Reflections of a Community Involvement & Engagement Model: The Listening Café and Community Conversations

By Sonia Newman, Senior Public Involvement Advisor, Research Support Service (RSS) Southampton Hub

Seven years ago, I joined the Primary Care Research Centre at the University of Southampton as Patient & Public Involvement (PPI) Officer. From the outset the academic language felt inaccessible, even to me, so how could I help make it meaningful to others?

I quickly noticed a pattern: public contributors tended to come from backgrounds that were already well‑represented and well‑resourced. It led me to ask important questions: who isn’t in the room? Where are the voices of people who face more barriers to involvement, or who don’t fit the more familiar profile of public contributors? And how can their experiences be included so they can influence research in meaningful ways?

The existing systems didn’t work for everyone. I spent countless hours imagining what a more accessible approach might look like. This blog outlines my journey in using two approaches, Listening Cafes and Community Conversations, which place an emphasis on an inclusive, relational approach to public involvement.

In 2019, the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR) School of Primary Care Research launched a funding call for novel approaches to involving underserved communities. I brought together colleagues from the Primary Care Research Centre and a core public contributor with a keen interest in community, the Wessex Public Involvement Network (PIN), and the Bristol Centre for Academic Primary Care to co-write a bid. We were successful!

The Birth of the Listening Café

We reached out to a local Family Hub (formerly Sure Start) and began building trust and awareness of research, with the intention of forming a long‑term collaborative relationship with this community partner.

The concept of a ‘food for thought’ model came about through a conversation with my husband and became the heart of our work. He reminded me that the best conversations often happen around the kitchen table, shared over food. That simple insight became the seed for something bigger.

We developed the Listening Café, a ‘food for thoughts’ model that brings researchers into community spaces, connecting them with small groups of people from underserved communities for meaningful conversations.

Working closely with community partners, we created safe and welcoming environments where conversations could flourish. Community members with lived experience, who responded to the invitation, took part in two interactive, informal sessions (each lasting two hours). The sessions were carefully co-designed to encourage open discussion and meaningful opportunities to shape research, inform proposals, influence design and co-produce resources We achieved this by providing refreshments, agreeing ground rules and using supportive visual prompts, which enabled people to share their lived experiences, identify what matters most to them and contribute ideas for improvement. Our team’s name, The Finding Out Together Team was chosen deliberately to reflect shared learning and a message that ‘we’re in this together’.

Introducing Community Conversations

In August 2024, I took on a new role within the Research Support Service (RSS), University of Southampton and Partners (USP). We introduced Community Conversations; a community engagement and involvement approach grounded in the same principles as the Listening Cafe, designed specifically to involve communities underserved by research.

Like the Listening Café, Community Conversations brings researchers into community spaces for informal, interactive sessions over food and craft, creating opportunities for open dialogue and meaningful input. These conversations create opportunities to; hear from people whose voices are often missing from research, help to make research more inclusive and relevant, and shape and strengthen researchers’ funding applications.

What Community Conversations Look Like in Practice

Among the tower blocks in one of Southampton’s most deprived areas, we brought together four parents of preschool children with cow’s milk allergy and the lead researcher. Over food, we listened to parents’ challenging experiences, we heard about what matters most, we talked about GP consultations, referrals, and the diagnosis process. We did some craft, making motivational boxes. Two sessions, each, two hours long, proved invaluable for both the parents and the researcher.

At a local YMCA, we shared pizza with six young women in vulnerable circumstances and explored a novel medical device designed to improve childbirth outcomes. Across three two-hour sessions, we discussed birth perspectives, the device, barriers to recruitment and the recruitment journey. We did craft, making mini terrariums. These are just a few examples of the “how.” But just as important is the “after.” Researchers follow up later to share what happened next and how community input shaped the work. It’s simple, yet powerful, and deeply appreciated by those who take part.

At its heart, this approach has been built slowly and intentionally, with community partners, rooted in community spaces, building confidence and connections over time.

Reflections

This evolution has been shaped not only by practical experience but also by personal reflection. It’s been a difficult yet rewarding journey of reconciling traditional methods of public involvement with the realities of underserved communities. Public involvement is meant to be simple, but unnecessary complexity often excludes the very voices it aims to include. This tension became the driving force behind my commitment to find new ways of working, grounded in genuine connection, with people at the heart.

A key part of this has been working closely with community partners who are trusted within their neighbourhood. Their understanding of local needs, cultural dynamics and community priorities has been essential in building trust, reaching the right people and creating spaces where individuals feel safe, respected and willing to engage. This relationship-building takes time, but it is foundational to meaningful involvement.

Through this work, we also learned how important it is to create opportunities for peer support, allow people to meet others in similar situations and provide gentle signposting to information they may not otherwise access. Simple human elements, sharing food, being warm and consistent, recognising contributions and offering certificates that acknowledge skills in teamwork, listening and sharing ideas, helped people feel valued and part of something important. These moments often boosted confidence and self esteem.

As I continue this journey, I’m reminded that real involvement starts with listening. It’s not about perfect models or polished language, it’s about showing up, being curious, building rapport and creating space for voices that have long been left out. That’s what the Listening Café and Community Conversations are all about.

With enormous thanks and recognition to: Kate Henaghan Sykes, Public Partnerships Manager, including other colleagues at the Primary Care Research Centre (PCRC), University of Southampton, colleagues from the Wessex Public Involvement Network and the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC), Bristol and the team at Family Hub Pickles, Southampton.

(1) A practical guide to being inclusive in public involvement in health research Lessons learnt from the Reaching Out programme https://arc-nenc.nihr.ac.uk/resources/nihr-reaching-out-a-practical-guide-to-being-inclusive-in-public-involvement-in-health-research/