It’s good to talk… and that’s exactly why we decided to embark on our event series Talking Spaces. The idea was to take the discussion about organ donation and transplantation research out of the laboratory and into community spaces. Talking about these topics can be challenging and emotional but we hoped that by focusing the events around activities such as sports, games and crafting it would make discussions easier. To appeal to as wide an audience as possible many different activities were offered, from a walk along the North Tyneside coast to surfing, board games, quizzes, gardening and dancing.
Talking Spaces ran throughout 2023 and all the events were well attended. The unstructured nature of the group discussion allowed attendees to ask their questions and steer the conversation into new and interesting places. For example, attendees talked about the religious perspectives of organ donation, the myths and misinformation that can surround this area of medicine and research, and, of course, their own personal experiences.
A vital component of these events was the presence of a transplant patient, carer, donor family member or BTRU researcher. These perspectives were incredibly powerful and added weight to the discussions.
‘I think it’s one thing for us [the BTRU Engagement Team] to go out and talk to the public about organ donation and transplantation but it has more impact when a patient, carer, donor family member or researcher is present. Having the confidence to tell their story, to share it with a group of strangers, can help to dispel myths and start a conversation which we hope continues once everyone goes home.’ Hannah Murray, PPIE Lead
A big thank you to everyone who came to the Talking Spaces events and a special thank you goes to the members of the BTRU’s Engagement Team for all their hard work to make it such a success.
