Greater Manchester health research festival to celebrate NHS’ 75 birthday

A health research festival for all the family will give people the chance to learn about and get involved in health and care research which can shape the future of the NHS. 

Everyone is welcome at the free-to-attend event which is being held to coincide with celebrations of the NHS' 75th birthday. It will take place on the market place outside the town hall, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6DL, on Saturday 8 July 2023. 

The drop-in event will be open between 11am and 2pm, with fun, games and exhibitions running throughout the day. The event is suitable for all ages and will be opened by the Civic Mayor of Tameside, Councillor Tafheen Sharif. The NIHR’s state-of-the-art Greater Manchester research van will be in attendance. 

The festival is the third to be organised by Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester, part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). This one is in collaboration with Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust. 

Attendees can learn how research contributes to the NHS by saving lives and money. The event will also demonstrate how, on the 75th anniversary of the NHS being founded right here in Greater Manchester, people can shape the NHS of the future by being part of research.

Throughout the event, there will be the opportunity to take part in a number of research studies looking at a range of conditions. People can also sign-up to hear about other upcoming opportunities to be part of research which is taking place in Greater Manchester to help discover new ways to prevent, diagnose and manage illnesses. 

People who attend will also have access to free health checks and the opportunity to meet local community health and wellbeing support organisations. They will be on hand to speak with people about free-to-access support services. 

Susan Neeson, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at NIHR Clinical Research Network Greater Manchester, said:

“We hope lots of people can join us for our third research festival which we have organised as part of our celebrations of the NHS’ 75th birthday. The NHS was launched here in Greater Manchester at Park Hospital, now Trafford General, and we are looking forward to marking the occasion with a family event like this where everyone can have the opportunity to be part of research which can help us to shape the future of the NHS for generations to come. 

“The festival in Ashton will give us the opportunity to inform people about research and a variety of other health services available in the local area. There will also be fun and games for all the family.”  

Be part of research

Further information is available on the festival Eventbrite page, although people do not have to register their attendance - everyone is welcome to drop-in on the day. 

In the meantime, people can sign-up to hear about different types of research they can get involved with in Greater Manchester by visiting Research for the Future or Be Part of Research.