News & Views – Belonging Forum

Opinions

Economic growth alone won’t fix Yorkshire’s belonging crisis

YORKSHIRE POST | Yorkshire needs secure jobs, affordable homes and investment in places that have waited too long for it. Yet a town can attract investment and still leave its… view full article >>

What it Means to be ‘Too Old’ and a Woman: Systemic Gendered Ageism and Loss of Belonging

GLOBAL ISSUES | In this new article, Kim Samuel of the @BelongingForum and Bridget Sleap of @HumanRightsWatch explore how gendered ageism can limit older women’s opportunities, economic security, and sense… view full article >>

The Moral Power Of Saying “I Might Be Wrong”

FORBES | In an increasingly complex world, public discourse rewards certainty, fueling polarization and eroding trust. This “shadow side of belonging” makes people hesitant to engage with differing views, as… view full article >>

News

The Architecture of Belonging: Why Connection is a Human Right with Kim Samuel

THE KITCHEN TABLE | What does it truly mean to find connection in an increasingly fragmented and isolating world? In this episode of The Kitchen Table, we are joined by… view full article >>

How Owning vs. Renting Impacts Your Psychology and Happiness

PSYCHOLOGY TODAY | Here’s what the research says about how our housing shapes our happiness. A poll of over 10,000 adults in the U.K. found that 40 percent of renters… view full article >>

Data-Driven EnviroLab team maps the heat

UNC CHAPEL HILL | Angel Hsu, director of DDL and a public policy associate professor in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, has researched environmental issues and how they disproportionately… view full article >>

Blogs

Belonging in Dwyfor Meirionnydd: language, place and community

Last week, the Belonging Forum team travelled to Dwyfor Meirionnydd in north Wales for the latest in our series of constituency roundtables, held in partnership with Liz Saville Roberts MP.… view full article >>

Global Charter Signing in Malawi

As we marked International Albinism Awareness Day on 13 June, advocates, community leaders and partners came together in Malawi to sign the Global Charter for Belonging. This coincided with the… view full article >>

The Walrus Talks: Power and Belonging

The Walrus Talks Power and Belonging Every year, new studies show continual erosion in the public trust in institutions and society in Canada. Democracy feels fragile, and many people feel… view full article >>

Publications

Reimagining educational gardens: art, sensory design, and place-based pedagogy

Environmental Education Research | This paper explores a novel approach to educational botanic gardens through a case study of the Eden Project Cornwall (EPC), a visitor attraction that challenges the pedagogical… view full article >>

From Isolation to Integration: Building a Sense of Belonging in a New Environment

Soraya Amiri is an experienced media professional and women’s rights advocate with over five years of journalism experience in print, radio, and television in Afghanistan and Canada. In 2022, Soraya… view full article >>

Measuring Social Connectedness in Multidimensional Poverty Surveys

MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY PEER NETWORK (MPPN) | JULY 21, 2024 Our founder and Chief Belonging Officer Kim Samuel, alongside senior researchers Dr. Prenika Anand and Samuel McQuillen, discuss the critical role… view full article >>

Press Releases

Disabled people nearly twice as likely not to feel they belong in their communities, major UK study finds

London, UK, [JULY 2026] – Disabled people are almost twice as likely as non-disabled people not to feel they belong in their communities, according to a new report published by… view full article >>

Scotland’s belonging divide: Mid Dunbartonshire ranks highest in the UK for life satisfaction

London, UK, 1 May 2026 – Scotland contains some of the UK’s strongest communities for a sense of belonging, but also some of its most disconnected places, according to new… view full article >>

London’s belonging paradox: capital has strongest friendships but some of UK’s loneliest communities

London, UK, 30 April 2026 — People in London are less likely than anywhere else in the UK to say they have no close friends, with the proportion reporting zero… view full article >>