On 18th June 2025, researchers, clinicians, public contributors, and policymakers came together at the British Library for an inspiring day of knowledge exchange and collaboration focused on child and maternal health and wellbeing.
Hosted by the NIHR Children’s Health and Maternity National Priority Programme – co-led by PenARC and ARC Yorkshire and Humber – the event spotlighted cutting-edge research and real-world impact in areas such as maternity care, neonatal care, mental health, public health, and special educational needs.
With approximately 120 attendees and a packed agenda of talks, panel discussions, and poster presentations, the day fostered meaningful dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and the communities their work is designed to serve.
“The sessions were thoughtfully curated, and I really appreciated the opportunities to connect with others in the field. It was a valuable and enjoyable experience” (Attendee)
The event opened with a warm welcome from Professor Marian Knight MBE, followed by a compelling keynote address from Baroness Anne Longfield CBE. Her rallying call to attendees – “Now is the time” – set the tone for a day filled with insight, ambition, and action to improve the mental and physical health of children and young people.
Exploring Innovation in Research
The morning programme offered a wide range of sessions for attendees to choose from, covering innovations in:
- Maternity care and pregnancy
- Paediatric and mental health services
- Public health initiatives
- Support for children with special educational needs
Key PenARC-aligned research projects featured during the day included:
- The RIVA Study – Exploring the role of healthcare-based Independent Domestic Violence Advisor (IDVA) services in maternity care, presented by Dr Kylee Trevillion.
- BRUSH – A project to optimise toothbrushing programmes in nurseries and schools, led by Prof Peter Day, Prof Zoe Marshman, and Dr Kara Gray-Burrows. Read more about the impact of BRUSH here. Access the free Supervised Toothbrushing Toolkit here.
- ESMI-III – Investigating the implementation and effectiveness of maternal mental health services, presented by Dr Abigail Easter.
- The ADaPT Project – Delivering evidence-based mental health support to care-experienced young people, led by Prof Rachel Hiller.
You can read more about the wide range of research presented here.
Posters, Networking, and Collaboration
Over lunch, attendees explored more than 20 research posters, engaging with a diverse range of topics—from enhancing public involvement in research using digital tools, to assessing the effectiveness of social prescribing for children on CAMHS waiting lists, to evaluating the Creating Active Schools initiative in Bradford.
You can read more about the wide range of research on display here.
Spotlight on Public Involvement and Lived Experience
A standout moment of the day was the Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) session, which emphasised the importance of co-production and integrating lived experience into health research.
Speakers Naomi Morley, Shafiq Ahmed, Dorcas Akeju OBE, and Saiqa Ahmed shared powerful reflections on involving the public in research around sensitive issues, reminding the audience that “it is everyone’s civil right to be heard.”
Later in the session, Hina Qureshi and Kara Gray-Burrows provided insights into how the BRUSH project incorporated children’s voices to shape and improve oral health programmes: “At the heart of this, we wanted the children’s voice.”
To close the session, Beccy Summers, Saiqa Ahmed, and Hina Qureshi presented a moving exploration of poetry as a tool for enabling public contributors to share their experiences “from the heart.” The session was met with a warm round of applause and sparked thoughtful questions from the audience.
“I really enjoyed the conversation about public involvement in sensitive research topics and the steps we can do to make the relationship not based on extraction or exploitation” (Attendee)
Closing Reflections and a Call to Action
The event concluded with a lively panel discussion chaired by Professor Stuart Logan. The expert panel included:
- Professor Ruth Gilbert – Clinical Epidemiologist, UCL Institute of Child Health
- Dr John McDermott – NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer, Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine
- Donna Molloy, OBE – Deputy Chief Executive, Foundations – What Works Centre for Children and Families
- Professor Monica Lakhanpaul – Integrated Community Child Health, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute
- Dr Sarah Robinson – Director of Delivery, Health Innovation East and Implementation Lead, NIHR ARC East of England
Themes from the discussion included the importance of:
- Thinking creatively to meet the health and care needs of children
- Cross-sector collaboration and learning from existing successes
- Building lasting relationships between researchers and policymakers to ensure evidence directly informs policy
As the event drew to a close, attendees returned to the poster displays and took the opportunity to connect and reflect. The atmosphere was one of optimism and shared purpose, with a collective commitment to translating research into real-world impact.
“It was a fantastic event. So well organised, great venue, great speakers, lovely friendly atmosphere. I hope you run a similar event again in the future!” (Attendee)
Thank You
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all presenters, contributors, and attendees for making this event such a success – and to the NIHR for supporting this important day of learning and connection.
Watch a video about the event here.
Authors
Dr Gretchen Bjornstad
Senior Research Fellow / Programme Manager