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Survey finds high levels of community participation

Sunshine Coast Community Foundation has published a new report summarizing a survey of Sunshine Coast residents. Conducted in the summer of 2019, the survey attracted 400 responses from the Sunshine Coast.
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Sunshine Coast Community Foundation has published a new report summarizing a survey of Sunshine Coast residents.

Conducted in the summer of 2019, the survey attracted 400 responses from the Sunshine Coast. It reveals that members of the community are highly engaged in civic life, compared to the provincial average.

“Ninety per cent of Sunshine Coasters who responded to the survey are engaged in volunteering and other activities that involve giving time to an organization, community, or cause,” said Manjit Kang, chair of the foundation’s board of directors. “Compared to the B.C. average of 62 per cent, we can be very proud of the way our community steps up to help one another.”

Compared to the provincial average of 54 per cent, significantly more Sunshine Coast residents (73 per cent) believe they can make a big or moderate impact in making their community a better place to live.

Similarly, 75 per cent of those living on the Sunshine Coast feel they have a voice in what happens in their community, as compared to 57 per cent of all British Columbians.

“We conducted this survey to help understand how members of our community are engaged in civic life and what are the barriers to those who don’t engage,” said Kang.

“We hope the information in the report will be helpful to local governments and service agencies who want to make involvement in community life more accessible to all citizens.”

The survey was conducted in the summer of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted life in significant ways.

“The restrictions caused by the response to COVID-19 likely has, at least temporarily, reduced our community’s ability to participate in civic life,” the foundation said.

“On the other hand, our high level of community participation and generosity has also helped us weather the challenges of the pandemic better than less engaged communities. The generous contributions to the Sunshine Coast COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund and the fundraising success of local food banks are examples of the great community spirit found on the Sunshine Coast.”

Ninety-three percent of Sunshine Coast respondents to the survey were 45 years of age and over. This is somewhat higher than the actual population of residents over 45 (73 per cent). The survey results thus may somewhat overstate local community involvement. Nonetheless, local community engagement is still high and greater than provincial averages.

The 2019 survey was conducted throughout the province by the Vancouver Foundation. The Sunshine Coast Resource Centre helped to distribute the survey and encourage participation from local residents.

The report is available free for download from the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation’s website at www.sccfoundation.com.

– Submitted