Together is a coalition that everyone is invited to join, from community groups to some of the UK’s best known organisations. Our aim is to bring people together and bridge divides, to help build a kinder, closer and more connected society.
Join the organisations working towards a more connected UK by becoming a partner.
Who we are
/together is one of the most powerful and diverse coalitions ever assembled in the UK. It evolved from dozens of separate conversations across the country brought together into one united coalition committed to action. It is open to everyone who believes we have more in common than that which divides us.
A Steering Group oversees its direction and evolution, which is chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury and includes a broad range of organisations and individuals from the NHS and ITV to the Scouts, Guides, the British Paralympic Association, trade unions and the CBI. And a network of experts guide our work on policy, advocacy and legacy.
But the scale of what we seek to achieve can only be achieved through partnerships and by working with them to grow a movement for change. We want to enable and support individuals, community groups and organisations to do more in this area, helping to turn thousands of disparate activities into a coherent movement with momentum.
The coalition is coordinated by a small charity called The Together Initiative, governed by a Board of Trustees.
How we work
/together started with questions rather than answers. To answer those questions we conducted the most comprehensive UK-wide consultation ever undertaken on what divides us, what unites us, and what can bring us closer together – Talk/together. We spoke to nearly 160,000 individuals from all different backgrounds, communities and identities. Their views, ideas and concerns are summarised in our report ‘Our Chance to Reconnect’. The findings of this research will shape what /together does next, across our four areas of activity.
We started by talking to people across the UK about what unites us, what divides us and what we share. We wanted to find out how different people experienced lockdown, what we missed and how our communities responded. Our aim is to create a usable and insightful narrative that resonates with the public and that others can adopt and adapt.
This isn’t just a project to change narratives. It’s also designed to bring people together. Our aim is to increase meaningful contact in our communities both in general and in particular between different groups and in communities where contact is low. We will amplify existing events and ideas that bring people together and create new ones where there are gaps.
An expert group of organisations will help us identify key priorities for greater social connection, possibly including ideas such as supporting connecting organisations; promoting contact in education and work; and shared public spaces in our neighbourhoods. Then, we will invite institutions across every sector to make the changes we need to see.
We want to be part of networking and building the power of a sector, helping to turn thousands of disparate activities into a movement with momentum. We want to leave a legacy of a volunteer network of community connectors, enduring that long after the focus and excitement of the campaign has faded.
