Bridging Beyond is the new working name of Newington Green Alliance.
If you see the NGA name and brand, don't worry: we are still working on updating everything. Our team and projects stay the same, but now with a better brand and clearer goals.
Bridging Beyond is dedicated to one very important thing: bridging the divisions between people.
Human beings are diverse. We differ from one another in many ways: our identities, life experiences, perspectives, socioeconomic statuses and more. Differences can be a strength and a source of discovery and learning. All too often though, they lead to distrust, division, and hostility. They block our access to the satisfaction, companionship, learning and joy that can come from living in diverse communities. They prevent us from experiencing the power that comes of working together in common purpose.
The key to overcoming the challenge of division is not simply for people to see each other, meet, or read about each other. It requires people to come to understand one another - to connect with each other’s needs, dreams, struggles, and emotions sufficiently to care for one another. We call this ‘bridging.’ Bridging means coming to see other people as truly human.
Bridging Beyond applies scientific understandings of empathy through events, workshops, practices, and groups to help people bridge the gulf of difference between them.
We started our work in the Newington Green area of London, a place full of many kinds of differences. Newington Green is often described as being like a village—a friendly place where people come together, get along, and really get to know each other. But as we spent more time there, we noticed something surprising: it’s not really one big village. It’s more like a patchwork of smaller, unique communities.
These groups are often kept apart by things like culture, language, religion, jobs, or life experiences. People in one group don’t always know or understand people in another group.
Even though the area is busy and people see each other all the time—on buses, in shops, or at events—these quick moments don’t make strong connections. Just saying “hello” or waiting in the same queue doesn’t mean people really get to know or care about each other.
We realised that to bring people together, we need something deeper. Real trust and friendship grow when people take time to understand each other’s stories and experiences.
Our mission
We cultivate empathy and understanding across differences.
Our vision
Our vision is to help people live more connected, satisfying, caring lives in community.
Our strategy
To achieve our bold goals, we approach ‘bridging’ with a scientific point of view. Our methods are rooted in research showing that empathy is a key driver of social cohesion and trust. By fostering active listening, curiosity, and compassionate dialogue, we help individuals and groups challenge biases, reduce conflict, and build bridges across divides.
Based on the findings of our research team, we have developed a series of workshops with specific methodologies towards building empathy. We are offering these workshops together with strategic partners in different communities based in the London boroughs of Hackney and Islington.