North West research collaboration uses The Heath for key winter event

Runcorn: January 8th, 2025: The Applied Research Collaboration North West Coast (ARC NWC) hosted its latest ARCFEST in December at The Heath, Runcorn. 

The quarterly event moves around the region and the Cheshire venue was chosen for the hybrid event which hosted over 180+ people both on/offline.

ARC NWC aims to improve outcomes for patients and the public through collaboration working by bringing together academics, health and social care providers, members of the public, universities and local authorities.

Content for the December ARCFEST focused on renewal of the organisation’s work post March 2026, collaborating on the content for a new bid proposal to secure additional funding.

The organisation’s vision is to improve the quality, delivery and efficiency of health and care services in the North West by reducing health inequalities and increasing the sustainability of the health and care system both locally and nationally.

Sian Cunningham, Communications Officer for ARC NWC, said: “The Heath itself was outstanding, offering spacious and modern facilities that were perfectly equipped for both in-person and online participation. The high-quality Wi-Fi bandwidth catered to our needs, ensuring seamless connectivity for all attendees. The venue’s accessibility and central location made it easy for participants to travel, and a minibus was provided for transport from the train station, ensuring everyone got to the venue who came by train, which was a nice additional benefit.”

Catering was additionally commissioned as attendees were directed towards using the Events Hall.

Sian added: “The food was exceptional, with a variety of options that catered to all dietary requirements and allergens, ensuring all attendees felt comfortable and well-served. The staff were incredibly flexible and attentive, making sure the event ran smoothly from start to finish. We are grateful to Anthony and his team for ensuring the event ran smoothly.”

Support was provided for the hybrid facilities company to access the room in advance and enabled them to have the necessary time to set-up and ensure the event ran smoothly for those attending online.

The venue has been utilised numerous times by ARC NWC’s own members, further reinforcing the community-driven approach that underpins ARC NWC’s selection of venues and locations for its engagement work.