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The National Conversation: Next Generation is an opportunity for children and young people aged 16 and under to have their say on the country they want to see and how we can live well together. The Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion wants hear the views of the next generation on what brings people together, what divides us, where they feel they belong, and what could make their communities stronger. Schools, colleges, youth groups and community organisations can participate by hosting conversations using a free, ready-to-use toolkit, with flexible activities that can be used in lessons, tutor time, school councils, clubs or assemblies.

National Conversation Week takes place from 5–9 October, although conversations can be held at any point before the submission deadline. All feedback should be submitted by 23 October 2026.

The National Conversation is a UK-wide listening exercise, designed to hear directly from people in every nation and region about their experiences of community life – this part of the programme closed on 31 August for everyone other than schools and youth organisations. Central to the National Conversation is a national survey, designed and run independently by Nuffield College, University of Oxford. The National Conversation sits at the heart of the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion, which is developing a vision for how we can live well together, alongside practical recommendations to help make it a reality but those conclusions can only be credible if they’re grounded in what people across the country actually think.

The Independent Commission on Community & Cohesion is a once-in-a-generation initiative responding to one of Britain’s greatest challenges: the converging crises of social disconnection and division. The Commission brings together voices from across the UK to examine what’s driving these divides – and what needs to change to help build stronger, more connected communities. Its mission is to understand the country’s state of connection and cohesion, and then set out a credible shared vision for how we can live well together – alongside the practical steps needed to make it a reality. The insights gathered through the National Conversation will inform a report by the Commission, due to be published in late 2026. That report will combine public insight with academic research and a year-long programme of expert testimony and commissioner deliberation.

Source: The National Conversation