The State of Us: Community strength and cohesion in the UK

The State of Us: Community strength and cohesion in the UK’ is a joint report by the Belong Network and independent thinktank British Future, offering an authoritative picture of cohesion and community strength in the UK. The report is a foundational input to the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion launched this week.

It highlights the importance of physical activity in many areas: 

• Community participation: The report discusses how people meet and interact through shared hobbies, including sports and physical activities like park runs and gym sessions.
• Social cohesion: Physical activity is highlighted as a way to bring people from different backgrounds together, fostering social mixing and community strength.
• Survey data: Participatory sports are listed among the activities that people believe have a positive impact on how communities get along.

It also highlights key connections:

Physical Activity as a Space for Social Mixing

• Participatory sports (such as football, park runs, gym sessions) are highlighted as important venues for people from different backgrounds to meet and interact.
• These activities are described as "communities of interest" that foster sustained social contact, which is crucial for building trust and empathy across diverse groups.

“Particularly where these brought the same people together over time, for example through clubs, park runs or football fixtures, such patterns enabled the sustained social contact which academic research has shown creates effective social connections…”

Sports Clubs and Events as Unifying Forces

• Local sports teams and major sporting events (like the Euros or Olympics) are seen as sources of shared identity and pride, helping to bridge divides across ethnicity, class, and age.
• Sports clubs are also cited as accessible and inclusive spaces that can counter prejudice and build local pride.

“Sports clubs are sources of shared and inclusive local pride, ranked in the top three by 31% of respondents.”

Physical Spaces for Activity and Connection

• Parks, leisure centres, and gyms are mentioned as important community infrastructure that enable face-to-face interaction and reduce isolation.
• The report notes that lack of access to these spaces—especially in deprived or rural areas—can hinder community cohesion.

“Nearly half the public (45%) say they ‘frequently get to meet people who live in my local community in places like the park, leisure centres, pubs, cafes and clubs or through volunteering opportunities’…”

Policy Implications

• The report recommends investing in physical activity infrastructure (like parks and sports facilities) as a way to strengthen community bonds.
• It also suggests that sports organisations should be more involved in cohesion strategies due to their reach and influence.

Read the full report