cohesive community
When a community is cohesive, it is interconnected both digitally and physically and is able to easily adapt to welcome changes. A cohesive community is focused around the well-being of the people who live there with good access to key well-being services such as education, health, housing, retail and transport and that people can do the things that matter to them. Cohesive communities are essential for the well-being of people within. The World Health Organisation identified that lack of agency, trust, belonging and insecure neighbourhoods explain 19% of the gap in poor health between the top and bottom average incomes for men & women in Europe. A key feature is the presence of strong, locally based institutions – often called ‘community anchor organisations’ – such as development trusts, social enterprises, coops, housing associations and town or community councils. These institutions are given the name because they are key to the community but are also committed to serving the community. When development takes place in a cohesive community the well-being of the people serving it is taken very seriously. The Foundational Economy is about the universal basic services that support everyday life, such as health, care and retail. As these services make up approximately half of all local employment, are relatively stable and resistant to economic shocks, public bodies can value and strengthen them by opening space for conversations to maximise their potential, creating the conditions to help them make a bigger contribution.[unique_solution]
Active Travel Act 2013 requires local authorities to map and continuously improve routes and facilities for “active travel” – defined as walking and cycling for a purpose, like accessing work or services, rather than for leisure. Planning Policy Wales is significant in moving us towards a low carbon, resilient society, building well-connected environments for everyone in Wales that improves our lives, health and wellbeing. It introduces the concept of placemaking a holistic approach to the planning and design of development and spaces, focussed on positive outcomes. It draws upon an area’s potential to create high quality development and public spaces that promote people’s prosperity, health, happiness and well-being.
A Wales of Cohesive Communities 1: People active in their communities A Journey to HOME Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 imposes duties on local authorities, health boards and Welsh Ministers that require them to work to promote the well-being of those who need care and support, or carers who need support. The principles of the Act are: to support people who have care and support needs to achieve well-being; that people are at the heart of the new system by giving them an equal say in the support they receive; partnership and co-operation drives service delivery; and services will promote the prevention of escalating need and the right help is available at the right time.
Positive relationships, kindness and trust are at the heart of personal and community well-being. Despite living in a more digitally connected age, many people report feeling more isolated and that meeting neighbours and other members of the community is more difficult. Public bodies often struggle to understand the range of assets that exist within communities: networks, associations, facilities, natural assets, land, buildings, green space, small businesses etc, and fail to make the most of these strengths when they develop their place-based plans. People have skills, lived experience, energy and commitment and finding ways of unlocking these strengths is critical. It should be easy for residents and staff in public bodies, third sector organisations and businesses to offer time and skills – and these opportunities should be used to help build trust and confidence across sectors and organisations. Too often, communities face barriers when it comes to doing simple things for themselves, such as local community events.Over 80% of journeys are currently made in cars – this is damaging for our health, causes air pollution, can contribute to accidents, social isolation, and can reduce employee productivity. Public transport and community transport increase social interactions between communities, whilst protecting and enhancing green space. Active travel has a range of benefits for economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being, particularly for children and young people. Sustrans set out the benefits of active travel for young people, which includes increased concentration, more positive mood, encouraging healthy growth and development and reducing anxiety and stress.
Cohesive, viable communities need access to strong foundational services to be successful – including gas, electricity, water, broadband, housing, health, care, education, housing, food, retail, transport and culture. Cohesive communities need to value and strengthen foundational services by building on what already exists; understanding the cross-sector organisations who operate locally, and having conversations about how to maximise their potential whilst creating the conditions for this to become a reality.
Cohesive communities need strong anchor institutions, including development trusts, social enterprises, co-operatives, housing associations and town or community councils, who understand local communities and have long-term commitments to the area they serve. Communities that are well served by community anchor organisations often say the work that these organisations do is not fully appreciated by public bodies. Between groups actively promoting well-being activities on the ground and public bodies with a commitment to the well-being of communities will make it easier for local people to do more of the things that matter to them. We need community based organisations who seek out and listen to the needs and views of local people, championing and advocating on their behalf, and providing services and activities for the community, working closely in partnership with public, private and third sector organisations locally.
LEARNING PATHWAYS
CONCLUSION
ADD REFERNCES
“People having the power to express themselves at scale is a new kind of force in the world “
https://about.fb.com/news/2019/10/mark-zuckerberg-stands-for-voice-and-free-expression/
I believe it is time now to engage in a new and honest debate about integration and cohesion in the UK. If we are to have an effective, progressive response to these issues, then we must be honest about the challenges we face and be prepared to meet these head on with renewed energy and impetus.https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2006/aug/24/uksecurity.terrorism
https://www.runnymedetrust.org/projects-and-publications/past-projects/comunity-cohesion.html