One route to building more connected communities? Social capital

With the publication of Local Trust’s new policy spotlight paper, which outlines how investing in social capital builds cohesive communities, Natasha Meldrum, policy and parliamentary officer at Local Trust, explores the building blocks that can strengthen connection and inclusion in our neighbourhoods.

Social capital is back on the policy agenda and now routinely invoked as the missing ingredient for delivering positive change in communities across the country. But as the latest paper in our policy spotlight series shows, what has yet to be explored is social capital’s role in something more fundamental to people’s lived experience and satisfaction with their neighbourhood. Put simply, it is the social networks and connections that underpin an area’s sense of cohesion and togetherness. 

Efforts to promote stronger and more inclusive relationships between different groups within our society aren’t a new endeavour. In 2001, Ted Cantle was commissioned by the government to identify best practice and new policy ideas to promote community cohesion. In his report he wrote “there is little wonder that the ignorance about each other’s communities can easily grow into fear; especially where this is exploited by extremist groups determined to undermine community harmony and foster divisions”.  

Sadly, over twenty years later these words continue to ring true – with the riots of last summer being the most recent wake-up call of the need to build greater trust within communities, and between them and our democratic institutions. Before the riots, 59 per cent of Britons believed that there was an increasing amount of tension between different groups living in Britain. This has since increased to 65 per cent. 

The Government has acknowledged this. Its recent Pride in Place Strategy identifies building stronger communities as a core objective of the funding, noting “all places should have strong relationships and a collective sense of belonging to their community. This helps bring people together to build community cohesion and resilience, helping people to feel proud of their area and safe in their neighbourhood.”  

Our research shows a hyper local approach to building social capital – particularly in areas where it is currently weakest – could bring real progress. 

How does social capital bring people together? 

Social capital refers to the support and resources that people can access through the social networks with their community.  

Our policy spotlight outlines how social capital can be fostered through: 

• Social infrastructure – the spaces, places and connections in communities  

• Collective efficacy – the ability of local residents to organise, have their voice heard, and feel like together they can make a difference 

• More equal access to opportunities and services – like housing, employment, education and healthcare. 

Local Trust’s experience of delivering the Big Local programme has shown how investment at the neighbourhood level creates the foundation of local social capital which, in turn, supports the growth of community connectedness.  

When residents are trusted and given the resource and support to improve their neighbourhoods, they develop places, activities and opportunities which respond to local need. It’s not just about the new facilities that are created or clubs that are formed. It’s also about the process of how people get there – coming together to work on shared goals and a positive vision for the future.  

This strengthening of relationships also helps develop trust and feelings of solidarity amongst a community. In 2024, 91 per cent of Big Local partnership members stated they had personally built new, positive relationships with others, and 88 per cent said they had made new friends in the local community through Big Local.

Putting it into practice 

So, what needs to happen? Our paper makes three recommendations to reweave the social fabric and strengthen cohesion, based on unlocking the community-based organisations and initiatives that offer connection, a shared sense of identity and a broader focus on civic life. 

• Provide long-term investment in community-led social infrastructure – Over a decade of disinvestment in social infrastructure has severely reduced the capacity of local residents to get to know and support one another. Communities should be supported to develop and shape places and spaces, celebrations and events, as well as sport and arts activities within their local area. Crucially, this social infrastructure must be  accessible, inclusive and designed to bring the widest number of possible people and social groups together. 

• Develop accessible neighbourhood governance structures – There is latent energy and motivation in neighbourhoods across England to play a greater role in the decisions that affect them. This needs to be unlocked to support people to convene around local issues, developing networks and relationships to address them and which are resilient to ongoing challenges and change. 
• Provide opportunities for young people – Community-led initiatives like youth-mentoring programmes, homework clubs, and work experience programmes allow young people to connect, develop and learn within a safe and familiar environment and build aims and ambitions for their own futures. Effective development of these schemes must involve young people in both their design and delivery, bringing them together to identify problems and work on shared solutions. 

Read the full paper: Policy spotlight 3: How investing in social capital builds cohesive communities

For further reading on social capital, access our policy paper series produced with Demos and 3ni earlier this year.