Community spirit is in good health across the North West

NEW research from The National Lottery Community Fund – the largest community funder in the UK – reveals that local people’s sense of community spirit and desire to support others is in good health.

Across the North West – including Warrington – 72 per cent of people say it’s important to them to feel part of their local community and 59 per cent say community spirit is strong where they live. Encouragingly, 62 per cent say they feel part of their local community, with all the benefits that this entails.
These include feeling safer (62 per cent), having more awareness of what is happening (59per cent) and a greater sense of belonging (55per cent) in their local area. Others rate the opportunity it provides to build friendships and connections, with 46 per cent saying that having an opportunity to meet people is a benefit of being part of their community.
A majority (65 per cent) are willing to work with others to improve their local community, but only around half feel they have the opportunity (50 per cent) or ability to play a role (44 per cent).
Despite this, approaching half (45 per cent) intend to take part in volunteering activities in their local community in 2024, with one in ten (12 per cent) planning to volunteer for the first time.
Among those who intend to volunteer this year, food banks (32 per cent), the environment (33 per cent), supporting older people (30% per cent and working at charity shops (32per cent ) are where they plan to focus their community-minded efforts.
The findings come from The National Lottery Community Fund’s latest Community Research Index, an annual survey of over 8,000 people across the UK that finds out how people feel about their local community, and what their ambitions and priorities are for their community both longer-term and in the year ahead.
When it comes to the wellbeing of their local community, dealing with the impact of the cost of living remains people’s top priority in 2024. Three quarters of adults in the region predict continued rising demand for local food banks, along with greater local need for debt advice (73per cent, mental health support (70 per cent) and housing charities (62per cent). This makes it even more important that community spirit and people’s involvement and desire to volunteer remain strong.
Looking to the longer-term future and people’s aspirations for their community, over a third of the region’s adults (35 per cent) identify reduced poverty and deprivation in their community among the top three changes they would like to see for the next generation.
The National Lottery Community Fund has four key missions, which are to support communities to come together, be environmentally sustainable, help children and young people thrive and enable people to live healthier lives. It invests most in places, people and communities experiencing poverty, disadvantage and discrimination.
David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “It’s clear that 2024 will be another year where communities pull together to tackle shared challenges and to support each other. A continued sense of community spirit and belonging, and a desire to be involved (including volunteering) are welcome bright spots that set the tone for the year ahead.
“Local people know what their community needs and have the passion, energy and know-how to make it happen. This year they will have even more grassroots funding support as we have doubled the amount and term of our small grants programme, National Lottery Awards for All. It’s a key part of our drive to use our funding to strengthen society and improve lives across the UK in 2024 and beyond.”
Agreeing with the findings, Mike Ruck, treasurer at Warrington Open Doors at Christmas, said: “As this research shows, people are rightly predicting rising demand for local support services due to the cost of living – and want to make a real difference to their community.
“We feel that services like ours are vital as they allow those in need to take the smallest of breaks from their troubles and stresses, and feel safe and reassured that food, warmth and companionship are free and accessible.”
Warrington Open Doors at Christmas has been using almost £9,000 of National Lottery funding to support people in vulnerable situations over the Christmas period, by overhauling its kitchen facilities and increasing the number of hot meals and food parcels it can provide.
National Lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes across the UK. Thanks to them, last year The National Lottery Community Fund awarded over half a billion pounds (£615.4 million) of life-changing funding to communities across the UK.
To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk