Stronger Leeds Strategy 2026 to 2030

Foreword

Leeds is a city known for its warmth and inclusivity, celebrating the diversity of its communities. From the early migration that helped build our city and help sustain it to offering sanctuary to those escaping conflict, Leeds has a proud tradition of welcoming people from all backgrounds, faiths, and beliefs. We are a proud City of Sanctuary and a council of Sanctuary.

The past few years have, however, presented significant challenges not just for Leeds, but for cities across the UK. The COVID-19 pandemic forced us into social isolation, and its long term effects have been deeply felt. In addition, over a decade of austerity, coupled with rampant inflation and a cost of living crisis, has strained public services and posed new challenges for families, organisations, and businesses across our great city. These pressures have impacted on our ability to connect, socialise, and engage within and between our communities.

Recent global, national and local events have further tested us. The conflict between Israel and Hamas for example has deeply affected many in our community and we know that tensions can surface and escalate quickly when communities feel targeted.

Far right protests and disorder fuelled by anti-migration sentiment and online hate has led to flashpoints across the UK and we are alive to the impact this has on our communities. These incidents remind us that cohesion and understanding are vital to avoid our communities descending into fear and anger.

We cannot be complacent about the strength of our relationships and the sense of belonging in our city. Social cohesion requires ongoing effort and commitment it is not something we can take for granted.

In developing this strategy, we engaged directly with residents through surveys and focus groups as well as indirectly through work with community based organisations, elected members and other community stakeholders. The message is clear: Leeds is proud of its diversity and multiculturalism. We are committed to being a place where racism and prejudice is not tolerated and actively challenged, and where extremist views and hate is countered.

Drawing on community insights and that of key partners and stakeholders in the city, we set out our shared priorities, and we have developed this strategy to build stronger, more cohesive communities. Leeds City Council must lead by example, upholding equality and fairness in everything we do. We will continue to challenge racism, prejudice, and inequality wherever it occurs, both within our organisation and in the wider community, to create a fairer, more inclusive city for all. But importantly, we will work with you and with our partners to do the same. Working together with a shared purpose will deliver for Leeds.

So, thank you to everyone who contributed to developing this strategy. I hope that you will join me in playing your part and working together to strengthen and support our communities, helping make Leeds the best city to live, get on, get involved and belong.

- Councillor Asghar Khan,
- Executive Member for Communities, Customer Services and Community Safety

Introduction

Leeds takes pride in being a vibrant and inclusive city, celebrating its rich cultural diversity and prioritising accessibility for all. We believe that every individual matters and should have the opportunity to contribute their unique strengths and talents to the collective success, engendering a Team Leeds approach. By working in partnership across the public, private, and voluntary sectors, we are committed to realising this vision.

In recent years, however, our sense of community and democratic values have faced significant challenges. Events at local, national, and international levels have tested our communities. While there are differing opinions on the merits of Brexit, for example, almost all major analysis concludes that the process has deepened divisions and polarised some communities and families through it becoming more than a policy issue, with it evolving into an identity marker. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted underlying inequalities, disproportionately impacting marginalised groups and contributing to a growing mistrust in authorities. Additionally, the cost of living crisis has placed immense strain on many households, leaving too many people struggling to meet basic needs. The digital age presents both opportunities and challenges. While advancements in technology bring innovative solutions, unregulated artificial intelligence presents risks to democratic systems.

Building on this context, social media platforms often enhance echo chambers, which amplify division and reduce empathy. The spread of disinformation and fake news, facilitated by online anonymity, has further undermined trust and unity within communities.

These are challenging times and whilst our communities have shown remarkable resilience, communities that are fragmented and disconnected remain more vulnerable. Now, more than ever, we need to invest in and strengthen our social connections across faith, race and difference to build trust, foster confidence, and cultivate a shared sense of pride in our city that can resist the forces of division. There is strong and consistent evidence that Socially connected and cohesive local areas are better equipped and more resilient in the face of crisis, challenge and change, and people are individually healthier, happier and experience greater wellbeing.

Involvement in volunteering and playing an active role are some of the outcomes that we know will help build a more cohesive community, but they also help the individual too. Put simply, we know that investing in social cohesion has far reaching socio economic and health benefits, as well as more resilient and safer communities. We know that over time, cohesive communities support one another and build independence reducing the need for top down public service interventions. We are also aware that the best way to build resilience and social cohesion is to collaborate with our partners, ensuring that our plans and work are place based and locally led. 

