In the last edition of our newsletter Simon Denegri, our Chair, reported on our new Strategic Plan. Building on this we have now developed our Operational / working plan for 2012-13 which is available on our website. We will be adding further information about our work plans and activities throughout the year, so do look in the About INVOLVE part of our website (www.invo.org.uk/about-involve/) to find out more.

This year is our eighth biennial conference which will be held in Nottingham on 13 and 14 November. Bookings are now open for this and further information is available in this newsletter and on the conference website (www.profbriefings.co.uk/involve2012/)

If you are interested in attending, do register as soon as you can as places are filling up fast. 

We are continuing to add new information and areas to our website. As part of our online Resource for researchers we have just added a new supplement – Strategies for diversity and inclusion in public involvement . Other supplements will follow. We have also just produced a further new publication –Public involvement in research: impact on ethical aspects of research. This document illustrates how public involvement throughout a study can help to make research more ethical. Over the coming months we will be developing an online map providing a directory of local and national networks, groups and organisations that support public involvement activities. We will update you further in future editions of the newsletter.

One of the other key areas of work important to INVOLVE is working with partners to support them in their plans for public involvement.

As well as working with colleagues within the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) we have also been linking with others. For example, we are currently supporting the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in the recently announced ESRC and NIHR initiative to fund social science research on dementia.

We are also working closely with the newly established Health Research Authority to help them in developing their patient and public involvement strategy.

We hope you enjoy reading the newsletter and do let us know of any public involvement activities you are involved with so that we can share them with others.