Why community matters above all
Date Posted: Oct 10, 2023.
We asked us what you love about where you live. Here’s what you said
Community and green spaces are the top reasons people love where they live, ahead of amenities, local attractions, or their place of worship.
An informal survey of almost 400 people who attended the Christian arts festival Greenbelt found that 44% of people said what they love most about where they live is the community, including having friends and family living nearby.
Almost as many – 39% – said they valued the green spaces and access to nature locally, whether they referred to parks near Tower Hamlets in London’s East End or the beaches of the Gower Peninsula.
Fewer than one in six respondents, (16%), said cultural attractions, events and local history were important to them, just ahead of 14% who cited amenities such as transport links, restaurants and independent shops.
Almost one in seven – 13% – said they loved the diversity of their local community, either in terms of its multi-ethnic composition or its openness to LGBTQ people.
Only 7% said their church was the reason they love where they live, and 4% cited social action, run by the church or another local group.
Meanwhile community, including friends and family, also tops the list of gifts people feel grateful for, according to a poll of respondents to CUF’s Harvest appeal, Hidden Treasures. Equally important are green spaces and the use of one’s senses. Respondents also said they were grateful for their faith, their church family and good access to local amenities.
Bishop Rob Wickham, CEO, CUFAt CUF we believe loving and knowing your community is a vital first step in best understanding how to reach out and make a difference. As these responses show, it’s first and foremost living in a loving community that makes a place and people feel connected and valued.
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