Community Cohesion
This page shares and collates helpful resources for VCFSE groups around community cohesion and resilience.
At a strategic level within the borough, community cohesion is a subgroup of Bury's Community Safety Partnership (CSP) that includes a range of agencies such as the Greater Manchester Police, Local Authority, Health and the VCFSE sector, to name a few. The CSP is a multi-agency group set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and its approach is built on the premise that no single agency can deal with, or be responsible for dealing with, complex community safety issues and that these issues can be addressed more effectively and efficiently through working in partnership. Further information on the CSP and the boroughwide Community Safety Partnership Strategy can be found on the Bury Council website
Resources
- Charities against hate - This resource by the Directory of Social Change aims to provide practical actions that charities can take to ensure their own safety and continued operation, to help them re-evaluate their strategic planning, and to join in solidarity with others to push back against racism and bigotry.
- #WeStandTogether Anti-discrimination Pack - We Stand Togther's Anti-discrimination pack is designed to give opportunities for young people and adults to learn about issues of diversity and inclusion and challenge hate in their communities.
- GM Prepared - Greater Manchester Prepared, provides advice for residents and businesses on emergency preparedness, linked with the national GOV.UK Prepare website (prepare.campaign.gov.uk),
Supporting asylum seekers, refugees and migrants
- The GM Sanctuary Seekers community response group is for organisations across Greater Manchester who support the rights and needs of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
- The Refugee Welcome Programme - Work and Skills - Bury - The Refugee Welcome Programme in Bury is a partnership between Bury Council, Bury VCFA, Fair Futures, ADAB, and New Life Church, providing tailored access to English language education, digital inclusion support, and skills development opportunities.
- Refugee Action - Provides a range of guides and resources; you do need to register for full access, but the process is easy.
Communications
- IMIX Guide to Crisis Communications - A practical, guide for small charities about responding to a crisis.
- IMIX Guide for Charities Targeted by the Far Right - A comprehensive crisis communications toolkit designed to help organisations respond to hostility and misinformation. Though dense for smaller organisations, it’s a valuable resource for those navigating rising tensions and far-right targeting.
- IMIX’s Countering Mis/Disinformation Online Resource Blueprint offers a robust toolkit for organisations tackling online hate and misinformation related to migration. The guide provides practical tools, including decision trees, response templates, and myth-busting cards, to help charities and community groups respond safely and effectively.
- GM=EqAl Inclusive Language Guidance - Greater Manchester Equality Alliance (GM=EqAl) have developed a range of guidance documents that set out preferred terms and linguistic recommendations around a range of themes.
Security & Prevention Measures
- Martyns Law - A guide from the VCS Emergency Partnership explaining Martyn’s Law, (formally known as the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025), a piece of legislation that aims to ensure public premises and events are better prepared for terrorist attacks.
- Protective Security Measures for Community Events - A factsheet produced by Bury VCFA sharing the key steps community events can take.
Prevent Duty
Prevent sits alongside long-established safeguarding duties on professionals to protect people from a range of other harms, such as substance abuse, involvement in gangs and physical and sexual exploitation. It is one of the four elements of CONTEST, the government's counter-terrorism strategy. It aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
- Prevent duty training - free e-learning on how to support people susceptible to radicalisation.
- Bury Council Prevent Webpage - Further information, including how to report concerns.
Other
- Collaborative problem solving for community safety - This free course from the Open University, offers a range of techniques for community police officers, other community-based public service professionals and members of community groups working to solve problems collaboratively and creatively.
- The Belong Library is free to access and brings together a wide range of online resources produced by the public, private and civil society sectors to build the evidence base around social cohesion, which may be helpful for funding bids.
Help to enhance and improve your effectiveness. Visit our resources page to find a range of factsheets and information for you and your organisation.
