Questionnaire: How Community Minded Are You?

This short questionnaire will help you to determine how community minded you are. You may think that the activities you take part in are simply part of your life and not see them as being community centred. Or you may think you do plenty in the community but when you take a long hard look at yourself, you realise that in actual fact, you only do things which benefit you and those closest to you, regardless of what it means to the community.

Read on and take the short quiz to get an idea of whether you really are community-minded and if you are doing enough to make a difference to your community and those in the area in which you live.

Questionnaire

1.You love to play netball and find a local club to join. How far does your involvement stretch?

a) You sign up and quickly find yourself at the heart of the club, organising tournaments and on the committee.
b) You start to play and realise that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes so offer to help out occasionally.
c) You play for them – and are not a bad player, even if you do say so yourself. What more do they want other than your expertise?

2.You're a regular on the school run and one morning you hear that another mum has been taken ill. What do you do?

a) Offer to pick up her children and take them to school every day, even though they attend two different ones.
b) Take flowers round and let her know you are there if she needs you.
c) Send a card – but there isn't a lot else you can do, there simply aren't enough hours in the day.

3.A planning application is lodged to erect a phone mast near to the local primary school. What's your response?

a) Print off letters, petitions, alert the local newspapers, gather the troops and begin a campaign to stop it.
b) Sign up to the campaign and promise to be there for meetings, photographs and anything else they may need you for.
c) You're horrified – but what can be done. Big companies always get their own way.

4.The school has asked for volunteers to run a reading programme with some of the less able children. What do you do?

a) Volunteer not only to read with the youngsters but to co-ordinate the whole programme, draw up rotas and make sure it all runs smoothly.
b) Volunteer at once to take part.
c)Apologise but you cannot make it – you have a full time job and family which demands your attention.

5.Your village shops are suffering – where do you shop?

a) Always locally. It might be slightly more expensive, but this is the future of the community we are talking about.
b) One big shop in a supermarket and the rest from local shops – some support is better than none.
c) In big, out of town stores. The local shops are expensive and take forever when you start chatting to people./ Shopping should be done quickly and efficiently.

Answers

Mostly As

You may not realise it but you are a community minded person at heart. You go about your daily life with plenty of thought for others and the effect your actions have on them. You may just consider it every day life but others would suggest your thought for the community goes way and above the call of duty. Just remember that you must make time for your own life as well and make sure your own family are given as much thought as the wider community – they need your love and attention as well.

Mostly Bs

You certainly are community minded, you just don't let it override everything else. This is no bad thing as taking time for yourself is necessary in today's busy and fast paced world. Just try to remember that there are other community volunteers on whose shoulders the lion's share of responsibility may usually fall. Therefore, once in a while, it can be worthwhile to ask these people if they need help. They may not but they will also more than likely appreciate the fact that they know help is there if they need it.

Mostly Cs

You think you do not have time for the community or maybe even the inclination to do more. But remember, communities exist to support everyone. No man or women is an island - a cliché but true. You may be ok in your self contained world right now but there may also come a point where you need the help and support of your community. In this case you may well have wished that you had done more to start with yourself.