Building Resilient Communities: The Case for Social Cohesion

London Resilience launched their new report Building Resilient Communities: The Case for Social Cohesion.

The report was produced by Protection Approaches with input from over 100 submissions in their call for evidence on good practice on social cohesion and community resilience. The report includes several case studies from community and faith organisations bringing people together, responding to shocks, crises, and chronic stresses.

Key Findings

1. Social cohesion is a foundation of resilience: Cohesive communities form the foundation of community resilience, countering social polarisation and division.

2. Community-led activities build social cohesion and strengthen crisis preparedness: Community and faith groups implement a series of essential initiatives that foster social cohesion and equip communities to respond more effectively to crises. Key initiatives include:
. Providing inclusive spaces.
. Building connections and networks.
. Building trust.
. Supporting community ownership and decision making.

3. Genuine social cohesion and community resilience cannot exist without addressing urgent needs and root causes of inequity and division: Social cohesion and community resilience cannot be achieved through siloed and piecemeal approaches.

Recommendations

1. Prioritise social cohesion as a pillar of national resilience: The UK Government should centre social cohesion as a top-line priority in the Cabinet Office’s review of national resilience launched in July 2024, heeding lessons from this report to inform work with the devolved Governments, regional mayors and local leaders.

2. Embed social cohesion as a core component of resilience planning in London and nationally: The UK Government, the Greater London Authority, London Resilience Forum, London’s local authorities and wider partners should recognise and embed social cohesion and community resilience in wider resilience planning.

3. Increase funding for social cohesion and community resilience initiatives: The UK Government, Greater London Authority, London’s local authorities and other funders should expand support to grassroots organisations dedicated to fostering social cohesion and community resilience.

4. Adopt long-term, flexible funding models with capacity-building support: The UK Government, Greater London Authority and other funders should, wherever possible, transition to funding models that offer long-term, flexible support, enabling organisations to respond dynamically to evolving community needs while also feeling financially secure.

5. Focus funding on priority cohesion-building activities: The UK Government, Greater London Authority, London’s local authorities and other funders should direct resources toward initiatives that bolster social cohesion and community resilience through:
. Developing or maintaining inclusive community spaces that foster interaction across diverse backgrounds.
. Supporting network-building to encourage mutual support and efficient resource-sharing.
. Delivering programmes that build trust between different communities and between community members and institutions helping to prevent hate-based incidents, reduce misinformation, and strengthen relations between communities and statutory bodies.
. Empowering community-led participatory decision-making, co-design of local initiatives, and community ownership of assets to foster self-determination and enhance grassroots resilience.
. Addressing urgent needs and root causes of division and vulnerability, such as economic insecurity, housing instability, and limited access to essential services coupled with efforts to address structural issues that harm long-term resilience and social cohesion.
. Providing capacity building support to community-based organisations ensuring they have the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to maximise the impact of their initiatives in building social cohesion and community resilience.

You can read the full report as online here. You can watch the video recording from online launch event here.
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