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Strengthening communities and involving people

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Cultural and sports facilities and activities help build strong and sustainable communities. They improve an area’s image and promote local identity, strengthening pride in communities and sense of place.

Community participation in culture and sport can help transform the power of neighbourhoods. It can help tackle poverty and disadvantage by engaging people at risk of exclusion. It can also bring people from different communities together. This helps break down barriers, foster understanding and tolerance and strengthen community cohesion.

Cultural and sports activity can strengthen community involvement and civic life. It provides an accessible way of communicating with and consulting communities, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds. It can build self-esteem, confidence and stronger social networks. Cultural and sports facilities are safe and trusted public spaces that are open to everyone. They often act as community hubs.

Culture and sport provide plenty of opportunities for volunteers. The arts and cultural sectors are the third most popular area for volunteering; heritage is fifth. Cultural and sports organisations often rely on volunteers. Their work leads to increased participation in cultural and sports activities and helps promote social inclusion. Volunteering can also develop talent and provide work experience as a route into employment.

Public open spaces and play areas that feel safe and are well used by all sectors of the community offer opportunities for greater social interaction and understanding through formal and informal activities.

See what Mick Henry, Leader of Gateshead Council, Rodney Green, Chief Executive of Leicester City Council and Douglas Paterson, Chief Executive of Aberdeen City Council say about the contribution of culture in building stronger and more cohesive communities.

We see how community cohesion and confidence have been enhanced through local people and groups coming together to organise community festivals; how inter-generational barriers have been broken down through cultural activity in schools, and young and old alike give time to volunteer in clubs and cultural organisations. While it is difficult to assign an economic value to this type of cultural engagement, there is great benefit, in terms of building stronger and more cohesive communities.’
Mick Henry, Leader, Gateshead Council, Inspiring our ambitions through sport, arts, culture and place, Solace/IDeA, 2007


 

Cultural services provide one of the most immediate and profitable catalysts for building cohesion, mainstreaming moderation and challenging isolation and extremism ... [they] link directly to identify, self-esteem, joy and creativity. People are drawn to cultural activities. Diverse voices can be liberated in cultural expression that promotes learning, shared experiences and an understanding of common similarities across communities … [they] offer scope to look afresh at the powerful contribution we can make to shaping place in building cohesion.
Rodney Green, Chief Executive, Leicester City Council, Inspiring our ambitions through sport, arts, culture and place, Solace/IDeA, 2007
… [there is] a view from [Scottish] ministers that cultural activity is one of the ways to achieve wider objectives including those on tackling poverty and disadvantage. This view is supported by evidence from research that suggests that cultural activity brings benefit in a range of fields including crime reduction, health improvement and increasing the confidence and skills of the most disadvantaged children.
Douglas Paterson, Chief Executive, Aberdeen City Council, Inspiring our ambitions through sport, arts, culture and place, Solace/IDeA, 2007

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