Co-op Foundation
Community Development
1 in 3 young people are lonely. Belong is a UK-wide project bringing young people together and giving them the tools to tackle loneliness
About this cause
The Co-op Foundation is the Co-op’s charity. We help disadvantaged communities work together to make things better. When you choose to support the Co-op Foundation, you’re helping reduce inequality in our communities, giving extra funds to local areas of high deprivation and people facing challenging times. All our activities are run in partnership, so giving to the Foundation also benefits the many other charities and community groups we work with. We support our partners to work co-operatively, learning from each other to improve things locally, and uniting to make a bigger difference at a national level. And because the Foundation was set up by the Co-op, with an endowment that covers our day-to-day costs, every penny you give will go directly to our community projects
How this cause brings people in the community together
Loneliness can affect us at any time of life. Young people are no exception. And those growing up in tough circumstances - like having a disability or living in deeply deprived communities - feel its effects most severely. ‘Belong’ is our three-part plan to tackle youth loneliness. First of all, we’re building a UK-wide network of local projects that will help 5000 disadvantaged young people to get more involved in their communities. Secondly, we’ll support our partners to work together, learn what works, and share this with others to improve local youth services up and down the country. Finally, we want to break down the stigma many young people feel about loneliness - helping them find new ways to talk about this issue and support each other.