2022/02/07 by Trish Finegan, Morgan Cawley Buckley
Health Professions · Social Sciences · #Homelessness and Social Issues #Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering #Social Capital and Networks
paper · doi:10.1093/cdj/bsac003
openalex publication_date 2022/02/07 · crossref created 2022/02/07 · crossref issued 2022/03/06 · crossref published 2022/03/06 · crossref published-online 2022/03/06 · crossref published-print 2023/04/21 · crossref deposited 2023/04/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25
Abstract This article evaluates the impact of a community development initiative to establish a network of community shops across County Kilkenny, Ireland. Specifically, this research investigates the impact of this initiative on community well-being in two localities. Data were gathered through multi-site semi-structured interviews with community workers and members. Respondents self-reported a perceptible improvement in individual and community well-being. The primary drivers of this process are identified as social connectedness, intergenerational contacts and emotional support. This research is an important early contribution to a relatively small body of research literature on community shops, particularly in Ireland. Furthermore, as community shops are increasingly recognized as effective resources in community development strategies, it is now critical to conduct analytical and qualitative work on their impact from the perspective of community member’s lived experience.