Community Engagement & Involvement in Research
Research Engagement & Community Involvement Service. Partnering with Local Communities and the Voluntary Sector to Strengthen Research and Bridge the Gap
Darnall Well Being supports researchers, universities, NHS organisations, charities, and public sector partners to meaningfully involve communities and the voluntary sector in research. We help researchers connect with diverse and underrepresented communities while supporting local people to access research opportunities that matter to them.
Our Core Offer
We provide flexible support across the full research lifecycle—from early scoping and public involvement through to recruitment, delivery, dissemination, impact and long-term partnership working.
| Service | Indicative Cost |
| Community awareness & access support | £35/hour |
| Project set-up support | £35/hour |
| Senior staff support | £250/day |
| Community researcher support | £175-£200/day |
| PPIE representative | £165/day |
| Participant recruitment | From £35/person |
| Group recruitment event | £250/day |
| Research administration | £35/hour |
| Community researcher training | £280-£420 |
| Engagement events | £1,000-£4,000 |
| Strategic partnership | From £8,000/year |
1. Community Connections, Awareness & Access
Helping researchers connect with communities and communities connect with research
We support organisations to raise awareness of research opportunities and engage people who may not traditionally participate in research.
Services include:
• Signposting and sharing information about research projects
• Promoting opportunities through voluntary sector and community networks
• Maintaining a register of interest for research participation
• Matching participants to relevant studies
• Recruiting and supporting PPIE contributors
• Identifying lived-experience representatives for advisory and steering groups
• Supporting researchers to build relationships with community organisations
Cost: £35/hour
2. Application & Project Set-Up Support
Strengthening proposals through community insight and lived experience
We help researchers design studies that are relevant, accessible, and inclusive from the outset.
Services include:
• Supporting funding and ethics applications with community input and PPIE
• Advising on inclusive recruitment and engagement strategies
• Facilitating early engagement with local communities and partner organisations
• Community scoping conversations to shape research questions
• Additional support from community members or DWB staff
Costs:
£35/hour | £250/day senior staff | £175–£200/day additional staff/community researcher | £165/day PPIE representative
3. Recruitment & Engagement Delivery
Hands-on support to ensure successful participation
We provide practical support to recruit, coordinate, and support participants throughout research studies.
Services include:
• Participant recruitment and consenting
• Outreach tailored to language, culture and accessibility needs
• Group recruitment events and research open days
• Interview and focus group coordination
• Venue booking, scheduling and participant communication
• Accessibility and interpretation arrangements
• On-the-day participant support
Costs from £35 per participant; £250/day group recruitment; £35/hour administration
*Costs may vary depending on study complexity and recruitment requirements.
4. Community-Led Research Delivery
Embedding lived experience throughout the research process
We support researchers to incorporate community expertise directly into research delivery through trained community researchers.
Our community researchers can:
• Training and supporting community researchers
• Co-facilitating interviews and focus groups
• Supporting data collection
• Co-analysis and interpretation of findings
• Dissemination within communities
• Provision of trained community researchers on a sessional basis
Training: £420 (12h) / £280 (8h)
Package design: £150–£250
Supervision: £35/hour
5. Focus Groups & Community Engagement Events
End-to-end planning, facilitation and delivery
We manage the full process, including:
• Recruiting participants
• Planning and organising events
• Facilitating sessions
• Supporting interpretation of findings
• Community data interpretation workshops
• Co-analysis and sense-checking findings with communities
Typical engagement programme: £1,000–£4,000
- Typical engagement programme (4 days): £1,000
- Enhanced engagement programme (8 days): £2,000
- Extended engagement programme (6 months): £4,000
6. Research Partnership & Co-Production Model
Long-term involvement across the life of a project
Darnall Well Being can act as a strategic research partner, becoming part of the wider research team and supporting co-production throughout the project lifecycle.
Partnerships may include:
• Funding application development
• PPIE and advisory group support
• Recruitment and engagement delivery
• Community researcher management
• Dissemination and knowledge mobilisation
• Co-production of outputs and resources
• Evaluation and impact support
Indicative partnership cost: from £8,000/year
Partnership costs are flexible and reflect the scale and intensity of involvement.
Optional Add-On Services
• Community advisory panels
• Data interpretation workshops
• Co-production of reports and outputs
• Community dissemination events
• Knowledge mobilisation activities
• Impact planning and evaluation support
Service Packages
A. Light-Touch Support
- Promotion and signposting
- Access to participant register
- Basic recruitment support
Best for: Early-stage or low-budget projects
B. Targeted Engagement
- Participant recruitment
- Focus groups and interviews
- Community scoping conversations
Best for: Studies requiring focused community engagement
C. Full-Service Delivery
- End-to-end recruitment and engagement
- Community researcher training
- Focus group and event management
- Application support
- Community interpretation of findings
Best for: Funded projects requiring structured engagement support
D. Strategic Partnership
- Long-term collaboration
- Embedded community engagement
- Ongoing recruitment and advisory support
- Co-production throughout the project lifecycle
Best for: Large-scale or multi-year programmes
Why Work With Darnall Well Being?
Research is stronger when it reflects the experiences, priorities and voices of the communities it seeks to benefit.
DWB acts as a bridge between researchers and communities, helping organisations to with:
• Trusted relationships with local communities
• Access to diverse and underrepresented groups
• Expertise in engagement and co-production
• Skilled community researchers and facilitators
• Improved recruitment, retention and inclusion
• Stronger research relevance, impact and dissemination
The Difference We Make
Our work helps researchers:
- Reach communities that are often underrepresented in research
- Improve diversity and inclusion
- Strengthen public involvement and co-production
- Generate more relevant and meaningful findings
- Build trust and long-term relationships with communities
- Increase the impact and reach of research
Contact Us or download our research flyer: