Leeds City Council’s Executive Board has formally approved the Stronger Leeds Strategy 2026–2030, setting out the city’s approach to strengthening social cohesion over the next four years.
The strategy has been developed through community engagement and research, and is intended to address the issues that affect people’s sense of belonging across Leeds.
You can read the Executive Board papers here.
What the strategy is about
The report to Executive Board describes Stronger Leeds as a citywide strategy focused on social cohesion, with the aim of responding to both the challenges and opportunities of a diverse and growing city.
It is intended to support the Council’s wider Thriving: Strong Communities ambition and will be monitored through the Safer Leeds Executive, with a delivery plan currently being developed.
The Board report also notes that the strategy is designed to be flexible, so it can respond to changing local circumstances and emerging issues across the city.
Why this matters
For the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, this matters because social cohesion is not an abstract policy issue. It affects how people experience:
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belonging and connection
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safety and trust
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inclusion in community life
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relationships between different communities
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confidence in local services and institutions
Many VCSE organisations are already doing this work every day through community development, mental health support, inclusion work, anti-racism, migration support, youth work, older people’s services and place-based activity.
A formal strategy gives a clearer framework for how this work connects into wider city priorities.
Community Cohesion Network
Alongside the strategy, people can also sign up to the Community Cohesion Network.
This is likely to be useful for organisations and individuals who want to stay connected to future conversations, updates and activity linked to cohesion work across Leeds.
What happens next
Executive Board has approved:
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the Stronger Leeds Strategy 2026–2030
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the draft delivery plan in development
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ongoing monitoring through the Safer Leeds Executive
As more detail emerges on delivery, this will be worth watching from a VCSE perspective, particularly for organisations working on community safety, equalities, integration, neighbourhoods and inclusion.
