Guest Blog: Future Oxford Presents Full Report on Community Wellbeing Survey
Date: December 19, 2016
Report will help define goals and targets of the Future Oxford Community Sustainability Plan
Residents living in rural areas report a greater degree of life satisfaction and wellbeing, according to the final report on the Community Wellbeing Survey undertaken in Oxford County this spring.
Oxford’s most dissatisfied residents are those who earn less than $40,000 a year, a group more likely to report they are dissatisfied with work, less likely to take part in community activities, and that count a lower numbers of close friends.
These are some of the key themes discussed in the final report on the Oxford County Community Wellbeing Survey presented by the Future Oxford Partnership at Oxford County Council today.
The survey, administered by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, was announced almost one year ago in January 2016 to help set meaningful targets in the Future Oxford Community Sustainability Plan. The survey also maps wellbeing themes—like quality of work and environmental concerns—to the sustainability plan’s community, environment and economy pillars.
With the Council presentation, Future Oxford embarks on the first stage of its plan to use the survey results to set measurable targets. This will include travelling presentations to the public on the Community Wellbeing Survey and a planning session for community leaders in early 2017. Consultation and discussion will focus on five key themes that had particular relevance to Oxford County: community engagement, accessibility, quality of work, health behaviours and perceptions, and geographic location.
The full Oxford County Community Wellbeing Survey report is available online at www.futureoxford.ca.
Yesterday, the Ontario Trillium Foundation released its report on wellbeing across Ontario’s regions, A Profile of Wellbeing in Ontario. The report’s release included the video, “How are we really doing?” that explains how community wellbeing offers a better measure of a country’s progress than GDP (gross domestic product) by also considering the impact of social and environmental factors.
Background
The Oxford County Community Wellbeing Survey, based on the principles of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing, is helping to fulfill the targets of the Future Oxford Community Sustainability Plan by establishing a baseline understanding of quality of life in Oxford County today. Approximately 11,335 randomly selected households—representing 25% of all County households—received an invitation to take part in the survey in spring 2016.
Based at the University of Waterloo, the Canadian Index of Wellbeing is a national initiative supported by an independent, non-partisan group of national and international leaders, researchers, organizations, and grassroots citizens who are conducting research and mobilising knowledge leading to enhanced wellbeing outcomes for all Canadians.
The Community Wellbeing Survey was funded by Oxford County, Woodstock and Area Community Health Care, Community Employment Services, United Way Oxford, and Rural Ontario Institute’s Measuring Rural Community Vitality Initiative.
Infographic: Oxford County Community Wellbeing Survey
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Guest blog provided by Community Oxford
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