“For people like me, with a condition where quality of life is so important in amongst all the treatment options, I am grateful someone before me has been part of a trial or study.”

Rebecca Hemmings was one of many Walsall Pride visitors who spent time talking to staff from Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s Research and Development team and the Clinical Research Network West Midlands (CRM WM) at yesterday’s festival.

Staff hosted a Be Part of Research stand at the festival to share information and highlight opportunities to take part in research with those attending the event.

Rebecca, who was visiting with her youngest child Mia, five, and Mia’s friend Daisy-Ann, seven, has fibromyalgia, which causes widespread pain and tiredness,  and rheumatic arthritis. She explained she had been working with Pharmacists to change her medication.

“Often medication is just masking pain. For people like me, with a condition where quality of life is so important in amongst all the treatment options, I am grateful someone before me has been part of a trial or study,” she said.

“And it has set me thinking about how I could help someone else through research.”

Rebecca also gave feedback on her experience of Maternity Services as a wheelchair user and spoke to the Trust’s Patient Relations & Experience Team at the event.

Among the first visitors were Mark and Chris Reeves-Williams, who have been together 35 years and married for 14.

“I’ve had a quadruple heart bypass and appreciate the part research will have played in both treatment and recovery,” said Mark.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Walsall, Councillor Chris Towe and Louisa Hughes, and Wendy Morton MP for Aldridge-Brownhills spent some time at the stand.

Wendy said: “It was lovely to meet Claire from the Clinical Research Network West Midlands and Jade who works in Research and Development at Walsall Healthcare.

“We need to understand the research of today informs the treatments of tomorrow.”

Martin Bateman, Asda St Matthews Community Champion, has been taking part in the PRINCIPLE COVID-19 treatment trial.

More than 11,700 people nationally have participated in this trial to evaluate whether treatment administered in the early course of COVID-19 can help those at higher risk recover quickly, without the need for hospital admission.

“What I do today might help someone tomorrow,” he said.

Rob Chadwick, Senior Research Nurse at the Trust, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to talk to us at Walsall Pride. It was an amazing day, and we met some fantastic people.

“We hope we have encouraged more people to consider taking part in research here in Walsall, as well as in the wider West Midlands.”

Find out more on the Be Part of Research website.