a portrait of the modern british community · 2016-10-25 · 2. executive summary. this report...

Insurance

A portrait of the modern British community

Media Report

454975_CGI_MEDIA_REPORT_NEIGHBOURHOOD_WATCH.indd 1 24/10/2016 11:59

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Executive summaryThis report provides a snapshot into the modern day British community in 2016

The words neighbourliness and community have long conjured up images of togetherness and a sense of belonging, from being able to leave your doors unlocked all day, to popping round to a neighbour’s, to borrow an ingredient or two. However, are these fond ideals now a thing of the past and is the concept of feeling part of a community diminishing rapidly across the generations?

This report from Co-op Insurance looks at people’s perceptions of their neighbours and the changing shape of their communities.

At the Co-op, we strive to play a key role in communities, serving millions of our members across the UK, whilst working closely with Neighbourhood Watch to promote and improve safety and encourage neighbourliness throughout communities in the UK. We both share the same ethos and believe that strong, friendly communities could lead to less crime and anti-social behavior.

Contents Page 3 – Are communities becoming a thing of the past?

Page 4 – Love thy neighbour

Page 5 – Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours

Page 7 – Where do neighbours become good friends?

Page 8 – Loathe thy neighbour?

Page 10 – The UK’s nightmare neighbours

Page 11 – Do Brits keep calm and carry on?

Page 12 – Safe as houses

Page 13 – The shape of things to come


Are communities becoming a thing of the past? As lives get busier and the boundaries between work and home life intertwine, British people are becoming increasingly isolated from their local communities, as more than half of the nation (51%) say they do not feel a part of a community, whilst almost 70% feel the UK is not as neighbourly as it used to be.

Those aged under 35 are 60% less likely to feel part of a community and as a result 13% not only feel lonely but find themselves living more isolated lives.

So British!We are of course a nation famed for our politeness but could our ‘British reserve’ actually be putting that polite reputation on the line?

It would seem so as less than 30% of us say we would go round and introduce ourselves to new neighbours, with nearly half (48%) preferring to just bump into them, while 16% would do nothing and 3% would just ignore them completely. Although over 75s are more than twice as likely (48%) to introduce themselves compared to under 35-year-olds (20%).

Amongst those who do feel part of their local community, 84% cite knowing their neighbour as the single biggest reason for feeling included, followed by having social connections within the community (46%). Despite this show of unity four out of five people (86%) have never held a community event, such as a street party, a stark contrast to times gone by.

Reasons people aren’t as neighbourly nowadays

1 People leading busier lives 69%

2 People can’t be bothered 51%

3 People live in a virtual world rather than reality (social media) 50%

4 People aren’t as friendly as they used to be 48%

5 People haven’t got time to communicate with each other 43%

6 People don’t want to get to know new people 29%

7 Fear of getting to know people 24%

What makes you feel part of the community?

1 Knowing my neighbours 84%

2 Having social connections within the community 46%

3 Volunteering within the community 20%

4 Taking part in hobbies within the community 16%

5 Being part of a local club / group 15%

“Joining your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme means you will receive regular updates and information about what’s happening in your area. You can also be assured that you’re living in an area where people care about keeping crime down and look out for each other.”

Neighbourhood Watch is the largest grassroots movement in the UK with 3.8 million member households. Each week its 173,000 coordinators support members by sharing information and looking out for their neighbours right across England and Wales.

173Thousand

Neighbourhood Watch groups nationwide

3.8Million

Neighbourhood Watch Members

As many as two-thirds (68%) of Brits feel people aren’t as neighbourly nowadays, simply because people are leading busier lives and are ‘simply too busy’ to make friends next door. The fear of getting to know people also features highly as nearly a quarter of Brits (24%) attribute this to people being less neighbourly.

