CRN Greater Manchester initiative recognised at national NIHR Digital Festival

Research for the Future (RftF – an NIHR CRN Greater Manchester initiative – was recognised on a national platform at the 2019 NIHR Digital Festival.

RftF was Highly Commended in the ‘social engagement pioneer’ category at the annual event, which was held on Tuesday 26 March at the NEC in Birmingham.

The Digital Festival Awards are designed to celebrate and recognise the best innovations and most creative approaches to the delivery of digital improvement across the NIHR.

Applications were welcomed from across the NIHR and RftF was one of only eight finalists.

RftF, which operates four Help BEAT campaigns, is an NIHR CRN Greater Manchester initiative designed to facilitate recruitment to NIHR CRN portfolio studies and other research opportunities, using a ‘consent for approach’ model.

A number of advertising methods have been undertaken and evaluated to encourage people to register their details.

Examples include radio, newspaper and GP postal invitation. Historically the cheapest ‘cost per registration’ was GP invitation but this became increasingly difficult to implement.

RftF has used Facebook and Twitter accounts to provide information, which had never been explored as a method of recruiting volunteers to the database.

Team members Philp Hammond and Lilian Fallows attended the Digital Festival to exhibit the project and present to the audience.

They were presented with their Highly Commended award by Jonathan Sheffield, NIHR CRN Chief Executive Officer, who praised RftF for their innovative approach.

The team was accompanied by Janet Eastwood, CRN GM Head of Communications. Janet said: "It is great to see a Greater Manchester project being given recognition on a national level for the pioneering work that they do in encouraging people to take part in health research."