Communities and neighbourhoods

Community Cohesion

Community Cohesion is what must happen in all communities to enable different groups of people to get on well together. A key contributor to community cohesion is integration which is what must happen to enable new residents and existing residents to adjust to one another.

Our vision of an integrated and cohesive community is based on three foundations:

  • People from different backgrounds having similar life opportunities
  • People knowing their rights and responsibilities
  • People trusting one another and trusting local institutions to act fairly

And three key ways of living together:

  • A shared future vision and sense of belonging
  • A focus on what new and existing communities have in common, alongside a recognition of the value of diversity
  • Strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds

The story of community cohesion is different in each area and local areas are best placed to determine what the issues are in their area and devise actions that will address them.

We are providing £50m funding over the next three years to support local work to build cohesion. We will also be providing targeted support for local areas.

On the right hand side are links to guidance published by Communities and Local Government and other organisations on cohesion.

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