Our top tips for meeting your need for Community

The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘Community’ – which is not only one of our Emotional Needs but also ranks among those met the least well according to the charity’s Emotional Needs Audit of more than 2,000 people living in the county.

To help people meet this important Emotional Need, here are our tips to help meet it.

Volunteering

Volunteering can be a great way to get out there, meet people, to contribute to the local area and to meet your emotional needs.

Not only is volunteering a way to meet your need for Community, it can also boost your emotional needs for Status, Meaning & Purpose, and Achievement.

Volunteering is a wonderful way to meet new people, make friends and form positive relationships.

Supportive groups

If you feel you are not meeting your emotional needs, there are lots of group activities that can help you meet them while taking part in something fun.

Groups such as the GreenCare project across Suffolk allotments, a Suffolk Mind gardening scheme, giving people the opportunity to take part in a constructive activity while meeting new people and making good connections.

These activities also keep you active, boosting your need for Movement, and give you the chance to meet people with similar interests.

Community events

There are a host of community events taking place across Suffolk every week – from local sports events and village fetes to music events and dog shows.

These events are a great place to meet your need for Community, as well as other needs such as Movement.

Fundraising challenges

Fundraising challenges can help us meet our emotional need for Community, particularly group fundraisers where you could do it as part of a team.

The Colour Rush event, on Saturday, October 4, is a great example of this.

Our family fun run, where runners don white T-shirts, with the aim of completely covering them in brightly colored powdered paint, is a fantastic opportunity to take part in a community event while raising money for a good cause.

It can help meet your need for Community, as well as Achievement, Status and Movement.

Set up your own community

If a community doesn’t exist yet – create one. If you have a passion for something, it’s likely others will share your passion too.

Knitting groups, book clubs, running clubs, hiking clubs, dance clubs – they all started somewhere. And with social media, it’s easier than ever to connect with people with the same interests.

Groups like this are great for meeting your need for community, as well as your need for Achievement and Status.

Find out more about our Emotional Needs and how to meet them.