We are committed to work with our partners in the voluntary and faith, civic and business sectors alongside our public services to put social cohesion and resilience at the heart of our work, striving to foster better and stronger relationships bridging and bonding between different groups and communities. We want Leeds to be a place where we have the skills to hold difficult conversations and understand that we will not always think alike but can agree to disagree amicably; where we promote good relationships between people of different backgrounds; where everyone feels they belong to the city and have a role to play in their community; and where we work tirelessly to ensure everyone feels safe and secure.

What cohesion means to Leeds

Social cohesion is about how well people from different backgrounds, cultures, and social groups get on and live together peacefully, sharing common values, goals, and responsibilities. It is about how strong relationships are, and the sense of solidarity we have, with others in our neighbourhoods and the wider community. A cohesive society is one that embraces inclusivity, where people trust one another and the institutions that serve them, and where we actively work to reduce tensions and conflict rooted in race, religion or other differences. In a cohesive society, we are empathetic towards others and move beyond divisive ‘us and them’ narratives. It is a society where we promote kindness, understanding and curiosity towards other people. This creates a society that is not only a nicer place for us all to live, but one that is better for our collective prosperity, health and wellbeing.

An evolving city in a changing context

The Leeds Ambitions

Leeds City Council has recently launched the ‘Leeds Ambitions’. The new plan sets out a strategic roadmap aimed especially at tackling poverty and inequality and delivering real measurable change.

The strategy will make a significant contribution to the Thriving: Strong Communities Ambition, ensuring Leeds is a welcoming, safe city where people have the power to make the changes that are important to them, with cohesive and united neighbourhoods where people live healthier lives and enjoy the city’s vibrant social and community offer. It will help neighbourhoods feel safer, with communities coming together to promote good relations and build a stronger sense of shared belonging. It will help shape places that people are proud to live and work in, where people feel a strong sense of ownership over their local community. It will help improve access to services and community support so that people have equitable opportunity to find and enjoy social connections, services and experiences which enrich their lives.

This Stronger Leeds Strategy is key to empowering our communities and making a contribution across all of the Leeds Ambitions. Whether improving health inequalities across marginalised communities; supporting inclusive growth by ensuring communities have the access to learning, skills and language/communications skills; or improving resilience within marginalised communities by developing confidence to participate in the wider cultural of the city.

Leeds leads

Leeds is recognised as one of the United Kingdom’s most successful cities. It has transformed itself over the last 50 years from a mainly industrial city into a broadly based commercial centre regarded as the most important financial, legal and business service centre outside of London. Leeds is a quality place to live, work and raise families and has attracted a growing population count going from an increase of 4.8% between 2001 and 2011, to 7.4% between 2011 and 2021. Our current population is 812,000 and includes a rich diversity of over 100 different nationalities speaking over 175 different languages.

As a city of sanctuary, Leeds is built on migration from near and far, and has benefited economically, culturally and socially as a result. The first real wave of migration to the city began shortly after the Irish potato famine began in the 1830’s. Jewish communities began to appear in Leeds in the 1840’s with a significant increase towards the 19th century as persecution against them grew. Throughout the mid 1900’s the arrival of Windrush migrants and a growing Sikh and Muslim population saw the diversity of the city’s population increase at a steady rate. Nowadays, people from different ethnic, cultural and lifestyle backgrounds make up our city and the places in which we live, work and play. The overt and subtle influence of diverse cultures on food, fashion, music, interior design and architecture are evident right across the city. Around the world migration has increased due, in part, to people fleeing political unrest and conflict and also to others seeking education and employment opportunities.

A vibrant student population in Leeds is something we have long since celebrated in our city. As with any population, they bring their own diverse identities and cultures to Leeds and help shape the city. The student population stood at 75,000 in 2021/22 and continues to rise year on year. This population is also migrating. While the inner Northwest parts of the city continue to be home to a large number of students, most of the growth we are seeing comes with more and more students choosing to live in the city centre.

Local challenges

As a city that is striving to tackle poverty and inequality we will need to support the wider work of the Leeds Ambitions that focus on Healthy: Health and Wellbeing. As part of the ongoing work to reduce health inequality, people are living longer in Leeds, but often with more complex health needs over a longer period of time. The percentage of people over 64 years is currently 15% across the city with many more of those from diverse backgrounds and more of those likely to live in areas defined as having higher levels of poverty. This has significant social justice implications for us as a city as people within these groups tend to have a higher level of need for health and other public services.

