A new animated film aimed at encouraging older adults to get involved in health and social care research has officially launched in Salford.
The short film premiered yesterday (30th April) at the Innovation Forum on in Salford. It brings to life the real voices and lived experiences of older people from Charlestown and Pendleton, aiming to challenge common misconceptions about research and highlight how easy and beneficial it can be to get involved.
The animation is the latest outcome of the Research Ready Communities project, which was jointly funded by NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM) and developed in collaboration with Inspiring Communities Together, a Salford-based community organisation.
The project focused on making research more accessible to local communities—particularly older adults who are often underrepresented in studies. Attendees at the launch event heard directly from older adults who were involved in shaping the animation. As one participant shared:
“My experience doing the animation was great. It was my first time, so it was all new to me. We were very well looked after. Yeah—it was a really interesting experience.”
The project included community champion training, listening sessions, and local resource mapping to better understand the barriers older adults face when it comes to participating in research. Many believed research was only about medical tests or technical jargon—something the animation directly aims to address.
“Health research helps get the drugs and treatments right,” said one participant. “It can put us on the road to better health and wellbeing—especially as we age.”
The animation itself was created through a collaborative process, with older people contributing to the script and recording their own voiceovers.
“We decided to do it through an animation project, and I was asked to be part of it,” another contributor explained. “Each of us was given a script with lines to read. We had a lovely day at Strawberry Studios with David.”
The Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust has now agreed to showcase the animation on the patient-facing video wall at Salford Royal Hospital, helping to further extend its reach.
The wider programme, supported by the Research Engagement Network (REN) Programme, has three core goals: to broaden access to research, build long-term trust between communities and researchers, and improve understanding of who is participating in research.
These aims were shaped through feedback from community and voluntary sector partners across Greater Manchester.
“It doesn’t cost anything, and it’s really easy to take part,” one older adult commented. “Thanks to advances in science and technology, [research] helps find remedies and cures for different conditions.”
Find out more about Inspiring Communities Together here: https://inspiringcommunitiestogether.co.uk/
