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!
Family outing checklist
Heading out with the kids? Pack these items and have them handy for an impromptu excursion and you’ll never be caught lacking again…
- Hat and sunscreen
- Raincoat
- Spare clothes
- Wipes and hand sanitiser
- First-aid kit
- Snacks
- Water bottles
- Colouring books and pencils
- Small toys
- Camera