Having strong social connections is an important factor for us all in terms of our health and wellbeing. Being socially active is a strong protective factor for physical and mental health and wellbeing of all ages, especially for younger and older adults. Social isolation and loneliness impact health in a way that is comparable to well established risk factors such as smoking and obesity. With Leeds large student population and higher numbers of older people attention must be focused on how to reduce isolation and increase social connectedness to help all our communities to feel that they ‘belong’ both physically and mentally. This means ensuring people have the means and ability to connect, ranging from being digitally ‘included’ in our society, through to knowing that there are neighbours checking in on one another. People are getting healthier and living longer in Leeds.

Leeds has a unique geography with a vibrant urban centre surrounded by towns, villages and more rural areas, each with their own distinct history and character. Whilst this brings tremendous diversity and strength it has an effect on how people experience services, connection and how they view their ‘communities’ and their sense of belonging to those. We know that we must continue to develop opportunities for people to connect and ensure they can access the support they need. The challenges are inherent in densely populated areas with many diverse communities all trying to get along; this being apparent in both longstanding and emerging communities. We need to respond to how trust is built and maintained between communities and with statutory bodies.

Intercultural cities

In Leeds, we are proud of our status as an Intercultural City. Intercultural Cities (ICC) is a council of Europe flagship programme. It seeks to explore the potential of an intercultural approach to integration in communities with culturally diverse populations. The cities participating in the programme review their governance, policies, discourse and practices from an intercultural point of view.

How did we develop this strategy

We ran an online survey for six weeks to help inform our approach to social cohesion in the city. Promoted through our social media channels, our teams working across Leeds and our community partners, we engaged over 1400 residents directly from across all wards in the city through the survey.

Alongside the survey, our youth service teams surveyed a further significant number of young people, and we ran focus groups with residents from groups across the city. The focus groups included young people and older people, as well as those from different ethnicities and backgrounds.

The focus groups allowed the participants to share their experiences as well as identify issues and concerns that were perceived as barriers to social cohesion. Importantly, it was a chance to hear about ideas on how we build on, and improve, social relationships in the city.

In addition to the survey and focus groups, we engaged a wider range of community stakeholders working in some instances with Leeds Third Sector Anchor organisations and undertook research across the country. This led us to a set of clear principles and priorities for our work going forwards.

We have also considered the results of the Big Leeds Chat exercise that has informed the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023 to 2030 and the public engagement that supported the development of both the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Plan and our city’s own Community Safety Strategy to further shape our approach. These types of exercises include a series of public facing local engagement events, in which people were able to share information about what matters to them, and what they need to improve their health and wellbeing and their sense of community. Some of the key themes identified align very closely with the work of the Stronger Leeds strategy, including ‘a city where fears about crime and antisocial behaviour are no barrier to enjoying everything the community has to offer’ and ‘a city where green spaces are kept tidy and welcoming, because services understand the vital role they play in keeping people well’.

A summary of our results can be found in Annex 1.

Our shared principles

When we asked communities what they wanted to see, it was clear from the responses that these were the key areas we needed to address and strengthen. Complementing the Leeds Ambitions, which outlines a clear commitment to tackling inequalities wherever they exist, we will follow these four key principles:

  • participation means that people feel able to get involved and contribute to their neighbourhoods and communities. Whether that be attending a community meeting or volunteering at a festival participants told us they wanted to get involved in activities that help build trust, promote good communication, a sense of shared ownership and responsibility, and most of all pride in where they live. Our priorities will support all who live in Leeds to become more active residents
  • relationships are key to social cohesion. Participants told us that relationships friendships and family were the key reason for feeling a sense of pride and belonging in Leeds. Relationships are hugely important to people and that’s not just with those that they know. Residents want to build a sense of connection and reach out to their neighbours, as well as those from different and diverse backgrounds. Residents also want to connect with local institutions such as the council, health, housing providers and other public services building trust and respect both ways
  • belonging is the sense that we can feel safe and that we are part of something bigger and have a stake in the city. When we are able to participate, enjoy good relationships and feel safe and accepted in the places and spaces that we live in, work and play, we can bond and bridge with those around us and our sense of belonging increases
  • equality means breaking down the barriers to participation and success. From the Cost of Living Crisis to the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that not all our communities feel they have equal access or opportunities. When people feel they are treated fairly, they feel better able to relate to one another

Linking Stronger Leeds Shared Principles to the Leeds Ambitions

The Stronger Leeds Strategy is built around the four shared principles Participation, Relationships, Belonging and Equality each of which aligns strongly with one or more of the Leeds Ambitions: Healthy, Growing, Thriving, and Resilient. The connections are set out below.

