Closed
Local decision-making groups, volunteering and community groups
Do you take part in local decision-making groups, volunteering or community groups? What are the main benefits for your lifestyle?
Are there any activities that you’d like in your area, but aren’t currently available?
How does being involved, or feeling excluded, from local groups affect your well-being?
11 Comments
Log in or register to take part in this discussion
I think Ivana's contribution is especially telling because she is a librarian. Community involvement is hugely important for all our mental wellbeing. We used to go to the library to find out about these activities. Now everything is supposed to be on the internet, except it is often not there, or difficult to find. And if you do not have/cannot afford access to the internet, or you have ESOL, or you have learning difficulties... the libraries have gone and there is no-one to help you!
I am a librarian. I used to work in public libraries but left them because my position was eliminated. I used to work full-time and very strenuously because I had many responsibilities and like to give the best. Now I work part-time and so I can volunteer. I volunteer locally and nationally. Locally I am Friend of a park and I support the Green Party. I am also a member of StART, St Ann's Redevelopment Trust, which is a community-led housing project. Over 250 people are individual members, along with more members who are organisations of this very grass-roots attempt to offer an alternative solution to the affordable housing problem in London. I support StART because it voices what my neighbours also want. It is the voice of the community. It also stands for a more just distribution of housing. I can't live well if my neighbours don't live well and if neighbours who grew up or have lived for many years now have to move because they can't afford their home anymore. I am shocked at how quickly we are losing council and affordable housing. I am also shocked at how much public land and public services are easily given over to private enterprises. Whether working or volunteering, I am interested in including those who perhaps don't have a voice yet. I've been a newcomer myself to several countries and cities, so I know how it feels to be excluded. I'd also like to think I have tried and am trying my best to create a more just society.
Thanks everyone for sharing your experience on volunteering.
What about local health initiatives specifically? Have you ever taken part in patient groups? Perhaps you've taken part in research on a health related issue?
How was your experience? Did it make you feel more connected to your local community or not?
For those that haven't, what stops you taking part in such groups?
Talk London
I sit on my local Maternity Voices Partnership which directly shapes and co-designs aspects of local maternity policy. I also sit on a number of South London groups working on aspects of the Maternity Transformation Plan. It would be great to see some references to these groups as a key part of local maternity service improvement, particularly recognising that good quality maternity care - safe and personalised to meet the needs of each woman - is a huge contribution to starting children off with the best start in life.
Some MVPs, particularly in NE London, have a very good record of outreach to women and families from across the communities in their area. Some have less experience in this and it would be good to see some recognition of the importance of such outreach to make sure that services are appropriate and meet the needs of all women, not just those who are more confident getting involved in board-level work. This - as with many voluntary activities - is very worthwhile in terms of output and connection with the local community, but it does require some support to ensure that volunteers are not overwhelmed. It is easy to find that a few dedicated individuals are taking on a huge amount by themselves. Supporting outreach work with costs paid, childcare, travel etc goes a long way in showing appreciation for this work and ensuring it's done effectively. Otherwise it is limited by what individuals can scrape together in their spare time. At a time when voluntary organisations are being asked to take on more and more, recognition of volunteer time is very valuable. This will be important if community/activity prescribing goes ahead.
I am on the committee of my local residents association, also in the London borough of Enfield, like Lee_Enfield. We take an interest in all community matters, including planning, transport, crime, conservation and local amenities. Our membership is mainly home-owners. I personally would like to see more renters joining too. As a residents association, we have a relationship with our local police, councillors and the council. This is valuable in terms of getting our views across and working in partnership.
I'm also a member of a small local campaign group called Defend Enfield NHS, campaigning against the underfunding and creeping privatisation of the NHS which has been going on under UK governments this century. We are affiliated to Health Campaigns Together, a platform for all the local health campaigns right across England. Our big push at the moment is on the North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (England has been divided into 44 STPs). The STPs are meant to bring about great improvements in health care and outcomes while cutting millions of pounds from the NHS budget. Not a recipe for success. We took part in a recent meeting of around 150 local people very concerned about the detail of these plans. I recommend that everyone who reads this takes steps to find out what is planned in their part of London and then joins their local health campaign. If there isn't a local campaign group already, it's easy to start one with the information already on the Health Campaigns Together website.
I am on the committee of my local residents association, also in the London borough of Enfield, like Lee_Enfield. We take an interest in all community matters, including planning, transport, crime, conservation and local amenities. Our membership is mainly home-owners. I personally would like to see more renters joining too. As a residents association, we have a relationship with our local police, councillors and the council. This is valuable in terms of getting our views across and working in partnership.
I'm also a member of a small local campaign group called Defend Enfield NHS, campaigning against the underfunding and creeping privatisation of the NHS which has been going on under UK governments this century. We are affiliated to Health Campaigns Together, a platform for all the local health campaigns right across England. Our big push at the moment is on the North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (England has been divided into 44 STPs). The STPs are meant to bring about great improvements in health care and outcomes while cutting millions of pounds from the NHS budget. Not a recipe for success. We took part in a recent meeting of around 150 local people very concerned about the detail of these plans. I recommend that everyone who reads this takes steps to find out what is planned in their part of London and then joins their local health campaign. If there isn't a local campaign group already, it's easy to start one with the information already on the Health Campaigns Together website.
I volunteer at a local school in different ways and have found that you get to know more of the local community this way but also find out about what affects the running of the school - key issue being reduced funding.
I am also a Trustee at a charity called Home Start which has had to amalgamate with 2 neighbouring boroughs to keep them afloat. The charity provides key support to those families with children under the age of 5yrs old, it is a preventative service too but once again funding is always an issue.
There is a local volunteering event that is held by the council for members of the public to join any charity or group they wish - which helps us to seek volunteers this way.
SUGGESTION:
It would be great to have fairs/events on, that local businesses or large corporates who are willing to support such charities or schools in any capacity could go to, so as to network & also engage on a community level.
I sing in choirs and am involved in Neighbourhood Watch. I also help the local branch of my favoured political party, particularly when it's coming up to election time. There are plenty of interesting things to do if one has time and energy, and it's good and satisfying to contribute to the community.
I volunteer at the local senior school, help in my local High Street and am the publicity person for a brass band. All activities make you feel you are help folks, making a difference to your local community, teachs you new skills and get you meeting new friends.
Feeling you make a positive different does improve your own welbeing and confidence.
I am the Treasurer for Bush Hill Park Residents Association in Enfield and I enjoy the admin, which helps to keep my brain working. We also try to solve perceived and actual problems in the local area. We hold Committee meetings once a month, at which at least one of our local councilors attend and the councilors like this kind of organisation as it feeds information back to them. We also have a website:
http://bhpra.org.uk/ as well as a facebook page. I also send out emails when I get interesting information from any source, including other local groups.
This gives many folk in the area a chance to see what is going on and also gives them a stronger voice when there are problems. Our local councilors are pretty good at getting things done and finding out who is the best officer to speak to in the Council.
I volunteer at local primary school helping children read. Sometimes very challenging, but also very rewarding. Also feel I know my neighbourhood better as a result..