A “hello” and pint down the local are key to community contentment in Wales, new research reveals

A “HELLO” AND PINT DOWN THE LOCAL ARE KEY TO COMMUNITY CONTENTMENT,
NEW RESEARCH REVEALS

ON THE EVE OF ‘WORLD KINDNESS DAY’ (13 NOVEMBER), A STUDY HAS REVEALED THAT WELSH COMMUNITIES ARE AMONG THE UK’S MOST WELCOMING, FOLLOWED BY THOSE LIVING IN YORKSHIRE & HUMBERSIDE, AND BEHIND PEOPLE IN THE NORTH EAST AND NORTHERN IRELAND.

The research, commissioned by Making Local Woods Work – a woodland social enterprise partnership, quizzed 2000 people across the UK about the communities they live in to understand how long people take to feel settled where they live, what type of relationships people have with their neighbours, and what drives community spirit today.

Wales has been ranked by its residents as housing some of the UK’s most welcoming communities by:

• Residents feeling settled quickly (8.01 months compared with the UK average of 8.38 months) • Being made to feel welcome by neighbours (82% compared with UK average of 78%) • Good levels of community spirit (5.72 out of 10), above the UK average (5.69).

IT’S THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT COUNT

According to Welsh residents, the best way to settle into a new community is to simply say “hello” to neighbours (52%), followed by enjoying a tipple at the local pub (48%) and taking a parcel in
(41%) for someone on the street. One third (30%) of people in Wales describe their neighbours as ‘friends’.

Feeling comfortable in a new area is clearly at the forefront of newcomers’ minds, as three-quarters of Welsh people surveyed (75%) felt they’d made an effort to integrate into their local community.
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THE UK’S MOST WELCOMING COMMUNITIES BY REGION

BEING BUSY IS A COMMUNITY BARRIER

The research also identified that today’s hectic lifestyles are the biggest barrier for those in Wales (43%) getting to know the local community, with residents also citing a lack of a central community hub or meeting place as a key community obstacle (24%). The most common signs you have been accepted as a newcomer include bumping into someone you know every time you go out (42%) and having ‘your’
local pub (37%).

_“It’s the simplest things that can make the difference between someone settling into a new community quickly or not. Just saying “hello” or taking a parcel in for a neighbour can be all it takes,”_ Making Local Woods Work, Woodlands Project Manager, Norman Dandy, said.

_“Our woodland social enterprises encourage communities to gel by getting people together. And with one quarter of Welsh residents (25%) agreeing that volunteering for a local community project can help people settle locally, there’s never been a better time to hunt out a woodland social enterprise project – such as Dare Valley Country Park – and spend time with people that are in your community.”_

To find out more about Making Local Woods World and to find details about how to get involved, visit www.makinglocalwoodswork.org [3]