Our communities

Who we serve

Across Rotherham, Doncaster, and South Humber, unmet mental and physical healthcare needs lie at the heart of our communities, impacting both patients and staff. The name Grounded Research reflects our commitment to conducting inclusive research that is deeply embedded in these communities, with the aim of making a meaningful, positive impact on people’s lives.

We believe research should be a collective effort, involving everyone. Our work is driven by the needs and inspirations of our communities, with research questions emerging from them, being relevant to them, and ultimately being embraced by them. To bring this vision to life, we take our research directly to the places where people live and interact, homes, places of worship, schools, shopping centres, and the Health Bus.

Grounded Research benefits from access to the trust’s Health Bus, a fully equipped and staffed mobile facility that allows us to take research into the heart of communities. These physical and mobile resources enable us to conduct research across the geography of our trust, meeting communities where they are. As our research and innovation initiatives expand, these resources will continue to evolve, deepening our connection with and impact on the communities we serve.

Grounded Research is dedicated to actively involving people in our work through public involvement and community engagement. We collaborate with the public, patients, carers, family members, representative groups, and clinical services to ensure they are directly engaged in research projects.

We piloted the national Research Ready Communities initiative to build stronger relationships with communities that are currently underrepresented in health and care research, increasing their access to valuable healthcare research opportunities.

Our patient research ambassadors (PRAs) are patients, carers, members of the public, and individuals who have previously participated in research studies, as well as those who haven’t. They play a crucial role in promoting and supporting both public and professional engagement in research. Volunteering their time, patient research ambassadors work to raise awareness about health and care research, particularly in groups that are less likely to participate.

The Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion (EMRI) network, in collaboration with the Yorkshire and Humber Research Delivery Network, consists of research staff and members of the public from across the region. We share a strong commitment to promoting health equality and work closely with the Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion Network to enhance access to, and representation in, healthcare research within ethnic minority communities.

Louis Palmer Clinical Studies Officer and Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion (EMRI) Hub Lead:

“As healthcare researchers we have a responsibility to deliver truly representative research, ensuring that the work we do is; inclusive of underrepresented groups, culturally sensitive, and accessible to those that need the benefits that health research can bring. The Ethnic Minority Research Inclusion strapline is ‘For health and care research to be effective, we need representation from all communities in all different types of research, so we know that if something works, it works for everyone’. This is something that fits with the ethos of Grounded Research, a team that always delivers research with the communities we serve in mind.”

Page last reviewed: September 09, 2025
Next review due: September 09, 2026