Life, love, local

EVEN SMALL ACTIONS CAN NOURISH THE FEELING OF BELONGING – AND OF CONTRIBUTING TO YOUR COMMUNITY

Think back to last spring and you’ll likely picture rainbows in windows and clapping on the doorstep. Though it may be hard to remember that brief moment when lockdown first changed all our lives, looking back, one of the positives was how community seemed to flourish on our streets and in our neighbourhoods. However, sadly, many people still feel disconnected: a study by Essex and Manchester universities, carried out last June, discovered people’s trust in their neighbours has fallen over the last eight years. But, as the rainbows in windows showed, even the simplest actions can help you feel more in tune with the place that you live. Whether it’s things you can do now, or can plan to do in the future, it’s possible to nurture community spirit. Think of it less as ticking off a list, than finding the suggestions that resonate with the way that you live – or perhaps want to live.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

There are countless digital resources that make getting involved in your community easier. Download apps such as OLIO (olioex.com) to share unwanted food and household items with neighbours or ShopAppy (shopappy.com) to buy from local independent stores.

Social media can help you connect with local groups, too, from Freecycle (freecycle.org) to the PTA of the primary school around the corner, even if you don’t have children there. You can also sign up for digital mailings from local places, whether a National Trust property or a community centre, and don’t forget the old-school habit of reading noticeboards. Look out for them when you pop to the corner shop or walk the dog.

GIVE A LITTLE

There are many ways to contribute to good causes where you live. When you have a clear out, think about where might benefit from your items. Old laptops and tech can go to organisations that will redistribute to them who need them most, whether for home schooling, or simply staying in touch during lockdown – check the listings at therestartproject.org. If you’re working from home and no longer treating yourself to a coffee on your commute, can you give that money to a

small nearby charity instead? Even a tiny regular donation can make a big difference to an organisation operating on a shoestring.

Consider volunteering. There are loads of initiatives and it doesn’t have to be during the day, on a weekend or even every week. You can participate in initiatives such as a ‘timebank’, where you offer your skills whenever suits, or give one evening per month to a scheme such as Talking Newspapers (tnf.org.uk), where you read local news for delivery to blind and partially-sighted people.

Or try one-off projects such as a litter pick – check out keepbritaintidy.org or search Facebook groups.

And if you’re able, sign up for blood donation. By giving an hour three to four times per year, you’ll be saving someone’s life. Now, that’s some contribution.

CIVIC DUTY

You can be a good citizen without having to attend long, dull planning application meetings. Follow the lead of Gretchen Rubin, the New York Times’ bestselling author of The Happiness Project (Harper), and institute a regular “empower hour” to read up on issues that you care about or want to learn more about. Even spending ten minutes finding out about your council authority can help you get a better sense of what’s going on in your area.

Subscribe to your local newspaper. They’re vital to democracy, reporting stories that wouldn’t get coverage anywhere else, and you’ll gain a connection to where you live (a bonus is that the print version doesn’t have pop-up ads that plague local news websites!).

An obvious suggestion is to vote at every election you’re entitled to. It’s a simple yet important means to claiming a stake in your community. And if you find yourself thinking that you can improve on the way things are currently being run, you could even consider standing for office yourself. The Fawcett Society offers training on how (fawcettsociety.org.uk/equal-power).

JOIN IN

Active participation can take various forms and levels of commitment. It can be as simple as joining your local

“Even a tiny regular donation can make a big difference to an organisation operating on a shoestring”

library. Most now offer digital access to books, newspapers and magazines and also run events – plus, it’s good for you. Research funded by Arts Council England found that ‘library use is positively associated with subjective wellbeing, with library users having higher life satisfaction and sense of purpose in life.’

Another option is to join a “friends of” group supporting a place or concern, such as a park or historic author. Alternatively, sign up to the local branch of a bigger organisation of something that interests you, whether that’s the Women’s Institute (thewi.org.uk), Friends of the Earth (friendsoftheearth.uk/ localgroups/find-group), Amnesty International (amnesty.org.uk/groups) or something else altogether.

PICK A CAUSE

A different approach is to focus on a specific interest. For example, if you’re passionate about the environment, you might sign up to your county’s Wildlife Trust (find yours via wildlifetrusts.org/ wildlife-trusts), write to your MP (theyworkforyou. com), or get an allotment (nsalg.org.uk/allotment-info/ how-to-get-an-allotment/).

GET OUT YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Sometimes it’s worth pushing ourselves to do something more challenging, whatever that looks like for us. Perhaps speak to your neighbours for the first time when you next see them or ask those you encounter regularly, from the crossing person on the school run to the local shop assistant, how they are.

Pledge to pop into local events when they’re running, be it a fête to a garage sale to a scarecrow festival, even if the prospect of it makes you nervous. At the very least, you might come home with a decent homemade cake. Or vow to spend a weekend afternoon exploring your patch as if visiting for the first time. What’s on the high street? Is there anyway you can support them over lockdown, such as with gift vouchers or takeaways, before you are able to go in person again?

What if, after all this, there’s something missing from your neighbourhood? What if you can’t find what you’re looking for, or spot a need that’s not being met? Well, maybe that’s an opportunity for you. Start the project that you want to see happen.