Boddington Community Wellbeing Plan
Project Overview
A Community Wellbeing Plan articulates a staged approach to undertaking local action to create sustainable and positive change in communities. It provides a means for a coordinated and collaborative approach by recognising each organisation has a role to play in supporting health and wellbeing of communities.
Why is this project taking place?
The need to undertake this project is driven by:
- Community aspiration for the Shire to lead advocacy for increased and improved mental services.
- Desire from community groups and local organisations to improve sense of collaboration by measuring the collective impact in supporting local health and wellbeing.
- The need to meet the requirements of the Public Health Act 2016.
How can I be involved?
Residents have opportunity to participate in the development of the Community Wellbeing Plan by completing the Boddington Health and Wellbeing Survey by Monday, 11 September 2023. The Survey covers three main areas of interest to the Working Group:
- Community perceptions of local alcohol, other drug, mental health and suicide related issues.
- Understanding of what alcohol and other drug (AOD), mental health (MH) related services would be/are accessed by community.
- Strategies to address these issues that would be supported by the community.
Community groups and local organisations with an active role in supporting the health and wellbeing of Boddington residents and interested in joining the Community Wellbeing Plan Working Group are encouraged to contact the Shire.
What has occurred to date?
In November 2022, Holyoake facilitated an interactive workshop with local organisations and community groups to scope out the potential of co-designing a Community Wellbeing Plan in Boddington during 2023. The group received an overview of the state and national priority areas for health and wellbeing and examples of other Wheatbelt communities benefiting from having their own Community Wellbeing Plans, before exploring the capacity of organisations to be involved in shaping one for Boddington.
During May 2023 the Working Group identified existing capacity in the community by undertaking community mapping and gapping of existing services, programs and events being delivered, as well as identify opportunities for new collaboration and partnership.
The Working Group met again in June 2023 to explore health and wellbeing data specific to Boddington to identify local priority areas, as well as plan the launch of a Community Perceptions Survey for the broader community to provide input into the Plan.
What is next?
Once the survey closes on Monday, 11 September, the Working Group will reconvene to collate the results. This will be undertaken in conjunction with the health and wellbeing data gathered to determine strategies and actions to inform the Community Wellbeing Plan.
Image: Boddington Community Wellbeing Plan Working Group members (L-R) - Jordyn Drayton (Holyoake), Angela Atkins (Boddington Community Resource Centre), Mark ‘Lofty’ Shaw (Boddington Lion’s Club), Ellen Smith (WA Country Health Service), Jess Daniels (Holyoake), Kerry Fisher (Boddington Health Service), Kate Stewart (Newmont), Jo Drayton (Holyoake), Sam Kempton (Shire of Boddington), Jo Woodruff (Holyoake), Loren Bryant (Shire of Boddington) and Ben Gardiner (WAPOL Boddington).