Vision for Community Wellbeing

Supports have been provided to all PPNs to develop a Vision of Community Wellbeing. This follows pilot projects in Longford, Roscommon, Wicklow and Cork City during 2018.

You, as the Leitrim PPN members, are asked to develop this during 2019. Some of the key concepts and process involved are outlined here.

A Vision for Community Wellbeing – Why and What?

The Vision for Community Wellbeing acts as a guiding vision for everything done by the network. It’s a benchmark for PPN Representatives and the Secretariat – feeding into policy decisions and planning activities. It’s a shared vision for the well-being of our communities for this and future generations.

What is Community Wellbeing?

Personal wellbeing is defined as when our “basic needs are met, …people have a sense of purpose, … they feel able to achieve important goals, to participate in society and to live the lives that they value and have reason to value” (National Economic and Social Council, 2009). It’s also directly linked to physical and mental health.

So, a community with high wellbeing would be one where all people have:

• a strong sense of belonging and identity;
• opportunities to work individually and together for the common good;
• are able to support each other through different life stages;
• access the services they need;
• live in a positive environment;
• and are able to participate in the making the decisions that affect them.

Since our actions have impacts for the future, this involves considering the wellbeing of future generations as well as ourselves.

Who is the Community?

A community equals people living in the same area or a “community of interest” e.g. young people, disabled people, hillwalkers etc. PPNs must consider all types of communities when developing the Vision.

 

How is the Vision for Community Wellbeing Developed?

This is a matter for each PPN but there are key steps suggested –

1. Open consultation meetings that are hosted and organised. These are held to consider and voice the community needs and wants for the future. The ideas are grouped by the life aspect they affect and match the themes of community wellbeing above.
2. The ideas are gathered by theme and issued to all group members for additional comment and input.
3. The Vision for Community Wellbeing is reviewed and re-issued for ratification. This is done for each area and for the whole county.

In terms of the year plan for a PPN, it would be ideal to start and finish between the two general meetings of members – Plenary Meetings.

 

Pros and Cons

	Over Consultation – “I’ve been asked about some or all of this before.”		You can add to previous ideas or you may never have been consulted.
			The PPN’s reach is broad and not tied to your group’s activities.
	Everything we say just goes into a plan and never gets referred to again.		The Vision for Community Wellbeing  feeds into council policy documents like the Local Economic and Community Plan . It is a reference for Representatives when asked about decisions. The work is done.
			The Vision is there for your community when making strategic plans. It serves you as a reference when someone looks for your vote in the future.
	PPNs have been given limited resources to carry out this work.		Developing the Vision will re-energising for the members as a shared process charting the hopes of communities in Leitrim for now and the future.
			The Vision should stand well for at least 5 years or until you decide it needs full review.