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Research by the Nuffield Trust and the British Academy has shown that communities can improve people’s health and social well-being. A key aspect is fostering feelings of ‘place’ by creating “strong, connected communities through local initiatives and shared community spaces”.
As part of our ongoing place-based engagement across Kent, EK360 spoke to 30 residents in July in Sevenoaks. The top theme we heard about was accessing community and social groups, with 1 in 2 people mentioning being part of a community group.
“I help run a village hall coffee morning, we get as many as 28 people, and the money raised supports the air ambulance. I like being an active volunteer”
People recognised the positive impact that attending these community groups had on their overall physical and mental wellbeing.
“This [community group] and the friends I have made here have had a huge impact on me. They have got me through the last few very hard, difficult years”
“I like Knole Park. I belong to a group called Every Step Counts, and it is a lot of fun. This has a positive impact on me as I get out, meet people, and it's exercise.”
Residents with learning disabilities also told us how support workers help facilitate their attendance at community groups, and the impact of community groups on their health and wellbeing.
“I love socialising, and I am well aware of the things that are happening around me. People like.. my support worker help me a lot by informing me about activities going on, and they even take me to libraries, where I love spending my spare time.”
“I have a support worker; she looks after me well and takes me to places I want to go. I go to day services and café mornings, and being around people and socialising makes me happy. I have people helping me, making me aware of what is happening around me and making sure they involve me in various activities as much as possible.”
Research has found that people with learning disabilities are at higher risk of social isolation, with 77% of 18-34 year olds with learning disabilities reporting feeling lonely.
Further research has found that it is a sense of ‘belonging’, rather than just attendance at community groups, that has the largest wellbeing benefits for those with learning disabilities. ‘Belonging’ is created through a combination of factors, including the places people spend their time, how often people interact in the community and who they are interacting with. The examples above show how having a variety of groups and places to attend creates a positive outcome and fosters that sense of ‘belonging’.
Many community groups within Sevenoaks are listed in the Better Together community directory. This is a good example of how accessibility can be improved by making community groups easier to find and connect with. Through Place Based engagement, we have heard from residents across Kent that they have struggled to find community groups to join as they are unsure where to look. Increasing awareness of existing community directories may help more residents to access local groups and activities, which may in turn reduce social isolation and contribute to preventative approaches than can help people stay healthy within their communities.
Bias and Limitations
Residents we spoke to were those who were available and willing to speak to us at the time and location of each engagement event. Therefore, the sample is not representative of the Sevenoaks population. 2 of the 3 engagements were carried out within community group settings. These findings should be interpreted as indicative trends rather than conclusive evidence.
