Gateshead Community Cohesion Strategy 2026 to 2031

This strategy is informed by:
Gateshead Council Corporate Plan 2025 to 2030

Gateshead Thrive agenda 

Other relevant local strategies including:

Safer Gateshead Partnership Plan

Good Neighbourhood Policy (draft) (PDF, 1 MB)

ASB and Hate Crime Policy (draft) (PDF, 384 KB)

Anti-Poverty Strategy

In addition to the ​​​​​​​Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010 (opens new window), our Strategy is aligned with the following:

Integrated Communities Strategy (MHCLG, 2018) (opens new window)

GOV.UK - Prevent Duty Guidance (opens new window)

Pride in Place Strategy (UK Government) (opens new window)

Belong Network (opens new window)

This Strategy supports delivery of Gateshead's Health and Wellbeing Strategy and its commitment to the Marmot Principles, which focus on reducing health inequalities by improving the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. Strong community cohesion is a key enabler of this approach. When people feel safe, connected, and treated fairly, they are more likely to engage with services, participate in community life, and trust local institutions. By strengthening relationships, tackling barriers to access, and addressing the social factors that drive exclusion, this strategy contributes to creating healthy places and communities, reducing inequalities, and supporting prevention and early intervention. It does not duplicate health delivery plans, but complements them by addressing the social and community conditions that underpin wellbeing.

Locally, the Strategy is informed by local data, resident engagement, and guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Belong Network (opens new window). Best practice from councils such as Manchester (opens new window) and Calderdale (opens new window) demonstrates the value of hyper-local approaches, visible public services, and co-production with residents. These sources stress that cohesion cannot be achieved by institutions alone; it depends on empowering communities to lead change and fostering pride in place. Insights from the Angelou Centre's Stories of Colour (opens new window) project further highlight the importance of intersectionality and cultural representation in creating inclusive spaces. They show how overlapping identities can shape people's experiences of discrimination and exclusion. This understanding informs our approach throughout the strategy to ensure that actions respond to the needs of those most affected by inequality and harm.

The Community Cohesion Strategy brings together our work to strengthen communities, reduce harm, and build belonging in one place. It replaces the previous Hate Crime Strategy (2024 to 2026), recognising that hate crime cannot be addressed in isolation from wider issues such as inequality, division, and community tension. 

Gateshead is part of a wider regional and national picture where community cohesion is influenced by economic pressures, social change, global events, and national policy decisions. While these factors inevitably shape how people feel about their communities, this strategy focuses on what is within our gift; the local action, relationships, and systems that can make a tangible difference to people's lives here in Gateshead.

We recognise that cohesion cannot be achieved by the council alone. It depends on strong partnerships across public services, voluntary and community organisations, faith groups, and residents themselves.