Community is at the heart of quality care. At Nourish Care we are indebted to our community of users, one that spans a range of care types and locations in the UK. We know that the best results come from clear communication and committed collaboration. Our users frequently provide the inspiration and insight that drives the development of our platform. So, it is only natural that we are always looking for opportunities to connect directly with our users. This summer we welcomed over 70 of our valued users to The Gherkin in London for our customer conference. The conference took place over an afternoon and featured idea sharing, our latest product road map and some inspirational talks from guests and Nourish leaders.
Welcome Drinks at The Gherkin
The best place to start is always at the beginning, and there’s no better beginning than a drinks reception. The conference kicked off at lunchtime with a selection of drinks and ‘mocktails’ provided by the lovely Gherkin staff. It takes two separate lifts to get to the iconic floor 39, known locally as ‘The Helix’. The magnificent view of London’s skyline slowly started to fill with chatter as the attendees made their way up. The sound of conversation quickly filled the floor and provided a wonderful soundtrack to the view.
Keynote Speaker: Dr Waheed Arian
![The Gherkin Dr Waheed Arian speaking](https://nourishcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_1302-1024x768.jpg)
Once everyone had proceeded upstairs to ‘The Iris’, the famous glass dome at the top of the Gherkin for lunch, a delectable chicken ballotine followed by a lemon and ginger posset, it was time for the presentations. The first speaker of the afternoon was the incredible Dr Waheed Arian. The doctor, humanitarian, and innovator shared his story with the audience and his perspective on ‘the business of compassion’. Everyone in the room shared his vision of providing health and care support through passion. He detailed the sense of pride and joy we all receive from working with people, and implored attendees not to fall victim to overt self-criticism at our perceived failures. The last question, ‘what does care mean to you?’ carried with it an implicit instruction, ‘Do not lose sight of what you mean to others’.
An Insight into Nourish
We all took a break following Dr Arian’s evocative presentation. Upon returning it was time for the Nourish representatives to take to the stage.
![](https://nourishcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_1308-1024x768.jpg)
First up was Nourish founder Nuno Almeida. Nuno took us through a brief history of the past few years, the pandemic, supply chain issues around the world and reassured us all with the fact that quite frankly, ‘there is no return to normal’. This stark and honest reflection underpinned Nuno’s entire talk. In a world of constant change (did you know there’s 70 elections happening around the world this year?) we turn to the people we trust for support. This rings true in technology as it does in care. Reiterating Nourish’s focus on building our team to be the right people for the challenge ahead, Nuno painted a picture of a bright, and collaborative future.
The Future of Product Design
Next up was our new Chief Product Officer Matthew Stewart to discuss our new product agenda. Matthew brings a wealth of experience to his role and demonstrated how this is already benefiting Nourish. The talk focused on the key areas of our new product agenda, and how we will be moving forward. Crucially, the session ended with an open Q&A to promote collaboration and idea sharing. Several attendees shared their perspectives and helped further focus the product agenda as we move forward. Co-production is a vital tool for the future development of care, and this is especially true for the development of care technology.
Nourish Partnership Programme
The development of care technology does not have to be a lonely road, as we learned in the last session of our conference. Our Director of Partnerships and Business Engagement Denise Tack detailed the motivation and success of our emerging Nourish Partnership Programme. She was joined on stage by Camascope’s Customer Director Saurabh Shah and PainChek’s Head of Business Development Tandeep Gill. They explained exactly why our Partnership Programme is ‘not just an API hub’ but a collaborative undertaking. One built on a foundation of philosophical and technological alignment. We look for partners whose background, motivation and vision match ours at Nourish as well as their technology.
![The Gherkin Nourish Partnership Programme talk](https://nourishcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_1319-1024x768.jpg)
A Great Inaugural Event in The Gherkin
It was a great day for sharing visions all round. We are deeply grateful to everyone who made the trip to The Gherkin to join us for the day. It was a fantastic time overlooking London Town, learning about our users’ worlds and sharing our plans with them. We can’t wait for the next one, and plans are already in place to hold it in a more northern location so we can engage with our community across the UK.
The day was a reminder of the size, breadth and impact of the community we are a part of, and the joy and purpose we feel working with you.