Community Issues

Localgiving have researched some of the main issues that local charitable organisations are tackling in their communities. The causes these groups address have a deep impact on society as a whole and dealing with them at a local level can improve the way we all live.

Your support can help groups to:

  • Improve UK society as a whole - from the grassroots upward
  • Enrich communities & make them better places to live

Although the work they do has a national impact, most local charitable groups lack the funds and resources to reach their potential and currently only operate only on a volunteer basis. With your support these groups could fulfil their potential. Then we would see the positive results on a national scale. To find charities that focus on these issues in your community, please click here to go back to our main page and enter your search criteria.

Arts, Culture and Heritage

Arts, Culture and Heritage charities promote artistic and cultural excellence and preserve artistic and cultural heritage. Whether on stage, over the airwaves, or in exhibition halls, they ensure that our artistic and cultural past and present continues to be accessible, enjoyed, and well maintained. Arts, culture, and heritage charities can be divided into four causes.

Museums include traditional arts, science, technology, and natural history museums, as well as academies and institutes that provide training to practitioners in addition to maintaining collections.

Performing Arts groups include symphonies, orchestras, and other musical groups; ballets and operas; theatre groups; arts festivals; and performance halls and cultural centres.

Charities in Libraries, Historical Societies and Landmark Preservation operate and support public and specialized libraries, historical societies, historical preservation programs, and historical estates.

Charities in Public Broadcasting and Media operate and support public television and radio stations and networks, as well as providing other independent media and communications services to the public.

Disability

Disability is categorised as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a person's actions in a number of areas. To be classed as disabled, the adverse effects of the impairment must be substantial and long term. Disability can arise from a number of impairments including: physical, sensory, cardiovascular, and cognitive issues.

The major issues that the disabled communities face are; rights, social inclusion and citizenship. The disabled are may become excluded from social interaction and prevented from participating in activities and events. Along with this, they can also be made to feel as if they are not "active citizens" and do not have a role in society as a result of their disabilities.

Disabled people have been discriminated for many years. This has had an affect in a number of areas, and has undermined their social, working and physical abilities. When the Disability Discrimination Act was imposed, it became unlawful for organisations to discriminate in employment, with access to goods, facilities and services, managing, buying land or property and education.

However, they are still faced with the challenges of social life. In many instances, they become neglected as a result of physical or mental inabilities.

There has grown to be a number of ways in which the disabled strive to improve quality of life. Sport has developed and become one of the main areas in which the disabled participate to develop. In doing this they may succeed as a sports person, but also in conquering the neglect they may have faced in their lives.

The largest sporting event for the disabled is the Paralympic Games, which are held after the Olympics. The Paralympic Games include athletes whom have a range of disabilities, participating in a wide range of events including: Football, sailing, athletics, alpine skiing, power lifting and a number of wheelchair events such as curling, dance and rugby. These events provide an opportunity to showcase the skills and abilities that disabled athletes have. In the UK, organisations have evolved to organise competition in paralympic sports on levels ranging from recreational to elite. These events have become a motive for the disabled to take part in sports and recreation, enhancing their social lives and confidence in society.

Sport is not the only way in which the disabled can participate in activity. Local community groups around the UK have developed facilities and funding to provide a stable support to the disabled, to enable them to make personal developments and provide regular expeditions or activities, in which they interact and progress mentally, physically and socially.

Assistive technology

Sports such as basketball and ice hockey have been adapted to allow disabled personnel to participate with the use of modified wheel chairs.

Assistive Technology (AT) is a broad term for devices and modifications that help overcome or remove a disability. Not only have the disabled been provided with AT's in sport to adapt to the specific sport or activity, but can be recognised in everyday situations. A good example of this is a hand-operated device that allows normal driving for persons with leg disabilities in an automatic car. A more common and noticeable example of an AT is the 'curb cut'. This provides wheelchair users with an easy access on and off pavements. Other modern examples are standing frames, text telephones, accessible keyboards, large print, Braille, & speech recognition computer software.

Education and Training

Education and Training is essential in aiding the success of a young person's career and in all aspects of life including physical mental and social challenges.

