In many Big Local areas there is a focus on building connections and opportunities for social interactions between residents.  These aspirations reflect the view among residents in some areas that a sense of community had been lost locally as a result of economic decline.   

Common activities aimed at achieving these objectives involve investment in community facilities and hubs, projects aimed at specific groups (e.g. young and older adults) as well as inter-generational activity. Some focus is also placed on the arts, heritage and sports as a mechanism for participation and volunteering.  Often it is through the process of working on joint projects (e.g. organising an event)  where social relations develop. 

In turn, these interactions can result in positive improvements for local quality of life.  Having access to spaces for the community creates opportunities for residents to meet, which in turn may have positive health impact, such as reducing social isolation.  

There are also barriers associated with trying to bring people together. Some are relatively easily overcome, such as re-arranging the timing and location of activities to suit different groups of people.  In contrast, efforts to bring spaces into local use such as a community hub may be fraught and challenging to deliver.  An area’s infrastructure, such as a major road system cutting through a neighbourhood, or historical distrust between different sections of the community, can also present challenges that may seem beyond residents’ ability to resolve.