Participation

Growing and Thriving Ambitions

Participation emphasises enabling residents to get involved in civic life, volunteer, and take shared responsibility in their neighbourhoods. This directly strengthens:

  • Growing: Inclusive Growth, which seeks to reduce poverty and inequality by ensuring everyone can contribute to and benefit from the city’s economy
    Participation supports this by increasing residents’ access to skills, language development, and opportunities to engage in community and economic activity (for example support for English language learning and access to employment)
  • Thriving: Strong Communities, which aims to empower residents to make changes that matter to them and to build cohesive, united neighbourhoods where people feel ownership and get involved in shaping their area
  • participation strengthens this by promoting involvement in local meetings, events and volunteering, building trust and shared responsibility within communities

Relationships

Healthy and Thriving Ambitions

Relationships focus on strengthening connections between neighbours, communities, and local services. This directly supports:

  • Healthy: Health and Wellbeing, which seeks to create conditions for healthier lives where people are supported to thrive at all life stages. Strong relationships reduce isolation and improve wellbeing across age groups a key factor in citywide health outcomes, as the strategy highlights the importance of social connections for both physical and mental wellbeing
  • Thriving: Strong Communities, which highlights the importance of trust, cohesion and shared community life. The principle of relationships aligns directly with this ambition by encouraging neighbourliness, trust building with services, and fostering shared pride in Leeds

Belonging

Thriving and Healthy Ambitions

Belonging emphasises safety, acceptance, shared identity and feeling part of the city. It aligns especially strongly with:

  • Thriving: Strong Communities, the ambition for a welcoming, safe, clean city where people feel connected, empowered and included within their neighbourhoods.
    Belonging is built when people feel safe and accepted in the places they live, work and play, reinforcing cohesion and community ownership
  • Healthy: Health and Wellbeing, because belonging is closely tied to wellbeing communities with a strong sense of identity and social stability are more resilient, safer and healthier overall

Equality

Growing and Resilient Ambitions

Equality focuses on tackling barriers that limit opportunity, particularly in the context of poverty, cost of living pressures, and unequal access to services. This directly contributes to:

  • Growing: Inclusive Growth, which aims to reduce poverty and inequality across the city and ensure that economic opportunities are accessible to all
    Equality aligns with this by breaking down barriers that prevent people from participating in learning, employment and community life, especially those disproportionately affected by cost of living and post pandemic impacts
  • Resilient: Sustainable City, which calls for a city where people and organisations work together to respond to long term challenges and make sustainable choices that improve quality of life by embedding fairness and reducing structural barriers, the principle of Equality helps ensure that all communities can participate fully in shaping a resilient, future ready Leeds

Together, these principles strengthen the city’s ability to deliver the Leeds Ambitions mission: reducing poverty and inequality through healthier lives, inclusive economic growth, stronger communities and a sustainable future for all.

Our priorities

Safe: Create safe spaces for community conversation

  • Facilitate conversations to understand our differences.
  • Train staff to understand, identify and respond to hate and prejudice.
  • Promote confidence in reporting hate crime.
  • Reduce Communities fear of crime and disorder.

Strong: Build community trust

  • Build trust between communities and public services.
  • Support volunteering and civic engagement.
  • Encourage neighbourliness and mutual support.
  • Putting local people first.

Understanding: Celebrate our differences and build a shared feeling of belonging

  • Promote inclusive events and intercultural learning.
  • Support English language learning and access to employment.
  • Celebrate diversity and shared values.

Thriving: Develop shared responses between communities and public bodies to promote community ownership

  • Intercultural approaches that embrace and value migration.
  • Communities are resilient and have confidence to challenge and educate statutory services.
  • Championing community power.

