Norwich Research Park will be hosting a Black Health and Research Conference on Wednesday 23 October as part of UK Black History Month.
It is the first event of its kind to be held at Norwich Research Park and is being led by the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic campus representatives group, established by Anglia Innovation Partnership, the campus management company. This free event will take place at the Benjamin Gooch Lecture Theatre at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) on Wednesday 23 October, 9.30am-6.30pm.
Attendees will hear from a number of speakers from the campus community’s practitioners, science and research experts. It will provide a platform for their work and will consider inequalities in access to healthcare. The presentations will cover three main topics – maternity, birthing and early parenthood; mental health challenges and outcomes; and diversity in research, science and health.
The day will start with welcoming speeches from Roz Bird, CEO, Anglia Innovation Partnership, and Roberta Hook, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, NNUH and Chair of the NNUH Together Staff Network. The day will include talks from other members of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic campus representatives group.
Roberta said: “I’m thrilled that we are hosting this conference, which is being supported by Norwich Research Park and includes some incredible speakers who are nationally and internationally renowned in their fields of expertise.
“Evidence shows that black people are less likely to seek mental health treatment, but more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act. When it comes to maternity care, black women are five times more likely to die in childbirth and have adverse maternal outcomes. And, in research and science, a very small percentage of the population are black academic researchers or professors. We are looking forward to discussing these immensely important topics with our panel of experts from across the research park and NHS.”
Roz said, “People and community are the ‘silver bullet’ that makes our research and innovation campus successful. With 30,000 people on site, every day, at the hospital, university, four research institutes and at over 40 companies, Norwich Research Park has a diverse talent pool and an amazing growth trajectory. Harnessing that sense of community is at the heart of what we offer and will be the key to our future collective success.
“That is why it so important that we do whatever we can to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to the fabulous research that is undertaken here at Norwich Research Park. At, Anglia Innovation Partnership, we have worked closely with the LGBTQ+ and the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups to support new events that will significantly raise the profile and voice of these minority groups across the campus. I believe that this event will be a keystone in our efforts to address, head-on, some of the issues faced by the Black community so that we can continue our progress towards greater inclusivity.”
The event is open to the public. To register click here.
