Celebrating Black History Month
21/09/2025As part of Black History Month, we’re hosting the Belonging Together Cup — a 5-a-side football
About the program
Community cohesion is one of the biggest issues that the UK faces. We believe that we can all play our part to build a common future.
Since our founding, FURD has worked to bring people together. The principle of unity – across race, faith, nationality, and background – has always been at the heart of our mission.
Thirty years ago, this work was called community building. Today, we call it community cohesion. But the goal remains the same: to strengthen the bonds between people, improve well-being and safety, and ensure that everyone feels they belong.
Over the past three decades, we’ve led initiatives across South Yorkshire and beyond, supporting local communities and contributing to national conversations. We’ve partnered with organisations across the country to share knowledge and practical support on how to build stronger, more inclusive communities.
This work has never felt more urgent. Rising tensions, such as the attack on an asylum seeker hotel in Rotherham in 2024, are a stark reminder that cohesion must be protected and nurtured. The summer of 2025 has seen further national incidents that continue to test the fabric of our society. In response, FURD organised a national conference in Sheffield in December 2024, bringing together community leaders, policymakers, and activists to discuss how we move forward. The event reflected our vision: a more equal society, working together in solidarity, where no one is left behind. Community cohesion isn’t just a policy issue – it’s the lived experience of people supporting one another every day. FURD will continue to stand for unity and equality in South Yorkshire and well beyond.
Conference Highlights & Cohesion Resources
Event category two
FURD’s approach to building community and cohesion
FURD takes a grassroots, multi-layered approach to fostering cohesion. Our initiatives are interconnected, working together to deliver long-term change. This joined-up method ensures that impact is deep and lasting. Our core areas of work include:
Sport as a catalyst:
We run inclusive football and sports activities for people of all ages and abilities. These sessions provide a safe, structured, and welcoming environment – especially for marginalised young people – where they can connect, grow, and thrive. A coach or leader or teacher is always present to guide understanding.
Creative and cultural expression:
Through music, art, and spoken word, we support young people in exploring their identity and sense of belonging. These projects also help participants develop creative and transferable life skills.
Community drop-in spaces:
We offer open, inclusive settings where local residents can seek support, engage in meaningful dialogue, and form connections across different cultures, generations, and life experiences.
Dialogue across difference:
Our structured peer-led discussions create space for empathy, understanding, and collaborative problem-solving—laying the groundwork for stronger, more united communities.
What our approach delivers
Our ways of working strengthen community cohesion by:
Connecting diverse communities:
We bring people from different backgrounds together through shared activities and experiences that promote respect and dialogue.
Building skills and confidence:
Participants gain key social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, and resilience—tools that empower them both individually and collectively.
Fostering collaboration:
We work closely with schools, housing providers, local police, and voluntary groups to develop joint responses to community challenges. These partnerships encourage shared responsibility and sustainable change.
Creating safe and supportive spaces:
All FURD environments are designed to be trusted, accessible, and empowering. These positive spaces are critical in tackling isolation and preventing conflict.
From conflict to cohesion:
Our Principles in Practice
At the heart of FURD’s work is a clear belief: cohesion begins with recognising and addressing the tensions that divide us.
We create spaces where open, inclusive conversations can take place. By listening and sharing, trust is built. Trust leads to action, and action leads to change—communities working together towards a common good.
This process helps generate lasting cohesion: a shared sense of belonging, mutual respect, and collective ownership of our society’s future.
Support our work
DonateWatch the highlights from our conference
be a friend of furd
Want to get involved or support our work? We'd love to hear from you! Whether you're interested in volunteering, partnering, or just finding out more about our activities.
Partners
supported by
Photo gallery
Uniting Our streets and communities conference
Community Days
