Across the world, we are living through unsettled times. Wars, political divisions, economic pressures, and misinformation all create uncertainty. These global tensions don’t just play out on the news - they filter down into our communities. You can hear it in everyday conversations: worries about rising costs, concerns about “others” moving into neighbourhoods, and a sense of mistrust between groups who once shared common ground.
As Chief Executive of Communities 1st, I spend a lot of time listening. What I hear is not just about services, funding, or projects - it is about belonging. People want to feel safe, included, and valued. They want to know they are part of something bigger than themselves. In a fractured world, this sense of belonging is no longer optional. It is essential.
Belonging is Not a “Soft” Outcome
Too often, belonging gets treated as a “nice to have.” It is seen as secondary to hard metrics like jobs created, hospital waiting times reduced, or houses built. Yet belonging is the foundation on which all of these outcomes rest.
When people feel connected, they are healthier. When they feel safe in their community, they are more likely to volunteer, support neighbours, and take part in local decision-making. When people trust each other, they are more willing to invest in the common good.
Belonging is prevention. It prevents isolation, mistrust, and division. It prevents problems escalating until they become crises that cost more - in money, and in human lives - to solve.
At Communities 1st, we see this daily. A lift to the doctor’s surgery may seem like a small act, but it can prevent a person from withdrawing from society. A coffee morning may look simple, but it can be the moment someone decides not to give up hope. An arts performance at Trestle creates shared experience - something that helps people from very different walks of life to feel part of one story.
One volunteer recently told me about driving an older resident to a hospital appointment. The journey itself was short, but what mattered was the conversation. “She said she hadn’t spoken to anyone all week,” the volunteer explained. By the time they arrived, the woman was laughing, sharing memories of her childhood, and asking how she could get involved locally again. That short car journey didn’t just take her to hospital - it reconnected her with life.
Cohesion in the Face of Division
The uncomfortable truth is that cohesion is under strain. We can feel it in our communities. Conversations are sharper, divisions more visible. Online platforms amplify mistrust, while misinformation spreads faster than facts. Global conflicts spill into local tensions, with people feeling compelled to “pick sides” even in neighbourhoods where they have lived together for decades.
And yet, I believe the voluntary sector is uniquely placed to hold the line. We are trusted because we start with people, not politics. We create safe spaces where neighbours can meet without fear. We bring together groups who would not otherwise connect - through volunteering, shared projects, or simply offering a hall where people can gather without judgment.
Cohesion is not about everyone agreeing. It is about ensuring disagreement does not harden into division. It is about making space for dialogue, and for shared action in areas where common ground still exists. The act of gardening together, driving together, or even just sitting side by side in a class, creates bonds that cut through fear.
I often hear stories from our hubs of people from very different cultural and social backgrounds coming together - sometimes in gardening projects, sometimes around food, sometimes through creative activities. They share skills, swap recipes, laugh about the weather, and support one another in small but powerful ways. For that moment, they are not divided by headlines or political rhetoric. They are neighbours, creating something together. That is cohesion in practice.
The Art of Belonging
One of the lessons I’ve drawn from our merger with Trestle Theatre Company is that art and culture have a special role to play in belonging. Long before there were services or policies, human beings used stories, rituals, and performances to hold their communities together.
Theatre, music, and dance are not just entertainment. They are tools for identity, for memory, and for collective meaning. When a group of strangers watches a performance together, or when a young person finds their voice in a drama workshop, something shifts. Belonging becomes tangible.
In fractured times, we should not underestimate the role of creative spaces in building cohesion. They help us express our differences safely, and they remind us of our shared humanity. That is why we are so committed to ensuring Trestle Arts Base remains a place where art meets community, and where belonging is nurtured.
Holding Communities Together
So where do we go from here? We cannot change the geopolitical landscape. We cannot stop wars, or silence misinformation, or undo economic shocks. But what we can do is hold the line where it matters most - in our communities.
Every act of kindness, every volunteer hour, every safe space we protect, is an act of resistance against fracture. It says: here, in this place, you belong. Here, we choose to see each other as neighbours before anything else.
As leaders in the voluntary sector, we need to keep reminding policymakers, commissioners, and funders that belonging is not a luxury. It is not a side effect of “real” work. It is the infrastructure of hope. Without it, no system will function, no community will thrive.
Closing Thought
In fractured times, belonging and cohesion are our strongest defences. They are not soft, optional extras. They are the foundation on which everything else depends.
At Communities 1st, we will continue to invest in spaces, projects, and partnerships that create belonging. Because in the end, this is not about programmes or services. It is about people.
And people need to know, now more than ever, that they are not alone. They belong.
By Stephen Craker, Chief Executive of Communities 1st
