Blackness & Belonging ; A Community Dialogue

How can we form meaningful friendships in one of the loneliest cities in the world?

The World Health Organisation declared loneliness a ‘global health concern’ in 2023 launching an international commission on Social Connection. The UK has the most recorded levels of people suffering from loneliness in Europe and more than half of Londoners find the capital a lonely place to live. You are 14%  less likely to make new friends in London than in the average city and 22% of millennials reported having no friends at all. How can we create spaces where people feel they belong?

Research conducted by the British Red Cross showed that people’s ethnicity has a direct impact on their experience of loneliness, Black people reported feeling much more isolated than the general population. Is loneliness affected by culture?

We all want to belong, whether that’s through close relationships with others or being part of a larger community. What does it mean to belong and what do we gain from belonging?

Do Black people have a sacred responsibility to one another, or is belonging to the community imposed on us?

When was the last time you felt you truly belonged? Do people invest too much in belonging to a particular community?

Join us as we tackle these questions and explore all the beauty and complexity of Black life.