Why social infrastructure matters for economic security

Where do you go, and who do you turn to for connection, or when times get tough? If you are lucky, you might have a local community hub hosting a range of services and activities; a social club or community-pub with a mid-week quiz; your neighbours might offer you a cup of tea and a chat. For many of us, the people we know and the places we go locally provide a bedrock of connection and support. Community spaces, activities, services and everyday connections weave together a social infrastructure that is crucial for helping people feel secure in their lives.

Social infrastructure is the lifeblood of neighbourhoods across the country, bringing people together and providing access to new opportunities that help to sustain economically secure and resilient communities. Yet for millions across the UK, community assets, groups and services that form a foundation of everyday support are much harder to come by, leaving them more economically insecure and less resilient. Investing in social infrastructure is therefore essential and must not be an optional extra.

The Government’s Pride in Place Programme is heeding this call by targeting investment at areas that are doubly disadvantaged: both economically deprived and weaker in social infrastructure. Yet questions remain; new JRF analysis reveals 430 doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England remain unfunded. These areas are home to approximately 3.5 million people and include some neighbourhoods ranked among those facing the greatest challenges.

The speed with which the programme is being rolled out also creates challenges in funded neighbourhoods given the intention is — rightly — for plans and delivery to be community-led. Our analysis highlights strikingly lower levels of community capacity and social infrastructure in these areas, which will need time, investment and support to grow.