Weaving Trust: Stories that Build the Common Good

At Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church we recently hosted a Weaving Trust event with partners from West London Citizens and Peaceful Borders. It was an afternoon of stories, connection, and justice, and one that left us energised and inspired to keep building relationships across difference.

Fifty-four participants gathered at the church, and over the course of an hour we had more than 270 conversations. The numbers are impressive, but the real power of the event was not statistical. It was personal. People from different walks of life, members of our congregation, refugees supported by Peaceful Borders, community leaders from Citizens institutions, sat face to face and shared stories. They spoke about what they love in their neighbourhoods, what matters most to them, and what a better world might look like.

The Weaving Trust model is simple, structured, and profoundly human. Participants are guided through a series of short one-to-one conversations, each with a question designed to draw out values, hopes, and shared concerns. It’s not a debate, and it’s not networking. It’s an intentional act of listening, a chance to discover what we have in common and to appreciate what makes each of us unique. In a time when public life feels increasingly divided, this kind of deep listening becomes a quiet act of resistance to polarisation.

Hosting the event was both worthwhile and enjoyable. The structure gave just enough framework to make everyone feel comfortable, even those who are naturally more reserved. There was laughter, curiosity, and moments of genuine connection. By the end of the afternoon, the room felt different: lighter, warmer, and full of potential.

For churches and community organisations considering how to strengthen relationships and nurture a culture of justice, Weaving Trust offers a practical starting point. It builds the relational power that enables collaboration, whether on local social issues, refugee support, or shared campaigns for change. It’s an event that requires little in the way of resources, but yields much in understanding and hope.

If you’re thinking of hosting your own Weaving Trust event, you don’t need to be an expert facilitator. All you need is a willingness to create a safe, welcoming space and to invite a diverse mix of people. The conversations will do the rest. Our partners at Peaceful Borders can help guide the process and share materials, and there’s a growing network of churches and secular organisations keen to support others to build confidence in doing this.

As one participant said at the end of our session, “I’ve spoken today with people I would never normally meet, and I feel like I understand our city a little better.”

That’s what Weaving Trust is all about: rediscovering our shared humanity through story, one conversation at a time.

Simon Woodman, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church.