The context of civil society is changing and so are the lives of the people within it. Community centres need to take on innovative techniques and skills to be able to respond to new challenges and gaps in provision.

Research commissioned by The Peel in June 2018 characterised Clerkenwell as a place residents view as friendly and diverse, but where there are few opportunities for people from different backgrounds to come together.

There is concern that economic changes such as rising house prices and increases to the cost of living will squeeze out lower and middle-income households. This risks Clerkenwell becoming a place where people from different backgrounds live side by side, but lead parallel lives which continue to grow further apart economically, socially and culturally.

As a result, the research identified an opportunity for The Peel to reposition itself by bringing together different parts of the community across social backgrounds, in order to become an effective advocate for community cohesion and connectivity