From the beginning

From the beginning, we’ve said Belong in Plymouth isn’t about creating something new—it’s about connecting what already exists.

Matt Bell said it best in our very first Core Team email: “We’re not creating anything new—we’re drawing on what’s already happening in Plymouth.”

That philosophy has shaped everything: our neighbourhood pilots, our support for freelancers through Jelly SW, our partnerships with statutory services, and our community-led research model.

What we’re really doing is making the invisible visible. Amplifying care that’s already happening. Bridging gaps between people who haven’t yet met.

This approach doesn’t mean we have all the answers. But it does mean we listen closely to people who’ve been doing this work a long time.

Because belonging isn’t something we deliver—it’s something we recognise and nurture in the spaces where it already lives.