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Community development in action…

Community development in action…

Community First Oxfordshire is a community development and placemaking charity. But what does this mean in practice? Over the next few months we’ll be highlighting some of the projects that our brilliant staff are currently working on.

⭐ What’s the project?
We’ve been commissioned by Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council Public Health to undertake community insight research on health in West Bicester.

⭐ What does community insight research look like in practice?
Tom, Lisa, and Clare from our team will talk to local residents about the assets in their area that support and enable health and wellbeing, as well as the challenges and what would help to fix these. We’ll be on the ground talking to people for the next two months, with a report due at the end of April.

⭐ Why do we do this research?
We collect local views and experiences to help develop a better understanding of what people think about health and wellbeing and how it can be improved. This can inform new projects in the area and help enact some of the suggested solutions. Community First Oxfordshire has undertaken several similar projects over the last two years for Oxfordshire Public Health in Littlemore, Banbury, Witney, and Abingdon.

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Community First Oxfordshire – supporting healthy communities

How does our work contribute to health and wellbeing across the county?

Health is more than just ‘not being ill’. As the WHO explains: “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” and staying well in daily life can help prevent illness.

There are lots of things which impact health, much more than just medical care (though this is crucial). Whether it’s a community dance class or a footpath to a nature reserve, our social and physical surroundings influence our wellbeing. If we are connected to people, encouraged to exercise, comfortable in our homes, and able to access healthcare, we are generally happier and healthier.

Here’s an infographic explaining how our work links to health:

Community First Oxfordshire, supporting healthy communities

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