How is life in Banbury? Use this survey to give your view
Is life good in Banbury? Do you feel part of the community? Is there a community? How would you like things to change?
The Banbury Community Action Group (CAG) is urging residents to take part in a major survey asking people their experiences of community life in our town.
It’s called The National Conversation and it is asking people about their experiences of community life. It is being run for the Independent Commission on Community and Cohesion.
“Banbury CAG has always been about more than environmental projects. It’s about belonging — giving people a place where they feel connected, valued and part of something bigger than themselves,” said a spokesman for the group.
“Across the UK, that sense of belonging is harder to find. Communities feel more fragmented. People are growing up and growing older with fewer spaces to meet, mix and build connections. And too often, the people closest to these changes feel they have no say in what comes next.
“The National Conversation wants to change that. It’s asking people of all ages and backgrounds what community life actually feels like — what’s working, what they value and what kind of communities they want to be part of.
"The insights will feed directly into the Commission’s final report — informing both its vision for how we live well together and the practical recommendations the Commissioners are developing to help make that a reality.”
The National Conversation is a UK-wide listening initiative. Those who have designed the survey say something important has shifted in how people experience community life.
"Trust feels more fragile. Connections that once held neighbourhoods together – the school gates, the high street, the local pub, the place of worship – are harder to find in many places. And too many people feel that nobody is asking what they think about it,” they say.
“We’re faced with generational questions on how we live well together and our vision for the kind of country and kind of communities we are trying to build, which is why the National Conversation gives people across the UK the chance to share their lived experiences and thoughts on what community life feels like and how we can ‘live well together’ in the future.”
To take part, see here or hold a group conversation – see here.