The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) today announces new Connected Places partnerships in Ealing, Essex and Baltimore- designed to nurture social connections and drive inclusive growth in communities across the UK and US.
There is growing evidence that strong community networks and shared values- known as social capital- are key to people’s wellbeing, opportunities and sense of belonging. But social capital has been in decline, contributing to rising inequality, lower civic participation, and less social trust.
Connected Places is the RSA’s practical response. Drawing on insights from recent Revealing Social Capital research [LINK], conducted by a consortium of partners including the RSA, it works with local areas to map social capital and co-design projects with communities that build connections, bridge divides, and grow life chances.
The partnerships, developed with Ealing Council, Essex County Council, and Baltimore-based community group Thread, apply the RSA’s unique combination of data insight, community engagement, and place-based strategy. They aim to help neighbourhoods unlock their collective potential by fostering trust, belonging, and opportunity.
Tom Stratton, Chief of Staff at the RSA, said: “We’re living in a time of growing disconnection and fragmentation, which has important social and economic implications.
“Better understanding how and where social connections form holds revolutionary potential in policymaking: it can transform lives and deliver exceptional value for public investment.
“Through Connected Places, we’re working directly with communities to design interventions that strengthen the vital relationships that underpin individual and collective resilience, wellbeing and opportunity.”
In Ealing, the RSA will work with the borough’s seven towns to strengthen community ties, improve wellbeing, and support local-led change. Backed by Ealing Council, the project uses local data and insight to target support where it’s most needed, helping residents shape practical improvements to daily life, starting with stronger neighbourhoods and more joined-up services.
Ealing Council Leader, Peter Mason said: “Ealing Council’s Connected Communities vision is our shared intention to massively increase social connection in the borough, giving everyone as much choice and power in their lives as possible – so that people can live happier and healthier lives and get more of what they need from each other. Social connection has a greater impact on our health than smoking, drinking, or exercise. It also has a direct link to equality of opportunity, education, housing, and earnings. Through the partnership with RSA, we will play our part in fostering the conditions for strong communities and enabling people to have the social connections and support that help them to thrive.”
In Essex, the RSA will support the county’s Caring Communities Commission, helping people feel more connected and better able to influence local decisions on health and social care. By identifying areas with the weakest support networks, the project will work with residents to map community assets and co-develop a plan to boost trust, wellbeing, and local opportunity.
Councillor Beverley Egan, Chair of the Essex Caring Communities Commission, sponsored by Essex County Council, said: “This is an ambitious commission which has set out radical actions to make health and social care more sustainable across Essex.
“At the heart of these actions are communities, where most of the heavy lifting is done. Our partnership with the RSA will enable local people to work together through new multi-agency hubs, an Essex Retirement Service, a Library of Things and much more.
“We look forward to growing social capital through Connected Places so Essex residents can effect real change in their communities.”
In Baltimore, RSA US is partnering with community impact group Thread, The Foundation for Social Connection, and local leaders to tackle the city’s low economic mobility by weaving social connections into the fabric of daily life. The project aims to embed relationships into policy and to shape infrastructure so that it unlocks better outcomes in health, safety, and civic engagement.
Sarah Hemminger, Co-Founder & CEO, Thread said: “For more than 20 years, Thread has been committed to radically transforming the social fabric of Baltimore to create a more deeply connected community where everyone, especially our young people, can thrive. By equipping individuals and institutions with the tools and skills to bridge and bond across lines of difference, we aim to create enduring opportunities for greater economic mobility.”
Ealing’s seven towns, each with its own identity and strengths, will work with the RSA to strengthen community ties, boost wellbeing, and support local-led change. The project supports Ealing Council’s ambition to improve how it works with residents and build a more connected borough.
Using detailed local data and community insight, the RSA will help identify where support is most needed and where connections can be strengthened. The project will bring people together to share ideas, map what’s already working, and design practical steps to improve everyday life- from stronger neighbourhood support to more joined-up local services.
Ealing is one of the first places to pilot this approach, which aims to make lasting change by starting with what matters most to people: their relationships, their sense of belonging, and their power to shape their local area.
In Essex, the RSA is supporting the county’s Caring Communities work- helping people feel more connected, more supported, and more able to shape decisions that affect them.
The partnership will begin by identifying areas where connection and support are currently weakest, using both data and local knowledge. From there, the RSA will work with residents and local organisations to map community strengths- from local groups and public spaces to trusted services- and uncover where investment or action could make the biggest difference.
This work will lead to a shared plan for action, created with and by the people of Essex. The aim is to grow trust, wellbeing, and opportunity- starting at the neighbourhood level and scaling what works. The project will also help Essex County Council understand how to design services that reflect the real lives and needs of local people.
In Baltimore, RSA US is partnering with Thread – a community impact organization working to transform the social fabric in Baltimore – The Foundation for Social Connection, and a coalition of local leaders to support a model for collective impact, using social capital approaches to drive economic opportunity for residents. Because of low economic connectedness, Baltimore City’s economic mobility ranks in the bottom one percent nationally.
Our vision is to create vibrant, thriving communities where strong relationships and social connections drive economic prosperity, health improvements, safety and civic engagement. We aim to weave social connection into the fabric of daily life, shaping. infrastructure, policies and investment to ensure every individual has access to the relationships they need to thrive.
In partnering with Thread, an organization deeply committed to relational work, we aim to create a culture of social connection that can unlock economic outcomes
We are the RSA, the royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce. We are a social impact charity that has been at the forefront of social change for 270 years. Through our Design for Life mission, we turn world-leading ideas into world-changing actions. We’re committed to a world where everyone can fulfil their potential and contribute to more resilient, rebalanced, and regenerative futures. Central to all our work is our global network of over 30,000 Fellows, who work collectively to enable people, places and the planet to flourish in harmony.
We invite you to be part of this mission by joining our Fellowship community. Together, we’ll unite people and ideas in collective action to unlock opportunities and regenerate our world.
