14 August 2024

A message from our Chief Executive

Following the outbreaks of racist violence we have seen in many cities across the UK, I’ve been thinking about how Somerset Community Foundation should respond.

First, we stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the UK Community Foundations family and their partners who are responding to these shocking events. Events in Bristol, Plymouth and Weymouth show that the West Country has not been immune, although – mercifully – Somerset has avoided the worst of the rioting.

The community-led peaceful responses have been encouraging and heartening, but what we have seen is a warning that we cannot be complacent. I’ve lived here for almost 20 years, and I’m not alone in finding Somerset to be a friendly, welcoming county: a place you can build a life and raise a family. It’s a place you can belong.

But, while I don’t walk in other peoples’ shoes, I’ve always understood that not everyone has the same experience as I do, not least people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, whether their families have lived here for generations or they have come to Somerset more recently. Too many of our neighbours are, at the moment, living in fear. This fear may be compounded by the fact that, in Somerset, our diverse communities are more dispersed and isolated than in many parts of the country.

Every day, through the Foundation, I’m lucky to see the very best of what our communities do to make the world a better place on their doorstep. It is at times like this we see how precious, and sometime precarious, this ‘community capital’ is.

The damage that has been caused cannot be reversed unless communities and the local charities that serve them are given the space and resources to take the lead. It will take time, but lasting change starts and finishes within our communities, and we’ll do everything we can here at the Foundation to walk alongside them. As others far wiser than I have said, change happens at the speed of trust.

If you live or work in Somerset, we are your Community Foundation, and this is your community. If you wish to support our work please donate through our website.