How does this impact on Community Wellbeing? Communities could have a shared space where they can come together and be a community. I manage a care home and we have great community links but theres always room for improvement and we will keep looking for ways of doing this. One idea we had was to consult with the local council to develop a nearby area of land into a large communal space for all ages to enjoy. Make the area useable for toddlers to older people, with play areas, safe pathways throughout, raised planters, plenty of seating and a large communal barbeque area right in the middle of it. It wouldnt take much to make it beautiful and inviting and safe. The community could even be involved in building it. Why should the Committee focus on this as part of their future work? Its just another idea but it might be an important one, to encourage community involvement it would be an icebreaker to give them something to be involved in and maybe being involved from the start would help build relationships.
I agree that communal spaces are needed, but with our weather patterns it is essential to have communal indoor spaces as well as outdoor areas set out for play, sport and leisure. There would then be scope for cultural events, film shows, theatre, meeting rooms for local groups and for people to hire on occasion, as well as space for indoor sports if appropriate. It is currently very difficult to source funding for the building and ongoing maintenance and staffing of such buildings.
Really important - connecting with others is the main way to improve mental health, to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing. A community hub or centre is vital to community wellbeing, a place that everyone can use. Many third sector organisations provide such spaces but often struggle to get funding for ongoing work that is not a 'new project', when it is the ongoing nature of providing a space that makes the long-term difference.
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation