Social Connections
Social Connections will oversee a step-change in encouraging approaches and practices that value and commit to stewarding social capital.
Connected Places
Strengthening communities for social mobility and wellbeing
Social connections
Connected Places is a practical and data-led approach to understanding and building social connections and economic mobility.
New cutting-edge research undertaken by a coalition of partners points to a strong link between social connections within and between communities, and improved social mobility, wellbeing and trust.
We work with places to co-create bespoke programmes and interventions which help strengthen ties within and between groups and communities.
Our work is designed to catalyse social mobility among those from low-income backgrounds. And our unique approach draws on robust, cutting-edge data, and ensures collaboration with places to set out a shared vision, common goals, and metrics for impact.
We help places set out strategies and interventions that respond to their unique assets, characteristics and needs while reflecting the ambitions of the people who live, work and study there.
We have already partnered with Ealing Council, Essex County Council and Baltimore-based community group Thread to unleash the power of social capital in their communities.
In Ealing, the RSA is working with the borough’s seven towns to strengthen community ties, improve wellbeing, and support local-led change. In Essex, the RSA is supporting the county’s Caring Communities Commission- helping people feel more connected and better able to influence local decisions on health and social care. In Baltimore, RSA US has partnered with community group Thread and local leaders to weave social connections into the fabric of daily life.
Over time, will continue to grow the cohort of places we work with to gather evidence, identify best practices for replenishing social capital, and improve the lives of people who live, work and study there.
Get involved
Partner your place with the RSA and be part of a cohort of pilot locations at the cutting edge of developing practical and scalable approaches to building social capital.
Work with the RSA and help fund a cohort of pilot places exploring how to best map and replenish social capital to improve health and social mobility outcomes for residents. Contact our strategic partnerships team to find out more.
Explore our Social Connection work
Revealing Social Capital
We want to better understand how social connections between people affect the opportunities they have in their lives. We call this ‘social capital’.
Mapping Social Capital
Our Mapping Social Capital work looked at six billion UK Facebook friendships to see how connected people are across income levels.
