Frayme (a KMb intermediary organization in Canada) sent three members to the UK KMb Forum. Given that this was our first international in-person conference together, we were unsure of what to expect. Everyone at the UK KMb Forum was very welcoming, accommodating and opening to sharing their knowledge and insights. We loved the small, intimate feel of the forum as it allowed for personalized networking opportunities. The workshops were highly informative and engaging, and the Knowledge Fayres were a fun way to learn about a number of innovative KMb initiatives. We also appreciated the keynote speakers, as it gave all participants a chance to learn together and ask questions. The networking opportunities (e.g. the historic walking tour of Liverpool’s docklands areas) allowed an informal space to connect with new friends and discuss our KMb work outside of presentation topics. Lastly, the venue was incredible, and steeped with community heritage – a social and educational hub is the perfect venue for knowledge sharing! Thank you for an amazing event and we hope to be back again soon.
Travis Sztainert
I have spent the last 30 years working in public health teams, providing various bits of information to various people for various reasons and generally pushing paper – now emails – around the system to varying effect. As I’ve got older and more experienced, my thoughts have turned to why certain activities have had more impact on local policy and practice than others. That’s where this year’s UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum comes in. Assessing and creating the conditions that lead to greater impact were key themes running through this year’s Forum. These were addressed by Keynote Speakers and in the poster plenaries, workshops and knowledge fayres. The material really resonated with me and was in tune with the sorts of questions that I have started to ask myself professionally. As a first time attender at the Forum, I was slightly worried how ‘academic’ the subject matter would be and whether it would be full of high-brow theory lacking in practical application. I quickly realised this was not the case and the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere meant that I could also actively contribute to discussions. I came away from the Forum realising that “knowledge mobilisation” is banner under which I can place the sorts of questions I am interested in exploring further and that there is a wider community of research and practice out there to help me do so.
Neill Bendel