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Neighbourhood Watch offers the following advice when you move into a new community

• Get to know your neighbours• Strike up a conversation - with your neighbours,

with other parents at the school gates, at your local shop• Join your local Neighbourhood Watch scheme• Explore your new surroundings• Get involved with community events

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Love thy neighbour?With 99% of the population having neighbours, you’re sure to always find someone living next door, whether you live in a row of terraced houses or you’re surrounded by the rolling hills of the countryside. However nearly one in twenty (4%) Brits go a month without ever seeing their neighbour, whilst for 12% of people they wouldn’t even know who their neighbours were if they bumped into them on the street. Nearly one in five (18%) of Brits never see their neighbours to even say ‘hello’.

Gone are the days when neighbours would have homely conversations over the garden fence or nip round for a brew and a natter, as only one in five (19%) of us have been invited round for a cup of tea. Surprisingly it’s men who are most likely to have visited a neighbour’s house with over two-thirds (68%) admitting to stepping foot inside their neighbour’s home, in comparison to 65% of females.

Only a third (37%) of Brits would regard their neighbours as a friend, whilst almost two thirds (63%) wouldn’t.

A generation gap is also apparent as almost half (48%) of under 35s have never set foot inside a neighbour’s house, in comparison to over two-thirds (77%) of over 55s who have.


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Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours The theme music for the famous Aussie soap couldn’t have put it better,

“Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours…”

By definition a neighbour is someone who lives nearby. For the citydweller, the neighbour is most likely to be someone in the next apartment, for the suburban family, the neighbour may be just over the fence. And for those living out in rural areas, neighbours may live a little further afield. But what exactly constitutes the ideal neighbour?

Over half the population (55%) stated that they regularly experience feelings of loneliness, and almost half of respondents (48%) know of neighbours who live on their own. The Co-op along with the British Red Cross is looking to tackle the cause of loneliness and isolation in the UK.


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Assisting you when necessary

Keeping their homes, communal areas in goodcondition

Bringing in the bins / taking your bins out if you’re away

Showing respectful behaviour at

all times

Being considerate by keeping the

noise down

Not playing music loudly

Taking responsibility for

their pets

Exercising responsibility for

their children’s behaviour

Looking after your house in your absence

Being tolerant and understanding of residents needs

Parking considerately72%

58%

55%

47%

75%74%

68%

55%

49%

46%

77%

Neighbours pets roaming about in your garden

Unsupervised children – behaving badly, screaming or misbehaving

Ignoring your neighbours

Loud music or television

Barking dog – leaving your dog to

howl all day

Bad Language – swearing in or

outside of the house

Slamming doors

Bonfires – garden bonfires,

BBQ’s, chimeneas

Inconsiderate parking, blocking a neighbours access to property or drive

Outdoor loud parties or gathering creating lots of noise57%

53%

31%

27%

65%62%

55%

33%

28%

68%

But what makes a bad neighbour? Two-thirds of Brits (68%) would hate to have neighbours who play loud music or have the television on too loud. Inconsiderate parking, such as blocking access to a property or drive also ranks highly for nearly two-thirds of Brits.

Other bad traits include swearing and shouting outside the house (55%), slamming doors (33%) and for 28% of those questioned, smoke from neighbouring BBQ’s, bonfires or chimeneas was an issue, especially when the washing’s out.

Top 10 traits of a nightmare neighbour

The blueprint of a good neighbourOur research shows that behaving respectfully at all times is the top trait that characterises a good neighbour (77%), followed by being tolerant and understanding of other residents’ needs (75%).


