Stockport County Community Trust (SCCT), the official charity of Stockport County Football Club, is launching a dedicated programme for people to take part in health and care research at the club’s Edgeley Park stadium.

The NIHR (National Institute of Health Research) Research Delivery Network has funded the groundbreaking project which will be delivered in partnership with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.

The Stockport County Community Research Initiative will be launched at an event for project stakeholders and partners at Edgeley Park on Wednesday 12 November.

The club’s stadium will be a satellite venue for the community to visit and take part in NIHR-supported studies which align with the health challenges facing Stockport and its areas of deprivation, including Stockport Central, Brinnington, Lancashire Hill and Reddish.

Health and care research is key to developing new treatments, finding better ways to manage health conditions and providing better care. It also helps to prevent people from developing conditions in the first place.

However, it is common for people to not take part because of a misunderstanding about what health and care research is, how to get involved, or practical matters such as time and convenience. This new project has been designed to help overcome these obstacles.

Initially taking place over 12 months, activities will include engagement events on Stockport County matchdays to raise awareness and promote participation in research.

SCCT will also work with partners across the Stockport borough to extend opportunities across voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations.

NIHR funding has enabled the recruitment of a full-time Stockport County Research Lead to drive the project. They will work in partnership with the NIHR and the Research and Innovation department at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.

The project aligns with key NIHR objectives and the government’s 10 Year Health Plan to make research more accessible by expanding opportunities into the community away from hospitals and other traditional health and care settings.

SCCT are one of two football club charities to receive 2025/26 NIHR funding of this type, along with Blackburn Rovers Community Trust.

The initiative forms part of SCCT’s three-year health and wellbeing vision to help people live healthier lives by harnessing the reach of football and the club’s trusted place in the community.

Eddie Owen, Head of Health and Wellbeing at Stockport County Community Trust, said: “We’re really proud to be leading on this innovative health programme in Stockport, which perfectly aligns with our three-year health strategy to help tackle health inequalities across the borough. By working closely with the NIHR and Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, we hope to provide much-needed support to local residents, helping to detect illness early and provide practical health solutions within our local community.”

Professor Andy Ustianowski, Director of NIHR North West Regional Research Delivery Network, said: “We are excited to fund this innovative project which is a fantastic example of football as a force for good. Stockport County is a club at the heart of its community and has identified how it can play a key part in opening up opportunities for people to be part of vital health and care research. It fits ideally with our aim to take research into more everyday locations where it is easier for people to get involved.”

Sara Bennett, Lead Clinical Research Nurse at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with Stockport County Community Trust on this pioneering initiative. Research has the power to transform lives, but too often people face barriers that prevent them from taking part. By bringing opportunities to a place that is so central to the community, we can make research more accessible, inclusive, and relevant to the people it is designed to benefit. Football has a unique ability to bring people together, and through this collaboration we hope to spark conversations, raise awareness, and open the door for many more residents to get involved in shaping the future of healthcare. We are truly excited to see the positive impact this project will have across Stockport.”

The SCCT project will be encouraging people to sign-up to Be Part of Research, the NIHR’s free online service which makes it easy to find and take part in vital health and care research that is relevant and local to you.

In addition, people will have opportunities to take part in specific NIHR-supported research studies. The first is called Creating the Youth Loneliness Scale. This is a study looking to develop and test out a new way of measuring loneliness in young people. Participation involves young people, aged 10 to 24, completing a survey with questions about loneliness and other emotions and behaviours.