Places and People: A new Community of Practice

Belong is delighted to be launching a new Community of Practice – specifically for organisations involved in place-based approaches to building cohesion.

The Places and People group will meet quarterly, usually online and also sometimes in person. It is designed to support Belong Network members who are primarily civil society organisations working at a local level in towns and cities. However local government departments, housing providers or businesses with a particular focus on place-making, regeneration and co-production are also welcome.

What is a Community of Practice?

Belong’s Communities of Practice bring together people from across the UK who are working on similar challenges or in similar sectors or areas of work relating to social cohesion. The content and format of CoP meetings are driven by the needs, interests and priorities of members, with input and support from the Belong Network team. A CoP meeting could include discussion of new research or best practice guidance, guest speakers, presentations by members on recent work or training led by a Belong Network staff member or Associate.

Places and People will cover:

• Overcoming challenges to cohesion and / or integration
• Combining diversity with local or regional identity
• The influence of the built environment and public realm
• How we can foster and strengthen social connections

How will this benefit me and my organisation?

Communities of Practice are a great opportunity to build and expand professional networks, plus access to guest speakers, training materials and new research. They can also provide a valuable ‘sounding board’ to discuss challenges and new ideas with people working in a similar role or facing similar challenges around the UK. Finally COP’s are a great way for Belong Network members to develop a collective voice on how to build and maintain social cohesion, which we can bring to the attention of policy makers.

Attending a Community of Practice is free if your organisation is a member of the Belong Network. Organisations with Standard membership can claim two free places, with additional places available for organisations with Advanced and Founder membership. Please note, free places are not available to Associate members.

How do I join?

If you are not sure if your organisation is a Belong Network member, or you would like to find out about joining the Community of Practice, please get in touch:  hello@belongnetwork.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you.