Events

Social Connection during COVID-19: Lessons and Future Challenges

Thursday 14th May

This webinar launched the first report of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration’s Inquiry into social connection during the COVID-19 crisis.

Members of the All Party Parliamentary Group, together with organisations who gave evidence to the inquiry and co-authors of the report from British Future, presented initial findings so far and cast forward to the future challenges for businesses, charities and public sector organisations that work with isolated groups.

Date and Time: Thursday 14^th May, 12.00PM – 1.15PM

Speakers:

• Peter Gibson MP, APPG on Social Integration Member
• Jill Rutter, Director of Strategy & Relationships, British Future
• Will Tanner, Director of UK Onward
• Jo Broadwood, CEO of Belong
• Sunder Katwala, Director, British Future (Chair)

If you were unable to attend the webinar, you can now view the recording here:

COVID-19 and the ongoing lockdown has highlighted the importance of social connection for our own wellbeing and for society as a whole. There has been an outpouring of neighbourliness and kindness. But the crisis has also brought challenges. While the Government is supporting those judged to be in clinical need, from an early stage it became clear that marginalised individuals outside this group were becoming even more isolated. It is in this context that the APPG on Social Integration decided to hold a two-part inquiry about social connection during the COVID-19 crisis.

This event shared the findings from Part One of this inquiry, which gathered evidence from organisations working across sectors connecting people, exploring the issues they face in reaching isolated groups and their examples of best practice. Our panellists considered the future challenges for those working in social connection, or with isolated groups, looking ahead to the longer-term impact of COVID-19 on the social fabric of the UK.  Followed by a brief Q&A.