Commuting, working long hours, running a household and bringing up a family can make it difficult to find time for community living, but here are five easy ways to get involved, make a real difference and hopefully have some fun along the way too!
1. Shop locally
Support your local community by shopping locally wherever possible. Not only should you get a better price, you’ll be saving on petrol too. By shopping locally, you will not only be supporting local farmers but you will also be giving back to your community and enjoying fresher, tastier and more delicious seasonal food all year round.
The Co-operative opened its first local store in 1844 and we are very proud to say that we now have a shop in every postal area in the UK – meaning just about everyone can shop locally for their everyday grocery needs.
2. Think and live green
Recycling, having shorter showers, collecting rain water and turning electrical appliances off at the plug are all ways we can conserve energy and protect the natural environment – it will save you money each month too. Recycling as much household waste as possible could also mean your local council saves on its waste costs, meaning more money for other essential services for the local community, such as looking after the elderly, and ensuring your neighbourhood is clean and safe – so your ethical living habits could really make a huge difference.
Bins that are divided to make recycling easier are now widely available, meaning it couldn’t be easier to separate out your plastics, paper, leftover waste and other household waste ready to take to the recycling centre or put out for collection. Find our home recycling guide in the Ethical Living section of the magazine and please share your recycling tips with other readers.
3. Become a volunteer
Volunteering is a great way of getting involved, making friends, feeling great and giving back to the community, and it can take up as little as two or three hours each month to make a difference. Choose from simple driving tasks, such as taking an elderly or disabled neighbour or local resident to and from hospital appointments, to taking part in sports coaching sessions for young people and fundraising for community charities such as The Co-operative StreetGames. Young Volunteers
4. Make an effort to organise or attend community events
It might seem like a huge task to organise a community event, but with the help of a committee it really can be remarkably quick and straightforward. If there is already a local events committee, why not offer your help and support for an hour each week, or an afternoon each month? You’ll be amazed at how rewarding it can be, particularly when you see the results of your hard work and the huge difference it has made.
5. Apply for small grants to make a big difference
The Co-operative Loan Fund was set up to help those small ideas grow into big projects so if you’ve got a community project in mind that you’re passionate about but need financial support in order to get it off the ground, then we encourage you to find out more about our local grants. Be inspired by others who have set up community projects and we look forward to being able to help you to Join the Revolution!