Inclusion without connection is access without belonging
Technically included, emotionally peripheral.
Think about how children pick teams for football. Two captains choose, one by one, until there’s only one child left. That last child is still allowed to play. They’re technically included. But everyone knows what’s happened. They weren’t chosen; they were leftover. They join the game carrying a quiet message about their worth, already braced for rejection, already unsure if they’re wanted. That’s inclusion without connection. Access without belonging. It doesn’t feel neutral. It lands as being tolerated rather than valued, present but devalued, inside the circle yet emotionally outside it.
Many of our volunteers arrive at our door carrying exactly this experience. They have been allowed in elsewhere but rarely chosen. Included on paper, yet left on the margins. They know what it feels like to be the last one picked, to read silence as judgement, to brace for rejection before it arrives. So they don’t arrive asking to belong. They arrive watching closely for whether they are wanted.
Defining Inclusion, Connection, and Belonging
Inclusion generally refers to an environment or practice where people of diverse backgrounds are not only present but also fully accepted, respected, and able to participate. In organisational research, inclusion is defined as an individual feeling that they are an esteemed insider, that their unique contributions are valued, and that they can fully participate in the group or organisation.
This goes beyond mere presence or diversity of representation – true inclusion means structural and cultural support that enables every member to contribute without barriers. For example, one definition describes inclusion as “the degree to which an employee is accepted and treated as an insider by others in a work system”.
In practice, inclusion involves proactive efforts (policies, norms, leadership behaviours) to ensure no one is marginalised and everyone has a voice.
Connection is the active ingredient...
Connection in this context refers to the meaningful interpersonal relationships and social bonds that tie individuals to the group. It is the sense of social connectedness one has with peers, colleagues, or community members – essentially, feeling linked to others through positive relationships.
Often, connection is the vehicle through which inclusion is felt. Belonging itself is sometimes defined as a “sense of connection and acceptance where everyone feels valued and welcomed”.
In other words, connection is achieved via frequent, positive interactions and mutual care among members of a group, leading one to feel personally bonded.
Community psychologists highlight that a “shared emotional connection” – forged by shared experiences and bonds – is the “definitive element for true community”. Without personal connections, an individual may be physically included in a space but remain socially isolated.
Connection is the active ingredient that converts external inclusion into internal belonging.
Belonging is a basic human need
Belonging is the subjective feeling of being an integral part of a group or environment. It implies feeling accepted, valued, and supported by those around you.
Psychologists Baumeister and Leary famously argued that the need to belong is a fundamental human motivation, as basic as the need for food or safety. They define belongingness as the need to form and maintain strong, stable interpersonal relationships. Put simply, to belong means one perceives that they fit in and are valued by others in the group.
One scholarly definition is “the experience of personal involvement in an environment such that one feels an integral part of that environment”. This involves both fitting in (feeling similar or accepted – “part of the whole”) and standing out in a positive way (feeling that one’s unique self is appreciated).
Indeed, research describes belonging as having two key ingredients: feeling that one fits or is accepted by the group and feeling that one’s unique characteristics are valued (sometimes called “valued involvement”).
Belonging is thus a felt sense of security and inclusion – a belief that “here, I matter, and I am one of them.”
Safeguarding and risk management
Stonebridge operates as an open, public site and holds complex safeguarding responsibilities across adults and young people. Risk is actively managed through clear policies, staff oversight, and day-to-day judgement.
This approach allows us to balance access, dignity, and safety, ensuring that participants can engage meaningfully without compromising wellbeing or animal welfare.
Commitment and Sustainability
We are committed to protecting the integrity of this model. This means investing in skilled staff, maintaining the farm as a working environment, and ensuring that training and inclusion remain grounded in real responsibility.
Support from funders and education partners enables us to sustain this work at scale, while keeping access open to those who need it most.