In the face of austerity, rising cost of living pressures, and chronic underinvestment, certain UK towns and neighbourhoods have seen their social fabric severely damaged. In places where large numbers of people feel disillusioned about their living standards and prospects, and disenchanted by mainstream politics, a range of grievances have taken hold.
This year’s Guardian charity appeal aims to counter the alarming rise of far-right, anti-migrant, and other extremist politics – and the misconceptions that fuel them. The charities and projects involved are convinced that the fraying threads of communities can be woven back together through effort, imagination, and the generous support of the public.
Locality, a charity that advocates for 2,000 local organisations, ensures that grassroots, bottom-up initiatives are not crowded out by larger ones. The pioneering community housing provider Back on the Map has regenerated a declining and fractured part of Sunderland, not for the benefit of property developers, but for the people who live there.
Citizen UK will use the funds raised to train organisers who play a key role in harnessing community power to develop projects that counter division and hostility towards migrants, replacing grievance with hope. The Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust provides grants to groups and schemes that do the same.
The Linking Network has shown that tackling the kinds of divisions that see too many children living in separate community silos can be life-enhancing as well as worthwhile. Who is Your Neighbour? promotes conversations with a focus on resolving conflict.
While these charities are not a substitute for democratically accountable politicians and services, they play a unique role in knitting back together the strands of a stressed society. With more than £500,000 raised so far, the public’s generosity is making a real difference in rebuilding communities across the UK.