Governance and accountability

This strategy does not stand alone and will influence and be influenced by other strategies including (but not exclusively):

  • Safer Leeds Strategy
  • Leeds Health and Wellbeing Strategy
  • Leeds Volunteering Strategy
  • Parks and Green Spaces Strategy
  • Antisocial Behaviour Strategy
  • Leeds Volunteering Strategy

Oversight and governance of the strategy and delivery plan is held by the Safer Leeds Executive. Operationally responsibility will fall to a new Thriving: Strong Communities Board that will envelop the strategies currently delivered across many boards including:

  • Migration Strategy
  • Hate Crime Strategy
  • Prevent Strategy
  • Equality Strategy
  • Third Sector Strategy

By bringing oversight to key strategies, this will lead to better joined up response and provide a more formal opportunity to bring lived experience onto a single board. It will also bring about clear alignment of this work to the Leeds Ambitions and create a place where open and honest dialogue can take place about meeting communities needs and how we can support them in living together.

Wider focus

This approach to governance will allow for stronger external links into Asset Based Community Development approaches used within the city and bring community focus to our work directly influencing and being influenced by community committees.

Annex 1

Our survey and focus group findings in more detail.

Key findings

How well do you think people from different backgrounds get along with each other in your local area

  • Overall, 86% of people felt that people get on extremely well or well
  • White people feel most confident (89%) followed by Asian and Asian British (83%) respondents
  • The data shows that the older people get, the more positive people feel those relationships are (with a 1% exception aged 40 to 49)

There are some things people say make it easier for communities to get along with each other. We asked you to tell us what you think, and to rank those.

You feel that the most important things are:

  • people from different backgrounds should have the same chances in life for them and family
  • being willing to help one another out regardless of your background
  • a community where you all feel safe
  • trust in local services like the council, the police and health providers
  • a community where people have respect for one another’s’ cultures was also a priority

Our focus groups told us that a good neighbourhood:

  • looks and feels clean and well looked after with parks and green spaces that are accessible to all and safe

What is important to you and your family in helping make your community feel cohesive

  • Respect between all people whatever their religion, age, sexual orientation, gender or ethnicity.
  • Tackling hate and intolerance is a top priority. Understanding communities and cutting out those things that make us fear or get angry with one another.
  • This is closely followed by the ability to form friendships and develop an understanding of those from different backgrounds.

Our focus groups told us that:

  • a neighbourhood that feels comfortable for all and that feels neighbourly is also key

What impacts how well people get on with each other

  • Antisocial behaviour is a real challenge and received the highest number of responses.
  • The cost of living has made it difficult for people to join in with activities/events.
  • Language barriers can prevent people connecting with one another.
  • Fly tipping and general misuse of public spaces affects how you feel about those living around you and their lack of respect for the area.
  • 32% respondents felt that racism is an issue and 24% were concerned about Hate Crime.

Our focus groups told us:

  • prejudice and fear of the other plays a role
  • people are scared of what they don’t know and this isn’t down to intentional prejudice, it just feels safer sometimes to stick to what you know”
  • people are not always ready or able to accept another culture and that knowledge about other cultures is helpful
  • “my neighbour and I speak different languages we communicate through hands but some people don’t have the confidence to do that”
  • others felt that austerity and the cost of living has impacted the spaces, places and events that give people the opportunity to come together
  • “there aren’t a lot of opportunity for people to come together or mix and engage based on common interests”
  • some feel that social media is impacting people’s connection to one another:
    •  “people spend too much time on social media, so they don’t go out and talk to each other, there’s no interaction any more people don’t have the get up and go they used to have”
    • some do not feel safe letting their children and young people play out for fear of abuse and violence

Young people told us:

  • social media is having a negative effect on some relationships
  • “people are on their phones all the time”
  • “nobody talks face to face any more”

What could we do to improve relationships in our local areas

  • Community events and festivals that bring people of all backgrounds together.
  • Reaching out to get to know your neighbours.
  • Volunteering and taking action in your neighbourhood.

Our focus groups told us that:

  • people need to feel confident to be able to ask questions, say hello and feel part of a group
  • “there could be mini markets, busking/singing and dancing; anything that interrupts the normal flow and encourages people to interact and socialise”
  • universal activities such as sports means language is less important

They also told us that:

  • there should be more opportunities to hear community voices through engagement event and activities such as informal or structured meetings and forums
  • events, activities and spaces that are free are important because people don’t have the money due to the cost-of-living crisis

The young people we spoke to felt that there needs to be:

  • more opportunities for young people of different backgrounds to come together
  • inclusion of people of all backgrounds to combat isolation and loneliness
  • communication and inclusion [people] having someone to go to, family or not’
  • ‘Acts of kindness’