What is this all about?
At Flowhesion we simply want all communities to live better, feel better and achieve more! We are all about promoting Community Cohesion. Our work streams are guided by four core values; Build, Belong, Aspire, Value. They are the golden threads running through all that we do. We want our core values help shape the vibrant communities we all want to live in tomorrow. We call the fusion and flow of creative ideas, community buy-in and positive vibes … Flowhesion! Partnership working is central to the way we work as are our service user Guardian Groups that oversee many of the programmes that we deliver. Our team comprise individuals who have lived experience and are leaders in their respective fields. Our knowledge, experience, reach and networks are unrivalled.
View our Collaboration and Partnership Standards.
We know the greatest journeys start with a first step so we have got to work right away!
Our Aims are as follows:
- Bring our experience, reach, networks and knowledge to contribute to and positively influence the work of community cohesion policy and practice across the United Kingdom.
- Utilise our skills set and knowledge base to work respectfully with partners; public, private and charitable to eliminate the barriers within and between communities of identity.
- Apply our experience and knowledge to Publicise and disseminate literature, research, relevant publications through social, local, national and European platforms or forums. We want to use these platforms to promote community cohesion and tolerance.
- Add weight to reframing the debate on community cohesion by commissioning, participating in research, projects, activities, forums and workshops that put community cohesion at the forefront.
Our Outcomes are as follows:
- Deliver sector leading, off the shelf or bespoke training packages for the public and third sector. Our training will provide current knowledge, toolkits and grounded theory on how to engage communities of identity on pressing issues as CSE, gangs, drugs, alcohol and substance misuse, FM, FGM, HBV etc. Contact us for tailor made packages or public speaking engagements on these issues!
- Commission and undertaking timely research projects for our academic and public sector partners. Our research seeks to drive community cohesion and improve outcomes for communities of identity.
- Advise Local Council’s, the NHS and other public sector bodies to improve their models and thinking on engaging communities of identity to build better community cohesion. We have unrivalled experience in advising on programmes of work to bring those at the margins of our society to the centre.
- Manage the delivery of complex community cohesion programmes for councils across the northwest and the third sector. We will work inline with your vision and aspirations, we are outcome focused and are led by an unrivalled academic grounding and expertise.
How are you structured?
The Foundation’s board brings with them a full spectrum of skills, lived experience of social issues and high level third sector organisational management experience. A number of Portfolio Managers oversee the activities that we deliver in the different towns and cities we operate in. Our Portfolio Managers receive guidance, input and expertise from our Service leads in the design and delivery of activities. You can read more about our Service leads here.
What’s unique about your approach?
We believe people, groups and organisations working towards building cohesive societies should be guided by current research and ideas rooted in sociology, social capital and allied social sciences. Tying all our work to these evolving knowledge bases ensures that our work streams have tangible impact. For example, Putnam and Feldstein’s (2003) theory of bonding and bridging capital guide our understanding of community isolation and integration. Their theories influence the foundation’s cycle of co-designing, delivering and reviewing our programmes of work. Essentially, Bonding capital constitutes a ‘sociological superglue’ that creates strong in-group loyalty and allows members of a similar group, ethnicity, religion or identity to get on well together. This appears on the surface to be a positive trait, however such communities are symptomatic of having out-group antagonism i.e. fears, misunderstandings or suspicion of other communities. To combat such detriment Putnam and Feldstein (2003) advocate for activities that increase bridging capital; that is interaction between different socio-economic classes of society. Bridging capital allows different communities to form more trusting, mutual and sustainable relationships. The promotion of such activities are therefore encouraged.
Creative approaches to building community cohesion and resilience is needed more than ever. This has been outlined by numerous government and third sector reports. Recent far-right rights that took place in late July and early August 2024 is a case in point, see some reports below.
Read: After the riots
Read: The Casey Review
Track how community cohesion policy, practice has developed over time here: Resources