HEER 20th Anniversary and Spotlight celebration

Help from Experts by Experience for Researchers (HEER) is a group of people with lived experience of mental health problems as service users or carers. The group was initially set up in 2006; soon after it led the Bridge to Recovery study looking at barriers to activities that benefit recovery in mental health.

The group’s main purpose today is to provide guidance and support to researchers (Trust staff and external researchers) which helps to shape and improve mental health research. Now in its 20th year the group is going from strength to strength. The ongoing commitment of these group members and the researchers looking to improve their studies have kept this group moving forward.

The group ensures that the needs and requirements of those participating in research are considered, helping to make the research as accessible as possible. Over two decades the group has contributed to around 100 regional and national research projects meeting both in person and online more than 160 times.

It is hard to measure the impact of the group, but the feedback received from researchers attending speaks for itself:

“The HEER session was fantastic. They were really switched on, they already had concern about life expectancy differences and risk of heart disease and were genuinely excited about the project. I got lots to use in my PPIE section and it’s reframed the research for me.”

Ele Booth, researcher, May 2025

“One of the most useful PPI meetings I’ve been to”.

Kate Farley, Research Fellow at University of Leeds, October 2019.

On 13th May 2026 we held a celebratory event in the Becklin Centre. Along with HEER members, staff from the Research and Development department, our colleagues from the Patient Experience Team and our Chief Executive Officer, Sara Munro joined. This event was to celebrate what the group has achieved in 20 years and to show our appreciation as a research and development department. As part of this the group received a Trust Spotlight award recognising the group’s outstanding contribution in shaping inclusive and patient-centred mental health research. We were pleased to present members with a trophy for their contribution, and they also received a certificate and voucher.

The event opened with a look back at the changing nature of the group and developed into a discussion about the culture of patient and public involvement in general. Everyone present agreed that things have changed a lot in the world of ‘involvement’ – for the better! Members spoke about the increasing use of lay people in the design, direction and delivery of responsible and accessible research – research that answers questions but also makes it as relevant as possible for the people involved.

The atmosphere on the day was warm and welcoming, with a real sense of pride in everything members have achieved over the past 20 years. Group members came together in a friendly and open way, sharing stories and reflecting on their journey with a sense of humility despite their many successes. There was a genuine feeling of connection in the room, with people clearly valuing each other’s contributions and experiences. Guests spoke about how grateful they were to be invited, and several commented on how inspiring it was to see such a dedicated group of people working together to shape research. Overall, the event felt relaxed, positive and full of appreciation, making it a fitting way to celebrate such an important milestone.

We’d like to thank all the group members for their contributions, the staff and researchers bringing their wide-ranging mental health study questions, our Head of Department for continuing to support this group and our former Head of Department Dr Virginia Minogue for founding this group in 2006.

We’re celebrating the HEER group’s 20th Anniversary in various ways throughout the year. Stay on the lookout for HEER presence at Trust event. You can also ready more about what the group has achieved in Issue 57 of Innovation magazine released in July 2026.

You can find out more about the group by watching this video: https://youtu.be/kenZFQCdUrA?si=05zf_ugsrSI1_8gy or visiting: https://www.leedsandyorkpft.nhs.uk/research/for-service-users-and-carers/get-involved-the-heer-group/