Unless you live in a complete vacuum, you live as part of at least one community. Communities are all sorts of shapes and identities. At University of Winchester, they decided to undertake some research around Flourishing Communities. These certainly can be applied on an individual as well, as each and every one of us has a role within our communities.
A community that flourishes goes beyond just functioning- it has an asset or strength-based approach. Everyone benefits from this community, not just a few. Flourishing is also for the long-term, thus is not just a phase that is sustainable. The founding principles of a flourishing communities are:
* Start Together – participating together as equals * Start by Listening – to really understand each other * Start by Values – discovering what matters to each other
The features outlined are:
- Work Together
- Care for each other - Sense of Place
- Feel Connected - Learn & Grow
- Feel Safe
- Feel Stable
The way of working is just as important as what you’re working on.
The actions summarised that enabled change are:
- Model Change - Support Change - Make Change
Certainly the points from this research matches closely to what Compassionate Cuppa aspires to do with the individuals that we support. From the individual who begins to recover and flourish, that in turn brings benefits to the community. Flourishing can be like a ripple effect – like a pebble that drops into the water, where the ripples spread out from the centre of the individual into the community.
What features are important to you, to help you flourish?
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