The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a new fund that will bring together more parents and families from all backgrounds in the capital and reduce social isolation. This strategy demonstrates Sadiq’s continuing commitment to bringing the whole city together and breaking down barriers that keep people apart.
The “London Family Fund” will help parents across the city build social networks and support each other when embarking on one of life’s greatest challenges – becoming a parent. The funding was announced at MumSpace in Camberwell, a local support group for parents, with £600,000 being invested in projects to help parents from all backgrounds build relationships and set up support networks.
Khan said: “Social integration is an issue for all of us – because it benefits all of us. It goes to the heart of who we are – how we treat each other and what kind of city we want London to be in the future. To achieve a truly integrated society, we must face up to some of the changes that have shaped our city.
“I am proud that London is one of the most diverse and progressive cities in the world. But our communities are changing rapidly, inequality across the capital is increasing – in these unsettling times our sense of social cohesion is being put to the test like never before.
“I strongly believe that we can tackle the barriers to social integration and the inequalities which divide people. We can ensure that all Londoners can become active citizens, participating fully in the life of the best city in the world.”
The Mayor’s ambitious strategy highlights the need for all Londoners to build relationships in order to create proper connections and to help end divisions. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world: however, 21 per cent of Londoners reported that all their friends were of the same ethnicity as themselves, almost a third said all their friends were a similar age, and 30 per cent said all their friends had a similar education to them. The strategy aims to create a socially integrated city where people have more opportunities to connect positively with each other and relate to each other as equals.
New action to bring Londoners together includes:
* Bringing together families from different backgrounds by launching The London Family Fund, and investing £600,000 by 2020.
* Incentivising volunteering, particularly amongst young Londoners.
* Using sport to build relationships between different communities in the capital.
* Addressing the under-representation of Londoners from different groups in key industries.
* Improving the suitability and availability of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
* Exploring new ways of measuring social integration in London – working with London Boroughs to develop a Social Evidence Base.
