Groundswell Project

Who we are

Groundswell works to prevent hate, extremism, and polarisation by strengthening the ties that bring communities together. We believe real and lasting national cohesion starts at the local level, built on trusted relationships, shared understanding, and communities that can meet people’s social and emotional needs before harm takes hold. Through this approach, Groundswell helps create safer, more connected communities where people can thrive together. 

Please visit our website to learn more about us - www.groundswellproject.org

Our culture and values

Groundswell is about building empathy in communities. Helping neighbours find out that they are more the same than they are different. When we understand each other it becomes harder to mock, detest and hate and easier to band together on the things that matter in life for all of us. We succeed when people see each other as people, when communities are strong because of shared humanity despite their differences.

This is a long game, it is not a battle that will be won overnight, since the hot and divisive issues change, and neighbourhoods change. With everything so dynamic, our strategy is to build the mechanisms, direct people to the right tools, create the connective tissue, and contribute to the consciousness of our communities in order to free them from prejudice, hate and extremism.

At Groundswell we know that a large protest march is no more important than a small neighborhood bulb planting ceremony. We gain unity and cohesion when a synagogue opening its doors to a worshipers from a displaced muslim population, these small actions create lasting impacts, and we want to capture and shout about every single one.

It is in finding these threads, in guiding and magnifying their weft and weave that Groundswell finds its strength. We are an organization built to support and be the glue to many seemingly minor initiatives, organizations, and people as they work to make their small part of the world better. A single thread has little value, but when many come together a great tapestry can be seen.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

At Groundswell, we are committed to creating a truly inclusive organisation. We want everyone who comes into contact with us, including people we support, employees, volunteers, and partners, to feel respected, understood, and valued for who they are.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are at the heart of how we work. We know that when people feel accepted and able to be themselves, they can thrive, and that helps us achieve our mission more effectively. We are proud to support people with lived experience of homelessness, poverty, health inequality, and marginalisation and our internal culture must reflect the values of dignity, justice, and equity that drive our work.