From Tuesday 9th to Sunday 14th September, the NIHR BioResource Newcastle team participated in Newcastle University’s International Welcome Freshers Week. In collaboration with the NIHR Research Delivery Network, the team operated from the Newcastle Community Health Bus, Monty, to engage with incoming students and raise awareness about the vital role of health research, particularly promoting the Improving Black Health Outcomes (IBHO) BioResource.
This six-day initiative formed part of the GP Health Fair 2025, which supports students in registering with a local GP and introduces them to a wide range of internal and external wellbeing services available throughout their time at university.
The Newcastle BioResource team worked alongside the NIHR Research Delivery Network colleagues aboard Monty, a health and research unit on wheels that has been enhancing research accessibility and community engagement across the North East and North Cumbria since August 2024. For the duration of Freshers Week, Monty was stationed at Newcastle University’s vibrant City Centre Campus, adjacent to the student unions, an ideal location for connecting with the student community.
Despite intermittent heavy rainfall, the team successfully successfully engaged with a large number of students, many of whom expressed interest in the IBHO programme. If you haven’t heard of IBHO, there is a quick summary below.
By the end of Freshers’ week, dozens of new first-year students expressed interest in joining and the first clinic appointments are already underway. Five participants were enrolled directly on the bus during the event.
Newly-joined volunteer, Trikeita, age 42, pictured above (left), said:
"I’m taking part in IBHO because I want to help improve treatments and care for Black communities in the UK.
"I’ve personally experienced how Black people face health inequalities and poorer outcomes—especially in maternity care—and I want to be part of the change."
What is IBHO?
The IBHO BioResource is a national research programme led by the NIHR BioResource in collaboration with Genomics England and is dedicated to improving our knowledge and understanding of health conditions and their unique impacts on Black communities. The programme invites individuals aged 16 and over from Black African, Black Caribbean, and Black British backgrounds to participate, regardless of health status. Those diagnosed with sickle cell or thalassaemia are also eligible to join, irrespective of ethnicity. By contributing a blood or saliva sample and completing a health and lifestyle questionnaire, participants play a vital role in shaping inclusive and representative healthcare research. Our aim is to facilitate research across a range of conditions that particularly impact Black communities such as mental health, sickle cell, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.
Since launching in 2024 an amazing 4,000 volunteers have consented to join IBHO, with nearly 1,500 volunteers living with sickle cell.
How to Get Involved
If you are a student or member of the public interested in learning more or signing up, visit the IBHO BioResource webpage.
Check out our dedicated IBHO BioResource YouTube playlist that hosts all content surrounding IBHO, health research, sickle cell, our partnership with Genomics England, and more.
Join the IBHO BioResource today
Complete our short online form to register your interest and check available locations to provide a sample
