Well-being objective 8: Support community cohesion, resilience & safety
Why is this objective important?
Safety and a feeling of belonging are important to personal well-being and more people now appreciate the value of kindness and being part of a community.
Public bodies have clear obligations to create and support cohesive communities in Wales. Cohesive Communities is one of the National Goals set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. A cohesive community is an area where those from different backgrounds share positive relationships, feel safe in their neighbourhood, and have a sense of mutual respect and shared values.
Community Resilience is also essential to enable communities to respond to, withstand, and recover from adverse situations. The COVID-19 crisis has shown what can be achieved when communities work together.
Why should this concern us?
Only half (51.5%) of Carmarthenshire residents feel they live in cohesive communities, where people treat each other with respect and consideration, that people from different backgrounds get on well together, and feel they belong to their local area. Five years ago, the figure was 73% and we had the 5th best result in Wales whereas now we are ranked 14th out of the 22 local authority areas (National Survey for Wales, 2018/19).
Feeling safe at home and in the local community impacts on everyone’s sense of well-being. In particular, the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and well-being of our population is significant.