7

44%

Newcastle

28%

Glasgow

24%

Cardiff

41%Manchester

42%

Birmingham

42%

Southampton

%

st

40%

Leeds

w

37%

Edinburgh

terter

Leeds

rr 46%

SheffieldMManches

37%Liverpool

ff

44Southouth44

Soou39%Bristol

28%

Hull

40%Nottingham

38%

Norwich

nn 33%

Brighton33%%

33%

London38%

Plymouth

mm

40

333%

30%

Milton Keynes

gmingham

%%lol

mm

iltMM37%

Oxford

Where neighbours become good friends

1 Sheffield 46%

2 Newcastle 44%

3= Southampton 42%

3= Birmingham 42%

4 Manchester 41%

5= Leeds 40%

5= Nottingham 40%

6 Bristol 39%

7= Norwich 38%

7= Plymouth 38%

8= Liverpool 37%

8= Edinburgh 37%

8= Oxford 37%

9= London 33%

9= Brighton 33%

10 Milton Keynes 30%

11= Hull 28%

11= Glasgow 28%

12 Cardiff 24%

Where do neighbours become good friends?Sheffield heralds as the friendliest city with 46% classing their neighbours as a good friend, knowing an average of five neighbours to speak to, whilst Cardiff was deemed the least friendly with only 24% calling their neighbour a friend – 13% lower than the national average.

Young people are by far the least likely to visit a neighbour’s house, with only 52% of 18-24 year olds saying they’ve stepped foot in their neighbours home. Meanwhile, the most neighbourly age group is those aged 75 or above with 89% saying they've visited their neighbours house.

Friendliest by age

75 years and over 89%

65-74 year olds 79%

55-64 year olds 77%

45-54 year olds 68%

35-44 year olds 58%

25-34 year olds 52%

18-24 year olds 52%


Loathe thy neighbour? Most of us may be able to get along with our neighbours most of the time, but when things go wrong, they can go seriously wrong. One in five Brits have been involved in a neighbour dispute in the past twelve months, with almost half (46%) still unresolved, whilst one in ten Brits have moved house to escape bad neighbours.

Top neighbour disputes

Gossipy neighbours

Unruly kids

Roaming pets

Excessive noise

Barking dogs

Nosey neighbours

Boundary disputes

Messy gardens which blight the

community

Not keeping shared facilities

maintained

Rudeness or abuse

Parking wars 19%

15%

12%

7%

22%21%

18%

12%

11%

6%

41%

Of those who have experienced nuisance neighbours, excessive noise was by far the biggest single cause of residential issues nationally. Two out of five Brits (41%) have experienced noise related issues in the last year, including stomping around the house, loud arguments and late-night parties. Nearly one in four (22%) have suffered rude or abusive neighbours and a further fifth (21%) have had problems with barking dogs or wars over parking (19%).

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Manchester was revealed to be the noisiest place to live, having the highest number of noise related issues, with over half (57%) of those questioned saying they have had disputes with their neighbour over excessive noise, followed by Glasgow (52%). Milton Keynes (7%) and Sheffield (16%) appear to be some of the most peaceful neighbourhoods, with the least noise related issues.

.

9th

Newcastle

2nd

Glasgow

10th

Cardiff5th

Oxford

1stManchester

8=

Southampton

st

6th

Leeds

w

4=

Edinburgh

terter

Leeds

rr 12th

SheffieldMManches

7thLiverpool

11th

Hull

4=Nottingham

nn 8=

Brighton8

3rd

London4=

Plymouth

h

rd

4

3rd

13th

Milton Keynes

Where the UK’s noisiest neighbours live

1 Manchester

2 Glasgow

3 London

4 = Nottingham

4 = Plymouth

4 = Edinburgh

5 Oxford

6 Leeds

7 Liverpool

8 = Brighton

8 = Southampton

9 Newcastle

10 Cardiff

11 Hull

12 Sheffield

13 Milton Keynes

Manchester was revealed to be the noisiest place to live, having the highest number of noise related issues, with over half (57%) of those questioned saying they have had disputes with their neighbour over excessive noise, followed by Glasgow (52%). Milton Keynes (7%) and Sheffield (16%) appear to be some of the most peaceful neighbourhoods.

Woman are slightly more likely to clash with a neighbour with one in five (21%) admitting to having a dispute, in comparison to 19% of men. Overall excessive noise is the main dispute, however women are more likely than men to encounter rude or abusive neighbours.

