Many of Britain’s towns are confident and optimistic places. They have rich histories and strong identities. However, in some places big economic and demographic changes have put communities under strain. Our research has shown how feelings of loss and decline are giving hatred a foothold in some of Britain’s strongest and proudest communities.
The aim of the Hopeful Towns project is to better understand what makes a place hopeful, and to help towns across England and Wales to fulfil their potential. Delivered by Hope Not Hate and the Centre for Towns, it will provide support at a local level, as well as seeking to influence national policy.
We want to address the root causes of hate, to stop divisive narratives from taking hold in the first place. And we want to promote policies which champion the value of towns, and stress that every town matters.
We’ll be producing research to better understand how demographic and economic changes are affecting the social fabric of our towns, to identify what needs to change to build stronger communities. We’ll be working across three pilot areas to better understand how this works in practice and develop local solutions. We will create mechanisms for sharing ideas, resources and best practice across towns through a Towns Leadership Network. And we’ll be working to push for positive change through a national policy platform.
If you’d like to get involved, drop us a line: [email protected].
