Connecting Carers: Sharing Knowledge Across Ethnically Diverse Communities

Lead Applicants: Abi Woodward & Christine Carter

Lead Member: QMUL

Aims and Objectives
Experiences of caring among minority ethnic carers are often more complex than those of White British carers due to cultural expectations, religious practices, language barriers, and challenges accessing external services. This project aims to create a dedicated space for informal carers from ethnically diverse backgrounds to connect, share experiences, and exchange knowledge about available support in London.

Carers hold valuable knowledge about local services, online resources, and coping strategies, yet this information is often difficult to find. By bringing carers together in an organised but informal networking event, we aim to encourage peer learning, reduce isolation, and empower carers to access available support.

Objectives:

1.Host a networking and engagement event co-designed with carers.

2.Create opportunities for carers to share knowledge, resources, and coping strategies, while giving carers’ organisations a platform to promote their services.

3.Strengthen connections between carers, community organisations, and support groups to encourage ongoing peer support.

4.Co-produce and share a user-friendly list of resources, services, and tools recommended by carers, with an infographic highlighting the “Top 10” most frequently recommended resources  and commonly used coping strategies.  

Approach
We will deliver a half-day in-person networking event in collaboration with London-based carers’ organisations and informal carers’ groups. The event will be co-designed with input from a diverse group of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) members with lived experience of caregiving to ensure it is inclusive, relevant and accessible.

The event will use a “research café” style format - an informal, roundtable-based approach that encourages open discussion, shared learning, and mutual support. This relaxed setting is particularly suited to carers, ensuring everyone’s contributions are valued.

Event structure:

• Introduction to research: A short, interactive warm-up and story-sharing by a PPI member to explain research involvement.
• Knowledge-sharing tables: Small-group discussions combined with a creative task, where carers share information about helpful services, resources, or tools (e.g., community groups, apps, helplines). Each table will have a facilitator noting key points.
• Facilitated Q&A: On arrival, carers submit questions on cards for a “question box.” Facilitators group these by theme (e.g., services, digital tools, wellbeing). Selected questions will be discussed with input from peers and organisational representatives.
• Practical tips wall (“What works for me”): A space where carers share short coping strategies for others to browse during networking and vote on them. These will later inform the resource list and infographic.
• Networking and information tables: Informal time for carers to connect socially over refreshments, alongside stalls from local organisations and community groups.

Facilitator notes and flipcharts will be collated into a single list of all resources and tools mentioned. Participant votes against their preferred options and a validation session with the PPI group will refine these into the final “Top 10” resources and key coping strategies reflecting carers’ collective experience.

Amount: £2,109