For the younger generations, lack of education or drop out from education is an ongoing, common issue. Through training and activities, children can gain skills and social qualities in which they were deprived earlier on in life.

Theoretical learning is seen as the only form of education. This is not the case as education also involves the practical side of knowledge and awareness. This can be developed through leisure activities and team building exercises.

Local communities have organised leisure time activities in which youngsters participate on a regular basis. It is said that team building and individual activities help children develop to full maturity as individuals and members of society. Through this development in character, their conditions of life may be improved and education is gained in a number of areas. Education does not only consist of mental knowledge and understanding. Social education is also gained through participation in community events. A good example of an activity used to develop an individual's character is football. Football in many cases is used as a vehicle to promote greater understanding between players of different ethnic groups, promoting racial harmony and equality.

For some communities, food has also being the driving force of education. In some areas, small organisations have set up cookery classes for example, and educate them in the art of cookery. Again, this builds them as a person, while developing fundamental skills of life.

Environment

The environment commonly refers to the surroundings and habitat for all living and non-living things occurring naturally on earth or specific regions. The environment consists of living and non-living things including vegetation, animals, microorganisms, soil, rocks and atmosphere and any naturally occurring system which hasn't had any massive human intervention.

The environment is also made up of universal resources such as air, water and the climate, as well as energy, radiation, electric charge and magnetism, originating from non-human activity.

The environment is continuously being damaged as a result of human activity, leading to pollution from examples such as industry, transport and agriculture. The pollution leads to detrimental effects in water, land and air, in turn, damaging the habitats of all species and organisms on earth.

Health

Health is the physical, mental, and social well-being of an individual. To be life a healthy life style, it requires good diet, regular exercise and a physical state free of illness and disease. Health also involves the state of social activity and personal resources. Overall health is achieved through a combination of attributes including physical, mental, emotional and social well being.

Many diseases, illnesses and infections can have detrimental affects upon all of the health components, including diabetes, epilepsy and strokes, to name a few.

Human Rights

Human rights are the basic rights to which all humans are entitled. They are part of our nature and culture to all human beings, whatever the nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. Everybody is entitled to their human rights without discrimination and victimisation. If a person's rights and freedoms are breached, they may call upon legal action in law, even if fighting a case against someone in authority for example, a police officer.

Human rights cover a wide range of areas. Issues involved include, children, trafficking, discrimination, slavery, and victims of abuse and torture. Discrimination in its self covers topics such as racism, disability, gender, religion and poverty.

Social

Social issues are matters which directly or indirectly affect many or all members of a society and are considered to be problems, controversies related to moral values, or both.

Social issues include major notional issues including poverty, violence, pollution, injustice, suppression of human rights, discrimination, and crime, as well as more personal and local issues such as abortion, obesity, gun control, and teaching and education, to name a few.

Social issues are often directly associated with the community, and are incurable by any one individual.

Sports and Recreation

Sport and recreation has appeared to be at the forefront of the third sector (charitable sector) for improving health and well being for all in a number of areas.

Many charities exist to prepare young boys and girls for later life turning them into men and women, preparing them for adult life. A good way of providing this support is through sporting activity. Through participation, young people can build social skills and team building; both essential for a successful life.

Sport and recreation is fundamentally promoted through youth groups in the charitable sector. They aim to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities.

For the younger generations, sports groups are particularly effective at facilitating social interaction and involvement in activities; improving social skills, team work and discipline as a result.

Not only is sport a device used to improve youth interaction, but to help the injured recover as part of a rehabilitation programme after illness or operation for example, building muscle and exercising injured or affected limbs. Exercise through sport and recreation can also prevent conditions such as obesity and heart disease, which are 2 major side effects as a result of lack of exercise.

There are many other benefits of taking part in sport and recreation, personally, socially and physically. Through physical activity and fitness, there can appear to be a certain degree of stress relief, mastery, and development of healthy habits. As an individual, taking part becomes an aspect of sport, not just winning, therefore participants gain valuing skills and a positive change in attitudes. Sport may also provide leadership opportunities and decision making abilities. As a social benefit, participants build relationships with both young and old, and develop team work abilities which are essential in a team sport.