How to build village life in the big city

The obvious first step is to start an activity or group that brings people together, but there is one trap that people often fall into, says Dr Farhana Mann, a psychiatrist at University College London. “If you truly want to build a sense of community, you may need to go outside your comfort zone. We tend to associate with people who are similar to us because it’s familiar – one of the major challenges is bringing in people who are more marginalised,” she explains. So if you’re looking to set up a local group to create a sense of connection in the area where you live, you also need to think: how can I extend this to people with mental health problems, to people from less represented minorities, to people who are less well off, to children and older people? “That might mean talking to someone who works in a mental health service, contacting existing community groups, and trying to reach those who are most vulnerable,” she says.