Manchester’s Curry Mile hosts UK’s largest health research programme

The programme aims to transform the prevention, detection and treatment of conditions such as dementia, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. With the aim of recruiting up to five million volunteers right across the UK, the goal is to create one of the most detailed pictures ever of people’s health.    

Our Future Health needs volunteers who reflect the whole UK population so that all communities benefit. It is particularly focusing on recruiting within communities that have previously been underrepresented in health research, so is bringing mobile clinics into the heart of these communities, including Manchester’s Curry Mile.  

Representatives from Our Future Health will be on the Curry Mile on the 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th of April, offering a ‘chai and chat’, where locals can learn more about the programme and ask questions. The Curry Mile will host a mobile clinic from 24th April to 4th May, which will deliver volunteer appointments.

At their clinic appointment, as well as having a blood sample and some physical measurements taken, volunteers will be offered information about their own health, including their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In the future, volunteers will also be given the option to receive feedback about their risk of some diseases and have the opportunity to take part in further cutting-edge research studies.   

Anyone over the age of 18 can join by signing up online at www.ourfuturehealth.org.uk, completing an online health questionnaire and booking a short clinic appointment.

Dr Raghib Ali, Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer of Our Future Health, said: “We want to make it easier than ever for everyone across the UK to take part in health research, particularly people who may not have done something like this before. And to be able to help everyone live longer, healthier lives from the discoveries we make, we need people of all ages and backgrounds, from every part of the country to take part. 

“As someone from the Muslim community, I know that people like me have been under-represented in health research in the past, leading to significant health inequalities. Our Future Health aims to include people from all communities and as part of our efforts to achieve that goal we’re delighted to be hosting a clinic on Manchester’s bustling Curry Mile. This is a real opportunity for people from all backgrounds to do something positive that will help themselves, their families and their communities in the future.”

Photos and videos of the mobile clinics can be downloaded here.    

Ends

Contact: media@ourfuturehealth.org.uk  

Notes to editors

Interviews available with spokespeople and volunteers on request.    

Images and videos, credit to Our Future Health,  downloadable from here.    

YouTube link for mobile clinic video: https://youtu.be/uX1Nr5A6e54    

About Our Future Health

Our Future Health is a collaboration between the public, charity and private sectors to build the UK’s largest health research programme – bringing people together to develop new ways to prevent, detect and treat disease.    

Our Future Health is committed to the highest standards, policies and processes that protect participants’ confidentiality, whilst maximising the opportunity to help researchers to tackle serious diseases. Volunteers’ data will be de-identified and held securely in trusted research environments that meet strict security criteria. Our Future Health data and samples is only available to registered researchers conducting health research for the public good and is strictly controlled through an access process. All researchers will be held to the same standards.    

Our Future Health is a member of the UK Health Data Research Alliance, the independent alliance of leading healthcare and research organisations establishing best practice for the ethical use of UK health data for research at scale.    
    
Our Future Health is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number 12212468) and a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1189681) and OSCR, Scottish Charity Regulator (charity number SC050917).    

To sign up follow this link – or see our website for more information.