16 October 2026

A community-led research agenda for healthy ageing

Researchers joined together with older adults and partners from across South Yorkshire to lay the groundwork for a new community-driven research agenda for healthy ageing.

Organised by the Collaborative Older Adults Research Network (COARN), the interactive workshop brought together local residents and key regional organisations to ensure future academic work directly reflects the real-world priorities of older adults.

Co-led by Dr Dan Hayman and Dr Lucie Nield, the workshop created a dedicated space for open dialogue on the realities of growing older. Attendees explored how older adults are perceived in society - both positively and negatively - the day-to-day physical realities of ageing, and the specific aspects of ageing they feel are most important to improve to lead to healthier, more fulfilling lives as they age.

Dr Hayman said: “The workshop was an excellent example of how social and lab-based ageing researchers can work together to learn from people who have lived experience of ageing. The opinions shared with us will be used to inform future research into healthy ageing and keep us connected to the communities our research aims to serve.”

Representatives from prominent local and national groups including Sheffield 50+, Age UK, and U3A all contributed to the discussions, helping align research goals with existing community support networks.

The live-drawing company Studio Noodle captured the proceedings in real time. As attendees shared their experiences and insights, Studio Noodle translated the discussions into live illustrations visible to the room. This visual scribing allowed participants to watch their contributions take shape instantly, helping synthesise complex discussions into accessible visual guidelines.

Dr Nield said: “This was a great opportunity to reawaken the network and provide future research direction for those of us working across the South Yorkshire region and beyond. Transdisciplinary research networks such as COARN which include the voice of people with lived experience are invaluable in promoting implementable research and lead to real world changes to policy and practice.”

The findings and artwork generated during the workshop are set to have a direct, lasting impact on the field. By using the live scribing provided by Studio Noodle, transforming the collaborative discussions into illustrations that can now be distributed to researchers and charities, guiding the field toward what older adults care about most.

The live drawings from the workshop can be found below.