Innovation Exchange: Building Cohesive Communities
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Building community cohesion where trust and a sense of belonging are paramount is imperative to help communities and places thrive.
We have seen recently what happens without a long-term commitment to maintaining strong relationships, or investment in social fabric and when people feel ignored. What can we learn from the instances where it has gone wrong and where we have seen public services at the forefront of dealing with the consequences of polarised communities?
Our shared identities, and relationships in communities are developed across a wide variety of roles and activities, including work, volunteering, sport, art and culture. Most places have established ways of bringing together and working with some community groups but are they enough? Is everyone’s voice being heard?
Join us to hear from Sunder Katwala, Director of British Future reflecting on their recent report After the Riots: Building the foundations for social cohesion and from Kirsten Fussing, Neighbourhoods and Cohesion Manager, Calderdale Council on how they have developed their cohesion work with communities.
Through discussion with your peers, you will explore how cohesive communities can be developed and how different local authorities are focusing on this. You’ll hear about approaches councils can take to navigate divisive issues and difficult behaviours over the long term, increasing social connections between people from different backgrounds, as well as barriers that may stand in the way. Together, we’ll develop useful ideas to help overcome them.
With colleagues from across the UK you will develop:
- An understanding of different ways you can build community cohesion with everyone’s voice being heard
- Next steps and key considerations you need to bear in mind when implementing different approaches
- Practical takeaways from colleagues who are already working in this area
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