PROJECTS  > JUNE 2024 MONTHLY MEETUP

We are lucky in South West Wales to have a strong third sector and a wide array of grassroots organisations working hard in our communities.

This month, our regional discussion brought together a dedicated and passionate group of community development people – from large charities like Faith in Families, to established organisations like PLANED, from small CICs and charities, to individuals with an idea and a desire to do good in their communities.

We asked, What Does Community Resilience Mean to You?  and What is Needed?

You can catch up on the full meeting recording, or view the PDF notes from the meeting here.

What Does Community Resilience Mean to You?

Community resilience is about providing young people and adults with the resources to live active and independent lives, empowering them to participate and shape what happens in their lives and the places where they live. It is about collaboration—understanding and listening to local people and truly seeing things from their point of view before deciding anything. Building on people’s own knowledge of what their community needs and working together on those things is crucial.

Community resilience also involves being able to deal with and be prepared for change. This ensures that our community groups and organisations can survive and stay active over time. Resilient communities have an active network of local groups and organisations, but these groups face many challenges. How can we ensure that organisations remain resilient? Factors such as people coming and going, government changes, policies, and access to funding all influence how a community group can handle these challenges.

Community resilience is also about climate change adaptation. It involves developing good functional relationships with the people we interact with daily, creating strong networks. Local food systems and food resilience are also key components, including community-supported agriculture and community-based growing.

Thank you to everyone who shared your valued perspectives during this insightful discussion – a must watch for anyone trying to understand how to contribute to growing resilience local places and cohesive communities in South West Wales!