The Guardian Charity Appeal 2025: Repairing the Social Fabric Amidst Austerity and Division
Austerity measures and rising cost-of-living pressures have severely damaged the physical and social fabric of some UK towns, contributing to widespread disaffection with living standards and democratic politics.
In response, The Guardian charity appeal 2025 seeks to counteract far-right, anti-migrant, and extremist politics by strengthening community cohesion through concrete bridge-building and grassroots community projects.
Locality supports around 2,000 local organisations, ensuring that grassroots initiatives are not overshadowed by larger groups.
One such initiative, Back on the Map, focuses on regenerating a declining and fractured neighbourhood in Sunderland, prioritising the needs of residents over property developers.
Citizens UK plans to use appeal funds to train organisers to mobilise community power for local projects.
Hope Unlimited Charitable Trust offers grants to groups working to counter division and hostility toward migrants, aiming to replace grievance with hope.
The Linking Network and Who is Your Neighbour? operate in northern England to address divisions and encourage dialogue that resolves conflicts.
Since the financial crisis, the charity sector has been under pressure, with reduced local government funding. Initiatives such as Labour’s Pride in Place and funding reforms aim to alleviate injustices, but further local government finance reform is necessary, particularly due to failures in social care and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The appeal has raised more than £500,000 to date, reflecting broad support for efforts to rebuild community ties and promote social cohesion.
