Life Squared - Helping you to live well

The quality of our relationships with other people is one of the most important factors contributing to our well-being – if not the most important.  Loneliness and isolation can be bad for our physical and mental health, so it is important to find ways of getting connected with the people around us - both individually and getting involved in our local communities.

Even the simplest and smallest moments of connection – like saying hello to our neighbours - can make us feel better about ourselves, give us a sense of purpose and give us more opportunities for getting on in life.  The resources below provide some opportunities for getting more involved with other people and our local communities - why not give them a try?

Meetup

A website with thousands of local groups with an almost limitless end of activities - from football to knitting to philosophy!  Have a search to see what's on in your local area and if there's nothing you fancy, start your own group!  Members of the Life² team have been involved in various meetup groups and they've been a great way of meeting people and getting involved locally.

Transition Towns

An inspirational and ever-growing scheme to help local communities get together to deal with some of the major problems of our time, including climate change, at a local level.  Your local TT group could offer you a great way to meet people, put your skills to good use and transform your local area for the better.

Do-it, Volunteer Centres, and Community Service Volunteers

Not-for-profit organisations providing thousands of volunteering opportunities around the country - there are bound to be some great opportunities available near you - a great chance to meet people, get involved in your community and help others out.

The future of philanthropy

In this lecture Katherine Fulton discusses the future of philanthropy and how, with advancing technology, changing your community and the wider world is no longer just the work of large organisations.

Getting involved with your community

The directgov website has advice on a variety of ways to get involved with your local community, such as, seeking public appointment, helping a voulntary organisation and how to set up your own charity.