A couple of days ago the word “resilience” jumped out at me as I was walking along a corridor in my son’s school (no, we haven’t signed up to the Transition Network yet). On closer reading I discovered that Tarbert Academy subscribes to the Health Promoting Schools Initiative whose cornerstone is – guess what? – resilience!
It is defined thus: “resilience describes a person’s capacity to cope with changes and challenges and to bounce back during difficult times.” Substitute “community” for “person” and you have a neat summing up of what communities across the world are in great need of – now.
According to the poster, a resilient person is someone who:
1 recognises and manages their own feelings and understands the feelings of others
2 has a sense of independence and self-worth
3 forms and maintains positive, mutually respectful relationships with others
4 is able to solve problems and make informed decisions
5 has a sense of purpose and goals for the future
These points help widen my sense of what community resilience is all about. For instance, point 3 emphasises the need for interdependence and interconnectedness, showing that communities need to maintain good relations with their neighbours and with wider “circles” right up to the whole planetary community, whilst of course still standing up for themselves.
Point 1 reminds us of the importance of recognising people’s individual and collective feelings and emotions in the process of building resilience. It is encouraging to note that Transition initiatives are strong on the heart as well as the head. Point 5 reminds us that we have to create a whole new culture – accepted by everyone if only tacitly – if we are to succeed.
The health-promoting schools concept is itself adapted from “A Bright Future for All” by the Mental Health Foundation. Health in its widest sense is vital to process of building community resilience. Creating a true “health” culture across the whole community involves being positive, friendly, supportive, trusting, varied and fun-filled (all are mentioned on the poster).
Carina, my wife, is one of the village’s G.P.s and we are organising a series of health and wellbeing days at the health centre along a variety of themes. The first is on 14 June. I will keep you posted.
For more on health promoting schools see www.healthpromotingschools.co.uk.
