The Jo Cox Foundation: working towards a kinder, fairer, and more compassionate world. 

Jo Cox was a passionate campaigner, activist and humanitarian; a proud Yorkshire lass; and a devoted mum, daughter, sister, wife, friend and MP.  

The Jo Cox Foundation makes meaningful changes on issues Jo was passionate about. We believe a kinder, fairer and more connected world is possible. Underpinning this belief is the understanding that we have more in common than that which divides us. To make a change, we follow Jo’s example of collaborating with others and bringing people together to achieve more than we can alone.  

A sense of belonging and connection is essential to our daily lives. It’s a powerful emotional need that bridges social gaps and nurtures cohesive and inclusive communities. 

In 2022, we piloted the Belonging in Batley and Spen project, which placed local people at its heart. Bringing together people from different backgrounds, participants explored and shared their valuable experiences and insights on ‘what it means to belong’. 

The project encouraged meaningful connections between local people from different backgrounds who have struggled with a sense of belonging in their area and explored what it means to ‘welcome’.  

We know communities across West Yorkshire are disconnected and socially isolated. Community members, including young people, are pushed apart and marginalised. A recent survey in Kirklees highlighted a continuous strong link between deprivation and loneliness.  For change and connections to happen, we need to recognise that we are all interconnected. We must start by strengthening our own connections and help bridge the divides that keep us apart. In turn, we hope to see this ripple outside of our social relationships with each other and our communities.  

A recent survey in Kirklees revealed that some residents ‘feel they no longer belong to their area… and expressed that their areas have a poor reputation or negative identity when they talk about it to anyone else.’  

We learnt from the Belonging project was that many people aren’t aware of or don’t have the opportunity to connect, learn and share.  

We adapted our More in Common Awards, to demonstrate how we can contribute positively to our communities. We highlighted local volunteer organisations that embody the More in Common spirit to show how people can get involved in their place in different ways. Whether letter-writing, fixing bikes or giving time to volunteer for events, our Volunteering Spotlight shows we can all achieve more together than we can alone. 

Volunteering, whether through organising events, supporting community organisations or small acts of kindness in your neighbourhood, can help galvanise positive change on a local level. It demonstrates our collective power as a community striving to remain connected, creating and nurturing new and existing relationships with people and places.   

Volunteering is an inherently empathetic endeavour where people give up their time to help others. It provides a way to physically interact with the world improving health and fitness, with 7 out of 10 volunteers reporting improvements in their mental health, well-being, and loneliness, in a recent report from the National Council of Volunteer Organisations (NCVO).  

For many, getting involved in new activities and sports can be a source of much-needed socialising, enabling them to form connections to their community giving them a strong sense of belonging. It’s why we’re developing a second phase of our belonging project and continuing to build projects based on our learning. 

We’re currently involved in a research project in partnership with The University of Huddersfield and Kirklees Council. This research investigates perceptions and experiences within communities in Batley and Heckmondwike. It focuses on local belonging, exploring a sense of own and others’ community, loneliness, and contact across lines of difference.  

The theory and practice of psychogeography play a vital role in community members’ activities, with participants invited to explore what triggers inclusion and exclusion. Through creative methods, research participants will explore their feelings about their sense of community, places, and spaces. They’ll look at their definition of community and what it means to them. 

The insights and findings from the collected data, combined with existing information about community views in Kirklees, will enable the team at the University to produce a report. It will be shared with a wide range of audiences and methods to expand its reach and impact. Additionally, the research conclusions will be readily accessible to community members, practitioners, and the Local Authority, aiding their work with communities. 

We hope to continue to help people be more connected, become more engaged, and take collective action in fostering a sense of belonging in their place and space.  

We know we can’t do this alone. That’s why we’re open to partnerships and community co-production to drive positive and sustainable societal changes. Our work in Yorkshire is only a part of our Stronger Communities Team. Alongside our More in Common Network, Connection Coalition, and annual Great Get Together, we will continue towards the kinder, fairer, and more compassionate world Jo believed in. 

Hafeezah Soni is the Yorkshire Programme Manager for the Jo Cox Foundation.