What does 'community wellbeing' mean to you and your community? Is it your surroundings, how happy and healthy people are, or how considerate people are of others in the community? By helping us to understand what wellbeing and community mean to you, and who you think plays an important role in that, you can help us to understand which issues we should focus on in the coming months in order to make a real difference. Tell us what community wellbeing means to you and add ideas for subject matters that the Committee should focus on as part of their inquiry. Join the conversation below or add your own idea by clicking the orange light bulb button on the bottom right of the page!
Community wellbeing is: A vibrant community with active, full participation. Community spirit, neighbourliness. Kids playing in the streets. Fun, laughter. Good health, green spaces, fresh air, walking. Feeling happy, content, safe. Sustainability, funding and longevity of services + access to these. Support for community-led regeneration. Good education and opportunities, better homes.
Community Wellbeing is 'no more drug fiends' in our area
To have community wellbeing we need a better bus service, more community based activity, and a local shop. We have a friendly are and good neighbours.
We need opportunities for affordable childcare for young children - this is important because parents cannot get jobs or training or volunteer
Dumbiedykes Funday - For Community Wellbeing we need - More opportunities for parents with children, priority housing for families and especially those with small children. Lots of things have been taken away from our area. The local shop, the Serenity café, nothing much to do for the kids. We need more for children and groups for parents and a creche.
We need a community space - the shop is closed
We outdoor spaces - we need to update the park in Dumbiedykes. It has been the same for 20 years and things have been taken away and not added.
The cuts to rural bus services has devastated rural communities. The future of public transport is only looked at in respect to urban areas. Active travel e,g walking and cycling is prioritised over bus services. This has led to social isolation among rural elderly and disabled. Reduced job prospects and social interaction among young folk who end up moving to the city. Basic services cannot be easily accessed and families struggle to stay connected. Cars have become a necessity.
Some ideas about community wellbeing from YMCA Edinburgh Women's group Safer – less antisocial behaviour More places to meet people More green spaces More money to help people in poverty More housing for lower incomes – social housing Mental and physical health More emergency services funding Secure employment with realistic living wage Access to cheap healthy food Affordable childcare and nursery spaces A walk-in clinic where you can see a doctor or nurse to take the pressure of hospitals
Some ideas from YMCA Edinburgh Cheap cafes so people can have somewhere to go It’s not fair they are making more houses for students than for us Colleges should offer more support for students with a disability like my son who is getting no help with exams Don’t take away our bus passes – not fair on the old folk Not waiting so long for universal credit. Mental health awareness in schools and colleges To have a good MP/MSP to contact about issues Collect rubbish so it is not left in the streets
More clubs for ladies in Granton, like YMCA Edinburgh Better transport (no 16 bus) More buses more frequently should be more spaced out and not come at the same time Where I stay we call it ‘zombie nation’ – groups to teach yourself self defence to help you feel safe in your area People with depression should be put in high rise flats Things for teenagers in local areas suitable for specific age groups (12 and up) Clubs @ activities for elderly people who are isolated (allotments) (book clubs
Ask how easily people can come together to help each other reach common a purpose. Then if national and local government is helping or hindering this process. It is sometimes expensive for them to do so especially in properly consulting with communities and developing and maintaining common spaces and infrastructure that the people can use for those community purposes.
Community wellbeing means a cohesive community. Support for each other. Pockets of community. We feel we have a vibrant supportive community Members of the community running things on a voluntary basis. Knowing people are there to help when things go wrong. We think the committee should focus on this as it is essential to society. It is harder to have a sense of community as people are more transient now than they used to be. Generation's of families don't so often live close by to support each
Investing in local third sector groups and organisations, third sector interfaces across Scotland to enable effective grass root opportunities.
Community wellbeing ensures there is support for those who need it, that comes from within a community and is less reliant on service provision. Service provision is also a necessity but wellbeing can be more sustainable if a community bonds together to support the vulnerable. For example - Volunteer community drivers are much more amenable than a service, they are more of a 'befriending' support and aren't fixed to timetables. Community run centres are more criteria flexible than a service.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation