The local communities in Britain today reflect a wide range of national, cultural, racial and religious backgrounds and mixtures.

Britain has overtime become a more diverse society - ethnically, racially and culturally - than ever before and this has enriched the country in many ways.

The UK Government is working to help people and local organisations create strong, attractive and economically thriving communities. The aim is to build a prosperous place where fear of differences is replaced by a shared set of values and a sense of purpose and belonging. The UK wants to make sure that everyone in each community benefits from diversity by promoting similar opportunities for all and build stronger communities in times of rapid change. The Government wants to ensure communities are equipped to respond to challenging economic, social and cultural trends and overcome their own difficulties such as community conflict, extremism, deprivation and disadvantage.

Delivering on this agenda is dependent on not just partnerships with other government departments but also the wider public sector, private sector, community organizations and the communities themselves. There are a number of initiatives to help achieve this:

Community Cohesion: reducing perceptions of race discrimination and leading the work on creating more cohesive communities, tackling racism, extremism and hate and promoting inter-faith activity and a shared sense of belonging. Its also about making sure people have the same opportunities, such as freedom and respect regardless of their backgrounds.

Community Engagement: giving people and communities more of “a say” on the services they receive and where they live.