Call for evidence - social cohesion & resilience

1. Call for evidence: how social cohesion initiatives led by community and faith groups are contributing to strengthening London’s resilience to shocks

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Background


Protection Approaches has been commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to undertake new research into how social cohesion initiatives led by community and faith groups are contributing to strengthening London’s resilience to shocks and stresses.

London has faced recent challenging situations, including the cost-of-living crisis, terror attacks, heatwaves and fires, flood events, and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of international crises such as conflicts and natural disasters. 

As climate based and other risks increase over the next decade and beyond, understanding what works in building social cohesion and how that work is contributing to the capital’s resilience, is vital. For this research, by ‘social cohesion’ we specifically mean strong and positive relationships, connectedness, and solidarity between people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and circumstances.

What do we want to know from you?

We want to hear from community and faith groups across the capital on three key questions:

  • What work are you doing that is building strong and positive relationships, connectedness, and/or solidarity between people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and/or circumstances?

  • Does the work you are doing mean that communities in London are more prepared or able to support each other during shocks and chronic stresses?

  • What stops you from being able to do more of the work that you know is effective?

How to tell us about your work


If you are involved in a community or faith group, a project, network, or movement and your work is relevant to this research, you can tell us about it by completing this questionnaire. If you would like to complete it offline you can download a word version here and submit to derek.oakley@protectionapproaches.org.

Completing a questionnaire may not be the best way for you to contribute to this research. If you would like to submit evidence in a different format, please download the info sheet here to find out how.

Barriers to participating

We know some people would like to contribute to this research but face accessibility or financial barriers to getting involved. We have a specific budget to overcome such barriers. If you have valuable insights to contribute to this research, but there are barriers preventing you from getting involved, please contact us through email (derek.oakley@protectionapproaches.org) or by phone 020 3859 9509.

How will this data be used? 

This research is commissioned by the Greater London Authority City Resilience Team to inform their work and priorities in the future.

The data you provide will be used by Protection Approaches to produce a research report highlighting the work of community and faith groups across the capital including case studies about your work. We will present this report and its key findings to the GLA City Resilience Team in September 2024 and hope to be able to publish it publicly soon after. Find out more on the info sheet here. 

For any questions contact derek.oakley@protectionapproaches.org | 020 3859 9509.

1. Please tell us the name of the group/organisation whose work you are going to tell us about *

 

2. Type of organisation e.g., charity, social enterprise, residents’ association *

 

3. Contact name *

 

4. Contact phone number (optional)

 

5. Your email address *

 

6. What’s the name of piece of work/project you would like to tell us about? (if applicable)

 

7. Which borough/boroughs of London did/does this work happen in? Feel free to be more specific and give details e.g. postcode, if the work happens very locally. *

 

8. Please give us a brief overview of the work you are doing that is building strong and positive relationships, connectedness, and solidarity between people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and/or circumstances.

Your response can be as long or short as you like. Feel free to copy and paste, to give us links to external sources, or to upload files below. You might want to consider some of these questions:

Why did you initiate this project? Is it ongoing? If not, when did it start and finish? Who was involved?  What happened/what did you do? What went well? Was the project funded by a donor or self-supported from within the community.

 

9. How do you know that this work has supported strong and positive relationships, connectedness, and solidarity between people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and/or circumstances?

Do you have evidence e.g. anecdotal feedback, clear changes in the community, new partnerships or relationships, or cooperation between different groups?
 

 

10. Does the work you are doing mean that communities in London are more prepared or able to support each other during shocks and chronic stresses e.g. cost-of-living crisis, terror attacks, heatwaves and fires, flood events, pandemics, international conflict?

If so, how do you know that? Do you have any evidence you can share?

 

11. If anything, what would your organisation or group need to be able to deliver more of this work? What stops you from being able to do more of the work that you know is effective?

 

12. Please use this space if there is anything else you would like to  tell us about your project or and/to share your thoughts on social cohesion and resilience.

 

13. Please upload any relevant files or documents (optional)

Choose File
 

14. We would like to reach out to some organisations for hour long interviews about the work they have told us about. would you be happy for us to reach out for you to discuss this work further

(please note the information at the top of the page on our commitment to overcoming barriers to participation) 

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15. We would like to invite organisations who replied to this call for evidence to attend a workshop about Social Cohesion and Resilience. These will take place in Summer 2024. Please let us know if you would prefer not to be invited to a workshop.

(please note the information at the top of the page on our commitment to overcoming barriers to participation) *