Event title
- Connecting Communities: The North East Social Capital Summit
Location
- The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Saint Mary's Square Gateshead NE8 2JR
Date
- Wednesday 22 October 2025, 10:30-17:00
Keynote speakers
- Kim McGuinness (Mayor of the North East Combined Authority)
- Baroness Hilary Armstrong (Chair of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods)
Event details
At the centre of this in-person Summit is the question: How can we use the power of connection to strengthen our communities and build a stronger North East?
This first North East Social Capital Summit, hosted by 3ni, will explore how strengthening community connections and investing in local networks can address our most pressing issues which range from declining trust in institutions and widening inequality to public health and economic growth.
The Summit will challenge attendees to explore how resilient communities can drive change locally and create a more connected North East.
This event will featuring a fantastic panel of community leaders, four interactive workshops, and two inspiring keynotes by Kim McGuinness (Mayor of the North East Combined Authority) and Baroness Hilary Armstrong (Chair of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods).
On registration, attendees can choose any one of the following four workshops:
- Power of Creativity in collaboration with Insights North East (INE)This workshop, held in conjunction with the Creative PEC and Creative Communities, will explore how the creative sectors forge connections, spark belonging, and build trust through collaborative projects and shared experiences. Attendees will discover how creative initiatives challenge norms, bridge divides, and transform communities.
- Neighbourhoods Matter in collaboration with 3niThis workshop will focus on why building social capital in neighbourhoods is essential for improving outcomes for local residents and explore practical ways to strengthen it.
- Getting the Foundations Right in collaboration with Reclaiming Our Regional Economies (RORE)This workshop will explore the role of the 'foundational economy' - those place-based sectors and industries providing us with the essential services we all rely on. The workshop will explore food, care, housing and the social economy, hearing from innovative practitioners and workshoping ways to make these sectors - and the communities they serve - thrive in the North East.
- Our Youth Futures in collaboration with the North East Combined Authority (NECA)This workshop and panel discussion will explore the role of social capital and community cohesion in addressing barriers to opportunity faced by children, young people and families.
To register, please access Connecting Communities: The North East Social Capital Summit.
Organised by 3ni.