34% Excessive noise

22% Barking dogs

22% Nosey Neighbours

19% Rude or abusive neighbours

18% Parking wars

14% Problems with unruly children

Top neighbour disputes men have

Excessive noise 47%

Rude or abusive neighbours 25%

Barking dogs 21%

Parking wars 20%

Nosey neighbours 15%

Top neighbour disputes women have


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Regionally, London and Birmingham has by far the highest number of incidents, with a quarter of those questioned saying they have encountered some form of nuisance neighbour during the past year. The most harmonious place in Britain is Milton Keynes with only 7% of those asked recording a dispute with their neighbour, compared with the national average of 20%. Could this perhaps be a legacy of its new town status? After all, the town was only established in 1967 when individuals and families came from other cities to live together in one new place and had to create a community of their own.

If you’re not one for being the centre of gossip, be sure never to move to Oxford, as over a third (36%) of residents have had issues with gossipy neighbours, whilst Liverpudlians are the least gossipy, with only 4% being the subject to village gossip.

Nobody wants a daily battle just to get out of their own driveway in the morning but it seems for those who live in Plymouth it’s a constant struggle, as over two-thirds (79%) of those questioned have had parking war disputes in the last year, whilst residents in Sheffield are the least likely (16%).

The UK’s nightmare neighboursEveryone fears moving into a new house and living next door to a nightmare neighbour, yet it seems some areas in the UK are far worse than others.

16%

Newcastle

20%

Glasgow

21%

Cardiff

20%

Manchester

25%

Birmingham

22%

Southampton

%%

st

11%

Leeds

w

22%

Edinburgh

terter

Leeds

rr 17%

SheffieldMManches

21%Liverpool

ff

22Southouth22

Soou10%Bristol

18%

Hull

18%Nottingham

22%

Norwich

nn 20%

Brighton20%%

25%

London18%

Plymouth

mm

18

225%

7%

Milton Keynes

gmingham

%%lol

mm

iltMM21%Oxford

Worst cities for nuisance neighbours

1= Birmingham 25%

1= London 25%

2= Edinburgh 22%

2= Norwich 22%

2= Southampton 22%

3= Oxford 21%

3= Cardiff 21%

3= Liverpool 21%

4 Manchester 20%

5= Brighton 20%

5= Glasgow 20%

6= Hull 18%

6= Nottingham 18%

6= Plymouth 18%

7 Sheffield 17%

8 Newcastle 16%

9 Leeds 11%

10 Bristol 10%

11 Milton Keynes 7 %

5%

Newcastle

23%

Glasgow

13%

Cardiff

12%

Manchester

11%

Birmingham

8%

Southampton

%%

ster

25%

Leeds

w

18%

Edinburgh

MManches

4%Liverpool

9%Nottingham

19%

Norwich

14%

London

minghammingham

36%

Oxford

UK most gossipy cities

1 Oxford 36%

2 Leeds 25%

3 Glasgow 23%

4 Norwich 19%

5 Edinburgh 18%

6 London 14%

7 Cardiff 13%

8 Manchester 12%

9 Birmingham 11%

10 Nottingham 9%

11 Southampton 8%

12 Newcastle 5%

13 Liverpool 4%

32%

Newcastle

26%

Cardiff

29%

Manchester

17%

Southampton

%%

st

30%

Leeds

39%

Edinburgh

terter

Leeds

rr 16%

SheffieldMManches

23%Liverpool

79%

Plymouth

47%

Milton Keynes

Parking wars

1 Plymouth 79%

2 Milton Keynes 47%

3 Edinburgh 39%

4 Newcastle 32%

5 Leeds 30%

6 Manchester 29%

7 Cardiff 26%

8 Liverpool 23%

9 Southampton 17%

10 Sheffield 16%

79%Plymouth

Have had parking disputes in the

last year

16%Shef fieldLeast likely from those surveyed to have parking disputes

UK PARKING WARS

Regionally, London and Birmingham has by far the highest number of incidents, with a quarter of those questioned saying they have encountered some form of nuisance neighbour during the past year. The most harmonious place in Britain is Milton Keynes with only 7% of those asked recording a dispute with their neighbour, compared with the national average of 20%. Could this perhaps be a legacy of its new town status? After all, the town was only established in 1967 when individuals and families came from other cities to live together in one new place and had to create a community of their own.

