Why the ADR UK Conference 2025 matters: A public perspective
Categories: Blogs, Public engagement, Events, Conferences, ADR Wales, YDG Cymru, ADR UK Partnership
4 September 2025
This blog features an interview with Sienna-Mae Yates, a member of the ADR UK Conference 2025 Scientific Committee. Sienna-Mae brings an important perspective as a public contributor, helping ensure that the voices of people and communities are represented in discussions about research and data.
In this interview, she shares why she chose to get involved, what she hopes the conference will achieve, and why having the public at the table is so important.
Why did you choose to get involved as a member of the public on the conference’s Scientific Committee?
When I first said yes to joining the ADR UK Conference 2025 Scientific Committee as a public contributor, I honestly wasn’t sure what I was stepping into. I didn’t have a background in data or research. I just knew I cared about how decisions get made, especially when they affect people like me and the communities I’m part of.
I’d been involved in public involvement work before - but this felt a bit bigger, a bit more serious, and also a real chance to shape something meaningful from the start. What made me want to be part of it was simple: I wanted to help make sure the public wasn’t just spoken about, but spoken with.
In your view, why is it important that the public has a voice in conferences like this?
Having the public involved isn’t just about fairness, though that matters too. It’s about making the research better. More grounded. More relevant.
I’ve seen firsthand how a simple question from a public contributor - like “but what would that actually mean for someone on Universal Credit?” or “how would a carer find out about this?” - can open up a whole new way of thinking for a research team. Sometimes the questions we ask are the ones others didn’t even realise needed asking, and that’s where public insight becomes invaluable.
How do you think conferences like the ADR UK Conference 2025 can help ensure that research genuinely benefits people and communities?
The ADR UK Conference 2025 brings together researchers, policy leads, practitioners and the public - all with different perspectives, priorities and lived realities. It’s a space where conversations happen across those boundaries and where the goal isn’t to be the loudest voice, but the one that helps move things forward in a meaningful way.
When data research is shaped by those it affects, it becomes more human. It has the potential to lead to real improvements in services, access, and policies that reflect the needs of everyday people.
What are you most looking forward to at the conference?
I’m really looking forward to hearing about projects that have found ways to use data to actually make people’s lives better, and where the public has been genuinely involved in shaping that journey.
I’m also excited about the in-between moments. The chats over coffee, the reflections people share after a talk, and the moments where someone says: “I hadn’t thought of it that way before.” Those often turn out to be the most powerful and honest parts of a conference.
What do you hope people take away from this year’s conference?
I hope people come away with a sense of what’s possible when public involvement isn’t just an afterthought. I hope researchers leave feeling more confident about including public voices in their work and more curious about the questions we might raise. I hope public contributors feel seen, heard, and valued. And I hope the conversations we start at the conference lead to actions that stretch far beyond it.
Is there anything you would like to say to encourage other members of the public to engage with ADR UK’s work or events in the future?
If you’re someone who’s not sure if you belong in spaces like this, I get it. I’ve been there. But let me say this clearly: your voice matters.
Whether you’ve worked with data before or not, whether you’ve got lived experience, caring responsibilities, or just a gut feeling that something in the system could be better - that insight is important.
What’s impressed me about ADR UK is that this isn’t just lip service. There’s a real effort to include public voices - not just at the end of the process, but at the beginning, where we can help shape the direction of the work. It’s not always perfect and it won’t always be easy, but the intention feels genuine. And that gives me hope.
Being part of the committee has reminded me that research doesn’t just happen in academic journals or behind closed doors. It happens in community halls, GP waiting rooms, conversations with neighbours - and yes, sometimes even in conference venues.
So, if you’re wondering whether getting involved is worth it, I’d say absolutely. Bring your perspective. Bring your questions. Bring your “I’m not sure this makes sense” moments. That’s how we get better, together.
Explore the full ADR UK Conference 2025 programme
The ADR UK Conference 2025 will be a key event for the data research community, bringing together experts, policymakers, and innovators to explore the future of administrative data research. To plan your visit and discover the full range of keynotes, workshops, and panels:
