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Researchers and Communities Connect at King’s Drop-In

22 July 2026 by in News Items

On 13 July 2026, over 60 members of the public, researchers, King’s staff and representatives from community organisations came together at Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre for the King’s Research Involvement Drop In.

The event was all about bringing people together to explore how researchers and communities can work in partnership to shape health and care research. Organised by the Better Health & Care Hub in collaboration with the Centre for Translational Medicine, the Inclusive Research and Education Practices (IREP) Project, and King’s Engaged Research Network. The drop-In provided a friendly and informal space to meet new people, share experiences and learn more about getting involved in research.

With 15 stalls to explore, there was plenty to discover. Attendees had the opportunity to meet researchers and learn about projects from across King’s College London, King’s College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Topics ranged from palliative care and mental health research to practical resources developed alongside public contributors to support meaningful collaboration.

It was brilliant to have patients and carers involved in research at King’s College London supporting some of the stalls. By sharing their experiences with attendees, they provided valuable insights into what involvement looks like in practice and the positive difference it can make.

We were also delighted to welcome community organisations, including Africa Cancer Support, Healthwatch Southwark and Care City, who hosted stalls showcasing the fantastic work they do with local communities.

Marion Sumerfield and Hameed Khan, Patient & Public Involvement members, hosting the Cicely Saunders Institute stall.
Patrina Kamara and event attendees at the Africa Cancer Support stall.
Attendees exploring stalls during the drop-in event.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and hosted stalls at the event. Attendees, organisers, researchers, staff, public contributors and community organisations all helped to make the event a success.

Following the positive feedback we received, we’d like to build on this success and hope to run similar events in the future. These may include sessions with guest speakers and even more opportunities for people to connect and share their experiences of being involved in research.

To find out more about getting involved in research at King’s, visit our Research Involvement website, or sign up to our mailing list.