Gateshead Community Cohesion Strategy 2026 to 2031

This Strategy has been shaped by ongoing engagement with residents, community groups, partners, and people with lived experience across Gateshead. Early engagement took place through:

• Residents Voice workshops
• VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) and partner workshops
• Lived Experience Team conversations and Bridgebuilder youth group discussions
• community cohesion talks at community hubs and local churches

These early conversations helped us understand the everyday realities people experience in their neighbourhoods and highlighted recurring themes around safety, belonging, trust in services, and participation. 

To build on this work, a borough-wide public consultation was carried out on the draft strategy. The consultation allowed people to respond in their own words and reflected a wide range of views, experiences, and emotions. 

What we heard through the consultation strongly reinforced many of the issues raised through earlier engagement, while also bringing greater depth, challenge, and clarity to the strength of feeling behind them. 

1. Barriers to community cohesion

Misinformation and media influence

Across both early engagement and the public consultation, people repeatedly raised concerns about misinformation, particularly online. Social media and local online forums were seen as fuelling fear, division, and hostility, especially around immigration, asylum, and perceived unfairness. 

"Misinformation is the biggest threat to the community."

Some residents felt that false or misleading narratives were being left unchallenged, allowing tensions to grow and mistrust to deepen. 

Prejudice, racism, and fear of the 'other'

Consultation responses showed strong and sometimes polarised views about migration, identity, and who is prioritised for support, while many residents emphasised inclusion and equality, others express resentment and concern that some groups receive preferential treatment.  

"You need to be seen to be prioritising Gateshead residents while also helping people from outside the borough." 

A small number of responses expressed hostility towards specific groups. These views do not align with the council's values, but they highlight the depth of fear, misinformation, and resentment that exists in some communities and must be addressed if tensions are not to escalate. 

Lack of community infrastructure

The loss or underuse of community centres, youth provision, and shared spaces has significantly reduced opportunities for social interaction and community building. Many residents noted the absence of street wardens and caretakers, who previously played a vital role in maintaining a sense of safety and connection. Residents linked neglected environments, litter, graffiti, and fly-tipping to a wider loss of pride and belonging. 

"If places were looked after, people would take more pride in them." 

Anti-social behaviour and safety concerns

Concerns about drug use, electric bikes, and masked youths were common across discussions. Many participants felt that police and council services are only visible during crises, which undermines trust and contributes to a sense of neglect.

"It shouldn't take a crisis to bring communities together."

Digital exclusion and communication gaps

Both earlier engagement and the consultation highlighted that many residents are not online, or struggle to access digital services. People described difficulty getting information, slow responses to emails, and uncertainty about where to go for help. 

"It's hard to trust the council when you can't even get a reply." 

Economic and social inequality

Poverty, housing issues, and a lack of funding for community initiatives were frequently mentioned as barriers to cohesion. Many residents expressed frustration at feeling excluded from decision-making processes, describing a sense of being "told, not asked" by authorities.

2. Opportunities and solutions

Food, music, and culture as connectors

Participants consistently highlighted the power of food, arts, culture, and shared events in bringing people together. Shared meals, cooking classes, and multicultural events such as Diwali and "Around the World" days were seen as effective ways to foster understanding and connection. Music, festivals, and storytelling were also recognised as valuable tools for building bridges. 

"Food brings people together."

Education, awareness, and early intervention

Residents supported better education on different faiths, cultures, disability, and neurodivergence. Participants advocated for media literacy initiatives and school-based programs to help tackle misinformation and promote empathy and understanding from a young age. 

Community empowerment and visibility

Empowering residents to take the lead in community initiatives was seen as essential. Suggestions included providing training for residents to facilitate groups, conducting skills audits to identify local talents, and ensuring a more visible presence of council, police, and services in neighbourhoods

"Takes a few people in the community to have the initiative to make the communal spaces look better."

Youth engagement

Engaging young people through citizenship schemes, youth clubs, and creative activities was viewed as a key strategy for building community pride and reducing anti-social behaviour. These initiatives were seen as opportunities to foster responsibility and inclusion among younger generations.

Infrastructure and environment

Reopening or repurposing community buildings was a recurring suggestion, alongside the development of community gardens, clean-up initiatives, and beautification projects.

"Hyper-local approach - ignore what's going on outside Gateshead - what's happening in your community, your village, your street?"

Improved communication

Improving communication was seen as vital to cohesion. Ideas included the use of community notice boards, directories of local groups, and better utilisation of platforms like "Our Gateshead or Nextdoor. Participants also called for a clearer flow of information between government and communities to ensure transparency and trust.

What this means for the strategy 

Taken together, early engagement and the public consultation showed that people care deeply about Gateshead and want things to improve. They also showed that trust is fragile and that progress will only be believed if it is visible, fair, and consistent. 

This feedback has directly informed the revised priorities, the stronger emphasis on fairness and shared responsibility, and the clearer approach to safety, enforcement, and accountability set out in this strategy.  

How the consultation shaped this strategy 

• priorities were reordered and reworded to lead with connection, fairness, and local action 
• safety and enforcement language was strengthened and made more explicit
• pride in place and the local environment were embedded as core elements of cohesion
• monitoring and reporting were strengthened to focus on visible action and accountability
• language was clarified to emphasise shared standards and responsibility for everyone