Almost three quarters of people in UK feel part of local community

New research from The National Lottery Community Fund found that 73% of people in the UK feel a part of their local community, and that safety on the streets, young people and mental health are priorities for communities in 2022.

The Community Fund’s latest Community Research Index shows a year-on-year increase in people feeling part of their local community – up from 69% last year.

Feeling part of the community is also growing in value, with 68% saying it is important to them, compared to 62% last year.

The survey revealed that people want to be more active in their community this year, with just under half (46%) of UK adults saying they intend to help out or volunteer in their local community in 2022.

Minister for Civil Society and Youth Nigel Huddleston said: ‘I’m pleased to see that people’s sense of belonging continues to grow and that despite the challenges of Covid a strong community spirit prevails.

‘Supporting our charities and the crucial work they do in the community has been a priority for the Government with an unprecedented £750m being made available during the pandemic.

‘We will continue to work with our National Lottery Community Fund partners to do all we can to encourage even greater community participation including in the important areas of volunteering, youth support and tackling loneliness.’

David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, added: ‘Despite the challenges and hardships of the last two years, these new findings demonstrate that the UK’s sense of community holds strong. Feeling part of our local community is important for wellbeing, and better enables people to prosper and thrive.

‘As the largest funder of community activity in the UK we are particularly pleased to see that this new research supports and builds on the findings of our recently published Impact Report. People want to take an active role in their community, and volunteering intentions for the year ahead are strong. Young people are leading the way, and this will hopefully not only bring them great opportunities, but also strength, sustainability and new skills to the groups they join.’

Photo by Erika Giraud