Community relations in Hammersmith and Fulham
Welcome to the Hammersmith and Fulham community relations page.
Community relations refers to the relationships that are formed by and amongst individuals, communities and organisations within a locality. Hammersmith and Fulham Council is committed to supporting new and established communities to form relationships that enable all communities to take advantage of, and more responsibility for, opportunity in the borough.
Hammersmith and Fulham is home to a rich and diverse population. The Council wants to assist its residents in fostering vibrant communities that come together to solve the problems that they face and build a united borough based on local shared values.
The links on the right hand side of this page direct you to the different elements of the council’s involvement in supporting community relations.
The council’s approach focuses on engagement, integration and responsibility.
Engagement
1) Facilitation – Hammersmith and Fulham Council acts as a facilitator between communities enabling them to come together, establish dialogue and work together (e.g. Community Relations Group).
2) Involvement – Hammersmith and Fulham Council encourages and supports different communities to play active roles in local issues and the running of the area (e.g. School Governors, Borough Partnership).
3) Communications – Hammersmith and Fulham Council promotes local shared values and good news stories with the aim of abolishing myths and changing unfounded perceptions.
Integration
1) Interaction – Trust, culture and networks built up through day to day contact and interaction between individuals and communities in an everyday environment.
2) Break-down of barriers – The absence of strict demarcations between how individuals identify themselves, i.e. people do not identify themselves in opposition to other individuals or communities.
3) Understanding – The ability to understand and appreciate common principles and shared values but also differences.
Responsibility
1) Agreement – Two-way understanding between all parties in a local area (individuals, communities, and public sector organisations) that each partner must take responsibility for necessary respective commitments in order to establish a successful model for improved community relations.
2) Leadership – An understanding that local leadership is an objective good and a goal which individuals, communities and public sector bodies all need to play a part in and pursue.
