June team update: Sharing and learning together

This month, we were striving to embody our vision of a world where diverse knowledge and experience are valued in co-production. From collaborating on the COMMET project to attending conferences that emphasize working in partnership, we continue to learn and share our experience of co-production together. Find out about our activities in the past month, learn about an upcoming conference we are attending, and get to know the newest members of our team.

What we’ve been up to

Sarah took part in a team induction for the COMMET project which is working to co-produce ways to create mathematical models of infectious disease epidemics. The project involves researchers from really varied backgrounds (including anthropology, computer science, maths and linguistics) as well as three co-producers who have also joined the team. As part of the induction, the team all shared one-slide introductions to themselves and their hobbies and thought about shared values and ways of working.

Krisztina and co-producers Kanika and Rachel attended the Stronger Things conference in-person, and Aleem, Vanessa and Hania attended the event online. The conference was organised by New Local, an independent network of councils and other organisations, working to improve public services in a way that harnesses community knowledge. We were very pleased that Mandy from the Homelessness and Dual Diagnosis Co-Production Project was able to present some of their work which formed part of the Measuring Success in Co-production programme.

Cecily, Isaac and Aleem represented Co-production Collective at the National Institute of Health Research, School for Social Care Research conference in May in York. The conference theme was partnership working, so there were lots of learning opportunities for those of us working in co-production. We heard about the necessity of taking time to build purposeful relationships, and the need for pragmatic approaches to balance credible and achievable plans. We also heard how the voices of people with challenging health conditions such as dementia can be highlighted in research to improve services.

Nicc, Isaac, Aleem and Richard met in May with some of the co-producers who are helping us to review our safeguarding statement. We had interesting discussions about how we might update our safeguarding statement to incorporate our intention to be an anti-racist organisation.

Rosie, Stuart and Debora went along to the National Co-Production Conference hosted by Co-Production Network for Wales. We heard from local speakers discussing The Future Generations Act, charities showcasing their co-production work, and took part in interactive workshops aimed at broadening our understanding of co-production. Take a look at our recent blog post for more reflections from the day.

Meet our new team members

This month we welcomed two new members to our team – Hania and Olu

Hania works with our partners to embed co-production in commissioned and research projects. She is interested in health inequalities, science communication for social justice, and public engagement. Outside of work, she loves reading fiction.

Olu has joined our team to support our marketing and communications activities. He has a background in marketing, communications and public relations. In his spare time, he enjoys sporting activities that include badminton and swimming.

Coming up

Isaac, Cecily and Rosie will be representing our Anti-racism work at NIHR’s (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Knowledge Exchange Event 2025. This event will be exploring how we can develop new research and practice partnerships capable of engaging knowledge from lived experience, as well as tackling broader social, structural and institutional systems which may shape and perpetuate health inequalities. As part of the day, we look forward to hearing Isaac share about our Amplifying Voices programme - a programme designed for individuals from the global majority to develop new skills and strengthen their expertise.

Get involved

Write for us!

Our blog is central to championing co-production for lasting change. It shares news and learning from Co-Production Collective, and also features organisations and co-producers sharing their insights and understanding..

If you have co-production project that you are working on that has lessons learned to share, we’d love to hear from you. We’d also love to hear from people with lived or living experiences about your experience of co-production.

In line with our payment policy we pay £75 per blog for those not writing in a professional capacity. If writing is not your thing, we can create a video blog with you of a recorded conversation on Zoom or use the transcript from this meeting to write a blog with you after.

If you have something to share we’d love to find a way to make it possible so do get in touch by emailing us on coproduction@ucl.ac.uk and we will send you more details and guidance on writing a blog.

Co-Pro Cuppa

Thank you for coming to our May Co-Pro Cuppa! It was great to see many of you there. We had great discussions on a variety of topics including co-producing with children and young people, the importance of sharing experiences and learnings about challenges in co-production, and the use of local clubs and initiatives as community assets.

Our next Co-Pro Cuppas will take place on:

• Thursday 3 July at 12:00 (UK time)
• Tuesday 5 August at 13:00 (UK time)
• Wednesday 3 September at 11:00 (UK time)

If you have any questions or would like to know more about our work, please get in contact by emailing us on coproduction@ucl.ac.uk