“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I believe we have made that step and that they are now becoming large strides.” 

In this first episode, Dr Maxine Mackintosh, our Diverse Data Programme lead, speaks to Primrose Granville, an award-winning broadcaster, kidney recipient and community health campaigner leading a Black Heath Matters Programme on behalf of Genomics England in Bristol. 

Primrose was born, raised and educated in Jamaica, migrating to the UK when she was 27 years old. Today, 25 years on, she is a journalist, presenter and producer on BCFM and a well-known figure at the heart of the African and Caribbean community in Bristol.

She was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease, as was her mother, grandmother, sister, son and probably several others in her family. She shares her personal journey, from having a kidney transplant to making it her life’s work to campaign for better healthcare for everyone. She also tells us why we need to change the narrative if we are to succeed in our ambitions to encourage people from all ethnicities to participate in medical research.