Bringing research into the heart of Nottingham's Gambian community

Members of the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) Community Research Team attended Nottingham's annual Gambian Family Fun Day on 25^th July, bringing the Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) BioResource directly into the community.

Held at Melbourne Park, the event brought together members of Nottingham's Gambian community for a day of celebration, sport, food and community connection. Alongside the festivities, attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the IBHO BioResource and ask questions about health research, including how their participation can improve understanding of health conditions affecting Black African and Caribbean communities.

To make participation in research easier and more accessible, the Community Research Team, led by Kebba Konteh, Senior Clinical Research Officer within the Community Research Team at NUH, brought its mobile research unit directly to the event. Staffed by trained research professionals and equipped with onboard facilities, the unit enabled 10 people to provide consent and a saliva sample to join the IBHO BioResource on the day, a fantastic effort by all involved. This is also a great example of moving research from the hospital to the community, a key theme in the NIHR delivering on its role in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England.

Kebba Konteh, Senior Clinical Research Officer within the Community Research Team at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

It was fantastic to have the BBC and ITV attend to speak with Kebba and the event team and air the story on BBC East Midlands and ITV Central evening news.

Kebba Konteh at Nottingham Gambia Day - July 2026

Background to IBHO

Black communities have historically been underrepresented in research, limiting understanding of how certain health conditions develop and affect these populations.

The IBHO BioResource aims to improve health outcomes for Black African and Caribbean people living in the UK by providing a dedicated route for participation in research and strengthening understanding of how different health conditions affect these communities. More than 7,000 people across England have already joined IBHO, with about 1/3 living with Sickle Cell or Thalassaemia.

Researchers applying to the BioResource to conduct research may have a specific focus on Black health, or will now have 7,000 more Black participants to choose from, ensuring research is representative and the outcomes benefit all.

Nottingham is just one of 75 recruitment sites supporting the IBHO BioResource across England. Community events such as the Gambian Family Fun Day play an important role in helping ensure that research better reflects the diversity of the populations it seeks to serve while creating opportunities for more people to contribute to research that could benefit future generations.

There was also interest on the day in another NIHR BioResource programme active in Sheffield and nationally: D-CYPHR, the DNA, Children + Young People's Health Resource. D-CYPHR is for children aged 0-15, another population underrepresented in research.

The event highlighted the value of taking research into trusted community settings and creating opportunities for conversations outside traditional healthcare environments. Engaging people within their own communities can help raise awareness of research opportunities, reduce barriers to participation and build trust between researchers and communities.

The NIHR BioResource would like to thank the organisers, volunteers and everyone who took the time to speak with the research team throughout the day. Their interest, questions and willingness to engage are helping to support a more inclusive future for health research and improve health outcomes for Black communities.