On Monday,14 September, The Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion hosted an important reception in the Speaker’s House, House of Commons in order to share the first insights from the National Conversation. The National Conversation is a UK wide listening exercise designed to hear directly from people in every nation and region about their experiences of community life.
Paula Reynolds, CEO of Belfast Charitable Society, attended and spoke at the event through the work of the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation, which provided funding support the National Conversation.
Over the past three months, through voice notes and geolocated mapping data as part of an in-depth survey with Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of Oxford, The National Conversation has been hearing from communities across the country. The aim, to understand and articulate the mandate from the public, to know straight from them, what unites us, what divides us and to map out the vision we share for how we can live well together.
As well as previewing some of the preliminary findings, the evening was an opportunity to recognise the breadth of partners that made the National Conversation possible – organisations across media, creative, civil society, and business, representing the full spectrum of British life.
Paula commented “We are delighted to support the work of the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion through the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation and hear from the co-chairs on the progress being made. We look forward to the final report which will help inform our work in building connection and cohesion here in Northern Ireland”