environment Public Engagement network, or HEPE for short, in 2013, hoping to bring public perspectives to the Centre.

We wanted to connect the people of Cornwall directly with research being done in the county, and ground our research in real-world views and experience.

More than a decade on, led and nurtured by (the now retired) Dr Kath Maguire, HEPE is firmly embedded in the Centre’s culture: members have contributed to over 130 projects, worked with more than 60 researchers, attended numerous conferences, and coauthored published papers.

The network includes a diverse, good-humoured group of citizens, full of curiosity and sharp ideas, who challenge our assumptions and hone our approaches. They offer thoughtful, often probing feedback that helps shape studies from start to finish – from planning to dissemination and all stages in between.

Working with HEPE keeps our research open and honest and their input enhances the work that we do, building links between the University of Exeter and communities across Devon and Cornwall.

In just one example, the group contributed to a range of projects as part of the Horizon 2020 funded BlueHealth project.

Initially consulted about the questions used in a large pan-European survey investigating the recreational use of blue spaces and their relationship with health, HEPE’s involvement took on a life of its own. Members inspired and led a unique qualitative investigation, producing pictures and words to represent their lived experiences of “MyBlueHealth”.

There were so many different strands of BlueHealth engagement that one HEPE member suggested we develop an engaging way of presenting everyone’s contributions.

Working with a local artist, a “rockpool” of mussels was created by members, which can be taken on tour! Each mussel is decorated with stitched, knitted and crocheted seaweed and barnacles and can be opened to reveal multimedia presentations of activities.

More recently, HEPE members road-tested the recruitment and information website for GREENGAGE, a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the feasibility of running a full scale trial to assess the effectiveness of nature-based activities for people with depression and anxiety.

HEPE members walked through the website, testing links and information and providing feedback to ensure that the site was easy to navigate and contained all the information that participants might need.

The group is a fundamental part of how we conduct research, but it is always evolving as new members come and go. If you’d like to find out about how you can sign up and take part, see our web page or email hepe@exeter.ac.uk for more information!