Visitors to this weekend’s Walsall Pride festival can find out all about clinical research and the studies taking place at the Manor Hospital and in its community services.

Staff from Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and the Clinical Research Network West Midlands (CRM WM) are hosting a Be Part of Research stand at the event, this Saturday 26 August, and will be on hand to share information and opportunities to take part in research with those attending the event.

Rob Chadwick, Senior Research Nurse at Walsall Healthcare, said: “It’s important for us to spread the word that anyone can be part of research and that it’s not all about drug trials.

“Research can take many forms such as questionnaires, trials of medical devices and observational studies and we will be happy to answer any questions Pride attendees may have.”

Carly Craddock, Chief Operating Officer of the CRN WM, added: “The COVID-19 pandemic meant a lot of people started to take notice of the research happening daily to save and improve lives.

“But there is also a lot of work in progress across the West Midlands to help it tackle its biggest health concerns such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, liver disease and respiratory disease, and Walsall Pride gives us the chance to highlight this as well as encouraging more participants.”

Walsall Pride is now in a new, bigger location at The Walsall Arboretum Extension, (Broadway North, WS1 2QB), Tickets can be booked here.  Find out more about the studies that people from all communities can get involved in on the Be Part of Research website.