Knowledge Cafés: Fostering Collaboration through Conversations that Matter
by Sasho Marinov
We successfully hosted stakeholder events across our three study sites: Govanhill, Luton, and Peterborough engaging a diverse range of professional and community stakeholders in exploring ways to address health inequalities in mid-to-later life among Roma communities using a knowledge café format.
Why a knowledge café? This approach aims to create an informal and welcoming atmosphere sharing knowledge and sparking ideas. Delegates are encouraged to move freely, enjoy light refreshments, and engage in meaningful dialogue to the backdrop of relaxing café music.
A Unique Experience for Connection and Dialogue
Each table was set with tablecloths, flowers, and ‘menus.’ These menus not only set the scene with café-themed rules but also presented the core discussion topics – or ‘courses.’ As participants discussed, their insights were captured directly on the tablecloths with coloured pens and sticky notes.
At the close of each course, facilitators gathered feedback to share with the whole group before participants were encouraged to move tables, meet and interactions with new colleagues. This setup fostered an environment where voices were heard, ideas flowed freely, and collaborative dialogue emerged naturally.
Diverse Participation and Key Outcomes
Across these events, we engaged with over 60 delegates from a wide range of organisations, including:
Local councils and councillors
NHS and Integrated Care Boards
Police and ambulance services
Higher education institutions
Charities, NGOs, and Roma community researchers
The discussions yielded valuable insights related to the main concerns, challenges & opportunities, for improving healthy ageing for Romani communities in mid to later life in the UK. Challenges and barriers included the stigma that many Roma face when engaging with service providers, the absence of Roma voices in decision-making and policy design, and a lack of broader cultural recognition of the diverse health and wellbeing needs of Roma people. In addressing health inequities, there was a strong sentiment that the ‘values and assets’ within the Roma community, such as social networks, family ties, and cultural heritage, should be acknowledged.
Beyond the formal outcomes, these events proved invaluable for building connections. Stakeholders discovered ‘who’s who’ in the room, learned about other organisations’ efforts, and explored ways to complement and support each other’s work.
In Govanhill, we added a creative layer by involving a graphic illustrator who visually captured the discussion to enrich the dialogue and share messages across groups.
Looking Ahead
More events of this kind are planned in future phases of the project, and we are looking forward to building on this foundation of knowledge and collaboration. We are extremely grateful to everyone who participated, for their dedication, willingness to engage, and commitment to creating positive change for ageing Roma communities in the UK. These knowledge cafés provided an opportunity to connect and collaborate with colleagues and work together to find solutions through shared understanding and partnership.
