Community matters

Everybody needs good neighbours.

Whether joining a local sports team, enrolling in a course or becoming a volunteer, engaging with your community offers many advantages. There’s the social aspect, of course: getting to know people with shared interests, growing your friendship network and enhancing your sense of belonging. There’s the possibility of learning a new skill or imparting your wisdom to others. Research also shows that civic engagement can improve physical and emotional health, particularly among the elderly.

According to How’s Life? 2015, a review of wellbeing by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, volunteering comes with the added bonus of having a positive impact on life satisfaction and mood. And curiously, people who get to know their neighbours are less likely to have heart attacks! In a 2014 study undertaken at the University of Michigan, researchers found that neighbourhood social cohesion reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Now if that doesn’t encourage a bit of community bonding, nothing will!