On Tuesday, 21 April, the Muslim World League brought together community leaders, charities, and faith groups for a high-impact “Community Cohesion Hackathon” at Easton Community Centre in Bristol, working in collaboration with The Good Faith Partnership. The initiative focused on generating practical, locally led solutions to strengthen trust, connection, and cohesion across Bristol’s diverse communities.
The event opened with a presentation from Ruth Pitter and Kamaljit Poonia, highlighting key findings from Bristol City Council’s Reflections on Community Cohesion report. This set a clear direction for the day, grounding discussions in real challenges facing neighbourhoods across the city.
Participants were then tasked with designing a pilot project that could deliver a meaningful impact on community cohesion within a short timeframe. Working in teams, they developed ideas to foster dialogue, reduce division, and build stronger relationships between communities. The focus remained firmly on solutions that were actionable, scalable, and rooted in local realities.
Expert guidance was provided throughout the session by practitioners, including Mohammed El Sharif from Bristol City Council’s Community Development Team, Nadia Holland from the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, and Guy Wilkinson, former interfaith advisor at Lambeth Palace. Their input helped refine ideas and ensure alignment with existing community priorities.
At the end of the day, teams presented their proposals to a panel of civic and community leaders, including Councillor Stephen Williams, Dean Mandy Ford of Bristol Cathedral, Alex Raikes MBE of Stand Against Racism & Inequality (SARI), Nezamul Hasan from the Muslim World League London, and Anna Smith, CEO of Quartet Community Foundation.
A range of strong ideas emerged. These included youth-led collaboration sessions in schools, community storytelling workshops, creative art installations involving children, a film initiative designed to open space for difficult conversations, and shared cultural gatherings where communities could connect through food, music, and art.
Following a participant vote, local storytelling workshops were selected as the initiative with the greatest potential for immediate impact. Backed by the Muslim World League, a £10,000 funding opportunity will now be opened to local organisations to deliver this project across Bristol. The initiative aims to amplify community voices, build understanding, and create meaningful connections between different groups.
This programme reflects a growing recognition that community cohesion cannot be imposed from the top down. It requires local ownership, trusted partnerships, and practical action. By combining strategic support with on-the-ground expertise, the hackathon model demonstrated a clear pathway from ideas to implementation.
For organisations and community groups in Bristol, the upcoming tender presents a direct opportunity to shape and deliver a project that can make a measurable difference this summer.
For more information about the event or how to apply for the £10,000 tender, please contact info@goodfaith.org.uk.