Nobody wants a daily battle just to get out of their own driveway in the morning but it seems for those who live in Plymouth it’s a constant struggle, as over two-thirds (79%) of those questioned have had parking war disputes in the last year, whilst residents in Sheffield are the least likely (16%).

If you’re not one for being the centre of gossip, be sure never to move to Oxford, as over a third (36%) of residents have had issues with gossipy neighbours, whilst Liverpudlians are the least gossipy, with only 4% being the subject to village gossip.


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Crime is changing across the UK and some types of crime, particularly online fraud, is rising as criminals see the opportunities presented by our changing, online world.

In the past our doors and windows used to be the only way for criminals to enter our homes, but they’re now using the telephone socket, broadband cable and wi-fi router to pose a threat to our security.

With your help Neighbourhood Watch can do even more to make their movement even bigger, safer and friendlier.

• Bigger: Neighbourhood Watch aim to recruit more coordinators and map their schemes so more people can find their local scheme and join.

• Safer: Neighbourhood Watch is giving out new, more varied advice about how to prevent the new challenges facing our communities such as cybercrime and online fraud.

• Friendlier: It’s not all about crime. Neighbourhood Watch brings communities closer and offers support right across their network to help you do that.

• To find your local scheme go to www.ourwatch.org.uk

Do Brits keep calm and carry on?Following a dispute it seems the majority of Brits keep calm and carry on, with 42% of those questioned choosing to take the matter into their own hands by speaking directly to their neighbour in person to air their differences and to try and resolve the dispute.

However 14% of those questioned chose to resolve the dispute by calling the police immediately, whilst nearly one in five Brits (11%) shied away from confronting the issue altogether.

Worryingly, the trials and tribulations of disputes over the garden fence has led to one in five Brits (21%) either struggling to sleep or suffering from health issues as a result of a neighbour conflict. One in ten of those questioned have upped sticks and moved house or from the area to escape the problem altogether, and for one in five people (20%) the dispute is still on going.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as only 8% say they do not get on with their neighbour at all and in times of need nine out of ten people (92%) would help our neighbour.


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Neighbourhood Watch recommend using the WIDE principle, ensuring that:

Taking these basic steps to protect yourself can offer 49 times more protection against burglary than homes without these measures.*

*© Tseloni, Thompson, Grove, Tilley and Farrell, 2014**Co-op Insurance malicious damage claims data 2011 – 2016 14.8% increase*** Co-op Claims data analysed from 2013 - 2015, comparison between 5 months preceding the end of daylight savings time and 5 months after

Motor insurance claims for malicious damage rose 15% last year according to recent data from Co-op Insurance**. Owners in Manchester are most at risk of malicious damage to their vehicles followed by those in Edinburgh, Chelmsford and Peterborough. The average cost of a malicious damage claim in 2015 was £1,001 in comparison to £961 in 2014.

In the five months following the clock change in October Co-op Insurance saw a 36% increase in home theft claims. Forcible and violent entry thefts represent a higher proportion during November and March than they do between April and August, whilst non-forcible and deception type thefts are higher during April to August, probably because of open doors/windows and more opportunistic crime***

Safe as houses Feeling safe in your community is just as important as feeling safe inside your home.

Hearing strange, unfamiliar noises outside the home is the main reason 43% of people don’t feel safe in their neighbourhood, followed by being the victim of having their property or belongings vandalised (31%) or having neighbours that have been burgled.

Noises outside 43%

Vandalism 31%

Neighbours have been burgled 23%

Reports on the news 16%

I’ve been burgled 15%

Lack of street lighting 14%

My car has been broken into 9%

Top reasons people don’t feel safe in their neighbourhood


The shape of things to comeThey say an Englishman’s home is his castle, but are we at risk of our homes becoming more like fortresses?

