Community leadership in research: what changes when communities shape what happens next?

What does it really mean for communities to lead, influence and share power in research? At September’s GM Research Engagement Network Forum, researchers, VCFSE partners and community representatives came together to discuss the first pillar of the GM Respectful Research Charter: Community Leadership.  

At its heart, community leadership means that research should be shaped by the priorities, knowledge and lived experience of the people it is about and for. The Forum explored how this approach can help research move beyond consultation and towards shared decision-making, stronger relationships and work that better reflects the realities of people’s lives. 

What we heard  

Trust has to come before research 

Trusted relationships cannot be rushed. Some communities have long-standing reasons to feel cautious about research, particularly where previous experiences have felt extractive, tokenistic or disconnected from community priorities. Researchers need to take time to listen, understand local context and build relationships before arriving with a research agenda. 

Fear can play a role in preventing community leadership in research, experienced both by research organisations (relinquishing power and getting things wrong), and by community leaders, who might lack confidence in research spaces. Professional humility, cultural humility and taking the time listen and build relationships will help to overcome these fears. 

Stories help show what data can miss 

The Forum spoke about the value of storytelling in helping people feel heard in ways that go beyond surveys, forms or tick boxes. Stories can reveal everyday barriers, strengths and priorities that may not be visible in formal data. But people also need to know that sharing their story will lead to something meaningful. Listening must be connected to action, feedback and visible change. 

Words such as “leadership” can mean different things to different communities. For some people, the term may carry pressure or negative associations, particularly if it suggests that one person is expected to speak on behalf of a whole community. “Changemaker” may feel more accessible and comfortable. 

Power needs to be named and shared 

The Forum reflected on the need to move away from taking research “to” communities and towards developing research “with” communities. This means starting conversations earlier, working with people to define the scope of research, and creating space for communities to influence decisions throughout the process. The language of research needs to be more accessible. Sharing skills is a good place to start building relationships - looking for opportunities to exchange knowledge and building research capacity in communities. 

Some people may sit in both worlds: as researchers, practitioners, community members and advocates. An asset-based approach that recognises community knowledge, skills and capacity shifts away from focusing only on barriers to engagement.   

Why this matters 

Community leadership is more than involvement. It is about shifting power so that communities are not simply asked to comment on research, but are involved in shaping priorities, defining questions, designing approaches, interpreting findings and deciding what happens next. 

This is where the Respectful Research Charter can add real value. It gives researchers and community partners a shared language for talking about trust, expectations, power and mutual benefit and supports us to ask better questions at the start of a partnership: Who has shaped the research priorities? Whose voices are missing? What support do community partners need to take part confidently? How will people know what difference their involvement has made?  

GM REN Forum plays a connecting role across Greater Manchester. It creates space for researchers, VCFSE organisations and community partners to learn from each other, share skills and build relationships that are not dependent on one project or one individual. 

Together, we can make community leadership more visible, accessible and valued within health and care research.

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