Understanding Communities: Final Report

Understanding Communities was a joint research programme of the British Academy and Nuffield Foundation with the aim to increase understanding of how communities function and how they can improve people’s lives.

Six projects were funded, all of which focused on research which would generate findings for making a practical difference, and address the absence of lived experience in the current evidence base.

This report has brought together findings from across these projects under four thematic chapters, which discuss the potential ways in which we can shape and improve the future resilience of communities:

• Place highlights the importance of locally relevant approaches to policy, and how hyperlocal services and organisations are often highly valued by the communities they serve.

• Trust explores how trust is a vital part of building and maintaining social connections, and delivering services, and considers factors that help to develop and sustain trust.

• Connection discusses what enables people to feel more connected with each other, and the contribution and limitations of digital technology.

• Community capacity shows how a lack of infrastructure and public sector capacity adversely affects communities and discusses how, with the right government support, communities can enhance individual and local capacity.

All six projects developed recommendations for policymakers. This report brings them together into a set of messages which can improve the conditions for communities; and centre them in the design, implementation and delivery of policies which affect them.

For local authorities, the top-level policy messages are:

1. Prioritise long-term investment into community spaces and key personnel of community projects.
2. Co-design services and spaces with communities.
3. Deliver services through local organisations where appropriate.

For central government, the top-level policy messages are:

1. Improve approaches to funding communities to better support the development and maintenance of conditions needed for them to thrive.
2. Provide guidance to local bodies which prioritises strengthening communities.
3. Proceed with plans to make it easier for communities to acquire local assets.

See more from the Social and Cultural Infrastructure policy programme.