No longer just a place for sleeping, eating and relaxing, the home is being remodelled into a connected and personalised environment. The smart home has arrived with the internet gradually making its way into everything from appliances to thermostats, where soon you’ll be able to control most things in the house from your phone.

From pet cameras to check up on your pets, keyless connected smart locks to enter your house and smart lights to turn the lights on when you’re away from the home, are we in danger of losing touch with our neighbours and the community around us all together?

It seem so, as nearly two-thirds (62%) of Brits believe ‘connected, digital homes’ could make us even less neighbourly, as the technology connects us in our homes ironically it disconnects us from next door.

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“Being at risk of losing the community spirit we once prided ourselves on, is a common thread throughout our research.

“Strengthening our communities whilst making them safer places to live is firmly at the heart of the Co-op. Communities are valuable as they allow people to interact with each other, share experiences and develop valued relationships. Without communities we’re in danger of living isolated lives.

“Our partnership with Neighbourhood Watch gives us a great opportunity to work with a voluntary organisation, with a vision that fits with our own and has aspirations to ensure people feel safe and part of a community, in the place where they live. The scale of our two groups combined gives us the potential to reach out to a huge part of society to help make this possible.

“However, as our lives, both in and away from the home, become ever busier and we spend more time engaged with technology – TV, the internet and social media, its seems we are becoming ever-more distant from our closest neighbours. As a nation we need come together, lose the British stiff upper lip and engage with our neighbours, who in time may become friends.”

Over to the experts

“We’re delighted to have the support of the Co-op Insurance as we work together to make the Neighbourhood Watch movement bigger, safer, friendlier and more relevant in today’s society.

“Our communities are changing as people lead busier lives, but people still care about the places they live. Everyone wants to live in a safe, friendly area and it starts with each one of us.

“Being a good neighbour is the first step in having good neighbours. Joining Neighbourhood Watch is one way you can contribute to keeping your neighbourhood a safe and good place to live.”

James Hillon, Director of products at Co-op Insurance:

Lynn Farrar, Chair of Neighbourhood Watch


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Jenna MossPress and Media Relations [email protected] 0161 767 4354 / 07770 441 828

Catherine TurnerHead of Consumer Services [email protected] 0161 767 4253 / 07834 090 783

Media contacts Research:

Research questioned 2,000 people by ICM Research, June 2016. Nationally representative sample

Data:

© Tseloni, Thompson, Grove, Tilley and Farrell, 2014 Co-op Insurance malicious damage claims data 2011 – 2016 Co-op Claims data analysed from 2013 - 2015, comparison between 5 months preceding the end of daylight savings time and 5 months after.

About Co-op Insurance:

Co-op Insurance is part of Co-op Group, one of the world’s largest consumer co-ops, owned by millions of members. Alongside Co-op Insurance, we have the UK’s fifth biggest food retailer, the UK’s number one funeral services provider, and a developing legal services business.

As well as having clear financial and operational objectives, the Group is a recognised leader for its social goals and community-led programmes.

www.co-opinsurance.co.uk

About Neighbourhood Watch:

Neighbourhood Watch is the largest volunteer crime prevention movement in the UK with 3.8 million household as members across England and Wales. The movement was established 33 years ago and is a ‘good neighbour scheme’ where neighbours look out for each other to help protect themselves from being a victim of crime. Traditionally the movement has focused on traditional acquisitive crime such as burglary and car crime, but volunteers have turned their attentions to cybercrime and fraud. Independent research shows that Neighbourhood Watch can reduce crime by up to 26%.

The Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network is the national charity which acts as the voice of the movement across England and Wales. The charity is supported by the Home Office and works closely with national policing and community organisations, alongside supporting the wider membership.

Sarah DawsonPress [email protected] 0161 201 3444 / 07702506126


a portrait of the modern british community · 2016-10-25 · 2. executive summary. this report...

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