PPI Ignite Festival featured in the School of Public Health Newsletter

The PPI Ignite Festival was featured in Issue 37 of the School of Public Health Newsletter, highlighting a range of national and local events that took place between May and November 2025. These events showcased innovative approaches to PPI across research, including webinars, community engagement activities, workshops, and collaborative initiatives, all aimed at strengthening meaningful public involvement in health research.

The PPI Ignite Festival was recently featured in Issue 37 of the School of Public Health Newsletter, which captures key events, achievements, research grants, and publications from May to November 2025. The festival, held annually in October, is coordinated by the PPI Ignite Network and brings together researchers, PPI contributors, community organisations, and institutions from across Ireland to celebrate innovation and progress in PPI.

A diverse programme of national events highlighted the breadth of PPI activity. One such event, “PPI Through the Research Cycle in Palliative Care Research – How to Maximise Impact,” brought together 39 participants, including early career researchers and professionals from a variety of disciplines. Hosted by the All Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC), the webinar explored how to understand and maximise PPI impact across the research cycle, featuring expert speakers and a panel discussion informed by AIIHPC’s PPI Impact Evaluation Framework.

Another national event, “Inside a YPAG: A Lunch & Learn Webinar on Youth Involvement in Research,” offered valuable insights into the role of Young Persons Advisory Groups (YPAGs) in shaping research. Hosted by the INFANT Research Centre and In4Kids, the session provided practical perspectives from both researchers and coordinators working with young people.

Locally, a wide range of events demonstrated meaningful engagement with communities and PPI contributors. A PPI Partnership Kick-Off Event marked a new collaboration between the Clinical Pharmacy group and the Department of General Practice, aiming to ensure that research is shaped by patient and public perspectives. The SCOPE project hosted a “Lunch and Learn” event to celebrate the contributions of mothers involved in childhood obesity prevention research, gathering reflections that will inform future outputs.

Community engagement was a key theme throughout the festival. The “A Seat at the Table” event, hosted by the Food Policy Research Team, facilitated open discussions around healthy eating, highlighting real-world challenges such as the cost of living and misinformation. The event also successfully encouraged new public involvement, with several attendees expressing interest in joining a PPI panel.

Similarly, the Breastfeeding Research Coffee Morning in Tralee created a welcoming, family-friendly space for engagement. Co-created with PPI contributors, the event allowed families to share their experiences while contributing to a creative project that illustrated the economic value of breastfeeding, collectively estimated at over €450,000.

The festival also featured the PPI in PhD Research Symposium, hosted by the PPI Ignite Network @ UCC. This event brought together researchers, students, and PPI contributors for a day of learning and collaboration. With a keynote on “The Human Face of Research” and interactive workshops, the symposium emphasised the importance of embedding meaningful PPI in research practice. Additional festival activities included an Introduction to PPI workshop and a Shared Learning Group session for PhD researchers, further supporting capacity building in PPI.

Overall, the PPI Ignite Festival highlighted the growing momentum and impact of PPI across Ireland. Through a combination of national webinars, community events, and academic discussions, the festival demonstrated the value of collaboration, inclusivity, and shared learning in advancing health research.