As the school holidays draw to their inevitable end and the temperature hints at autumn, families across the county will be preparing for the new term with a mixture of joy and trepidation.

Many will have spent the summer exploring the many and wondrous gifts of this beautiful county. Many of our younger inhabitants, hopefully, will have pursued healthy and stimulating hobbies and interests that Wiltshire has in abundance. Many will have played endless games (both real and virtual) and joined in a myriad of outdoor pursuits, that make life in the country all the more appealing.

When all is said and done, we are mostly blessed, living in a part of the country with not only comparatively low crime and unemployment figures, but high levels of opportunity and beauty.

Our work at Kandu sometimes takes us into areas of the country that are polar opposites of that, where crime and unemployment levels are high, and opportunity and beauty scarce. You might conclude, therefore, that the community spirit in these desolate areas would be either non-existent or very low, at best. Actually, the opposite is true. In some of these areas, we have worked alongside some of the most functional and cohesive community groups.

Why is it that the crime and other quality of life indicators seem so appallingly bleak in these areas? Well one aspect is scale, for the greater the number of people, the greater the stress on services and resources. Perspectives on social cohesion are well documented and we at Kandu have contributed our gained knowledge and experience of working in our cross-sector, holistic, inclusive way, to ministers and departments at national and regional government level.

It is with that experience, therefore, I am compelled to flag up the odd concern I have from time to time with regard to community cohesion matters closer to home.

It is my contention that, due to the potential afforded us by living in this fantastic county, we should be more able to support the areas of our community that need it the most – those who are vulnerable and less able to take the opportunities readily available to the many.

We not only have some of the best schools in the country but some of the best businesses including the independent sector, choosing to operate here and generate a local economy.

We have fairs and festivals aplenty. We can be rightly proud of the host of clubs and community groups, often run by volunteers and individuals whose main aim in life is to give something back and contribute positively to their communities, to stand up and be counted. With all that’s on offer in Wiltshire, surely we can aim to eradicate the contributing factors that would otherwise have a detrimental effect on the life chances of those who are less fortunate.

How, then, can we ensure that all the bases are covered and that the web of cohesion is spun tight enough for none to fall through?

What is the magic ingredient that will enable us to collectively ensure the best chance of success when exploring these agendas? Surely the formula must have hope as a root, for without hope, we are all destined to despair. Empathy must flourish without hindrance from fiscal concern and honesty should be at its heart. These need to be balanced with no end of hard work and critical thinking in considering the fairest and most sustainable way of distributing our resources, both natural and economic.

Good homes, education and food, a functioning (free at the point of use) health service, equality and opportunity are surely the right of us all, and yet there are still too many for whom access is denied.