A message from Bella Starling
She shares her reflections as she begins a new chapter
The time has come for me to step away as Director of Vocal, onto pastures new. As I finish up, it is, of course, the people that I will miss the most. Which leads me to reflect on the human connections that have been, and will continue to be, so important to me and to the work of Vocal.
“We’ve come a long, long way together”
When I arrived in Manchester in 2009, patient and public engagement in health research was emerging. What a difference as I leave in 2025! A vibrant community of people and practice innovating, collaborating and caring for each other across the city region and beyond. It’s been a huge step change in embedding equitable partnerships and relational approaches in health research.
While I can, hand on heart, say that that Vocal has been central to this transformation and cultural change, it has only been possible with the many people who have also been a part of it: patients, carers and community partners; NHS, University and community researchers and leaders; admin, finance and data wranglers; creative, culture and third sector specialists. Too many to list here, but you know who you are!
“Through the good times and the bad”
My personal highlights? Being able to innovate inclusion in my practice through a Wellcome Engagement Fellowship from 2016; the Black and Asian Research Advisory Group winning Community Initiative of the Year in 2023; going global with The AudioLab project at Falling Walls, and the Planet-DIVOC-91 comic co-created with young people in South Africa, India and the UK; being a part of so many successful research grant applications, research infrastructure and programmes of work; setting up Vocal Collective, a social enterprise sister to Vocal.
The bad? COVID, of course, and losing a dear friend and team member. The decimation of the engagement workforce during that time, alongside the accompanying wider realisation of the importance of working collaboratively to address health inequalities, inclusion and research impact.
Where is there still progress to be made? Achieving equitable research continues to require culture change. Many organisations resist sharing power by maintaining traditional hierarchies, structures and systemic discrimination. I’d love to see involvement and equity more fully embedded within the strategy and governance of health research, as well as in its design and development; and, please, can we all value our engagement workforce – the connectors, the alchemists, the liminal space workers - and their unique expertise, a bit more?
“I need to celebrate you baby, I need to praise you like I should”
In 2017, Vocal held a celebration event for all public, patient, community and research partners that we worked with at that time. It was an event of joy, creativity and humility. Now, I think we’d struggle to find a venue big enough to hold all of us so I praise and thank you all virtually – and especially Vocal team members past, present and future. Vocal will celebrate its continued success with confidence, independence and maturity long after I leave. I’m delighted that Annie Keane becomes Interim Director of Vocal.
A call to (continued) action
The music buffs among you will recognise the lyrics above – borne from songs and social movements celebrating justice, a sense of community, respect and acceptance. So my call to Vocal and its allies: stand fast, stay resolute and continue to celebrate the importance of human connection. And I promise to continue to effect change towards what we all care about in my new role.
