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Everyone needs to belong somewhere. It’s lovely to be a member of a community group and when walking in everyone knows your name. Mixed age groups gives everyone a snapshot of how older or younger people live. Everyone can teach each other.

Crucial-a community is made up of people of all ages

the benefits of being connected to the community far outweigh the cons.

as we have seen in this current pandemic communities have been coming together and neighbours who once wouldn't have known their neighbour now are interacting through doing good deeds/ providing phone numbers if anyone is isolating/keeping in touch and as we have seen coming out and clapping on a thursday night for the nhs. some street entertainment with social distancing and as we also have seen some dancing.

It is extremely important to be connected to others, and even more so during this time of isolation, it can be very lonely for people.

It's hugely important. Before I became ill with the virus (slowly recovering, thank God), I was working as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist. I see so many clients who are desperately unhappy - not because of any great trauma - but because of a lack of connection with others around them. I LOVE the story about the community that banded together to prescribe an anti-depressant to the depressed farmer who'd had his leg blown off by a landmine and couldn't work well with a wooden leg in the rice fields. The anti-depressant his community paid for? A cow. So he would have a different income stream. Knowing that his community cared enough about him to do that was worth far more to him than any medication... Community is vital.

It’s great to feel a sense of community, and the recent lock down has exposed us to different people in our neighbourhood who we hardly knew before.

So important - makes a big difference to everyone’s mental wellbeing

Giving to your friends, family and neighbours, means you receive more than you give, as we all need to be valued, appreciated and connected.

I think that it is extremely important, especially in the world today and the fact that there are a lot more older people. Having a good sense of community is healthy and beneficial for the state of mind and helps with loneliness, which unfortunately is becoming more of a problem for a wider range of people in our society. I am thankful that everyone has pulled together in our community during this pandemic, it has made things more bearable and I am proud that there is a greater sense of community. I just hope that it continues when things gradually return to normal.

Its extremely important and in recent years I feel community has been forgotten.
But in the light of Corona virus it has been rekindled neighbours clapping for nhs and key workers a thousand small acts of kindness its made me feel connected in a way I never felt before

Very important and hopefully more likely after this terrible virus.

I feel it’s very important! You should treat people how you want to be treated yourself. A saying my Nan used to tell me and it’s stuck with me forever! I am now 40 and teaching the same thing to my children x

It is extremely important, especially during this horrible lockdown. There are many ways to connect with your community, even now. If you are fit and active you could ask neighbours if they need shopping or prescriptions and then social distance for a little chat.if you are less active just stand outside and pass the time of day with passers by. Of course there are other activities like offering to volunteer as a telephone friend etc. Sometimes people do isolate themselves, even in normal times - my late sister would sit and watch television all day but then complain that she never saw anyone but she never made an effort.

Very important otherwise isolation and loneliness set in which leads to depression.

It's definitely important,

community is the thing that keeps us together and helps us when we are going through bad times, like the current situation has shown me how amazing my community is. Everyone of all ages are going through it so it's nice when everyone connects and helps each other.

We have a very active local community and it has come to the fore in this current crisis.
From pop up concerts to shopping and gardening and online requests for odd thing like “anyone got some odd bits of wood“ etc. We’ve raised over £200 for charity by plying bingo in our houses. All ages have joined in. It’s brilliant.

I think coronavirus shows us the importance. I know when my son was diagnosed as disabled I didn’t realise that a benefit of that would be discovering that community. It has become an important part of my life & is a community I didn’t know existed.

I always think I would like to be religious for the community that brings (just can’t believe though).

No matter what age, its vitally important for peoples mental health to stay connected and feel appreciated. It can be a lonely world on your own

Very important not just for their benefit but also for the benefit of younger members who learn from their experience and knowledge and also gain a great life skill by interacting with all age groups.

Very important. All schools should automatically link up with older people in the community, perhaps for afternoon teas at the school, or concerts.

In these unsettling and worrying times, when many people of all ages are either staying at home or shielding it is important to keep in touch with family, neighbours, friends and community groups through modern technology and by keeping an eye on each other. Loneliness and isolation can be alleviated by a phone call, a chat over a garden wall, a wave across the street and by doing shopping for vulnerable people. I hope that a feeling of goodwill and active kindness will stay with us long after Covid-19 is defeated.

very. but my poor old mum who's in her 80s has never used the internet in her life, so it's not the be all and end all.....

I think its really important for all ages too feel apart of the community. I am disabled and have always felt sort of on the sidelines I recently started taking part with disability sports this has made me feel more part of the wider community and no longer less than.

Very important - people need to be allowed to be in secure units of their peers.

It good to have contact with neighbours and others in community to keep us focused on what’s going on around us. But not to be to busy with everything going on.