Community Spirit – What Is It and Where Is It?
As bloggers, we know how important an online community is to our day to day lives.
Many of us have even made life long friends thanks to the engagements we have had with others within our expanding digital networks.
Therefore, I was super intrigued when mobile network giffgaff – known for it’s thriving and engaged online community shared the results of a recent survey that they had performed asking people what actions do they class as community spirit?
The results are very revealing and are listed below:
TOP 20 SIGNS OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT
- Sign for neighbour’s parcels 72 %
- Chat with neighbours over the garden fence 57 %
- Keep an eye out when your neighbour’s go on holiday 55 %
- Bring in a neighbour’s wheelie bins after collection 39 %
- Peer over the fence if you hear something strange 37 %
- Like their posts on Facebook 36 %
- Take a look if their alarm is going off 36 %
- Donate to local charities 31 %
- Attend local fetes and events 27 %
- Trust people with your keys 25 %
- Feed neighbour’s cats when they’re on holiday 19 %
- Invite people over for drinks 18 %
- Help people out on online forums 17 %
- Drop in on elderly residents 14 %
- Water neighbours hanging baskets if they won’t be home in time . 13 %
- Like your neighbour’s posts on Instagram 11 %
- Have a WhatsApp group with the neighbours/local community 11 %
- Take part in a fitness class 9 %
- Chat on a mums’ forum/group 7 %
- Mow each other’s lawns when on holiday 6 %
- Take round meals for poorly neighbours 6 %
- Share the school run with other parents 6 %
- Give friends or neighbours your alarm code 5 %
- Babysit local children at a minute’s notice 5 %
- Run with a run club 3 %
Now, I’m curious to know if you agree or not?
Have they missed something important on the list or is it what you expected?
Tom Rainsford, Director of Brand & Culture at giffgaff said: “It’s encouraging to see that the idea of community spirit is still alive and well, and what’s really interesting about these results is how technology has slightly shifted the idea of what community means.
“So, whilst we all agree that having neighbours you can trust is a huge asset, it’s also great to see that this idea has spread to the online world. We’ve noticed this trend in how our community relates to each other online, where giffgaffers help each other out on troubleshooting or just have a chat.”
I am keen to agree with him.
Some online communities have really helped me through some important moments in my life as well as offering me a supportive space to express myself and be creative via my blog and social media.
Viva la internet!
Of course, not all communities are online and giffgaff further delved a little deeper using these results to locate where the friendliest Cities were in the UK.
The top 5 friendliest and least friendliest Cities are mentioned below:
TOP 5 FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE UK
- Nottingham
- Cardiff
- Newcastle
- Liverpool
- Leicester
TOP FIVE LEAST FRIENDLY CITIES IN THE UK
- Sheffield
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Norwich
- Manchester
Go, Nottingham!
Now, I am expecting a lot of feedback on these lists as we all like to think we live in the best place in the world.
So, did your hometown make the right list and do you agree with the results? Let me know in the comments below.
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i think there is a good community where i live and i like to help neighbours where i can
There are a lot of great things about my city, but I think it’s true that it’s comparatively not friendly [though I wouldn’t say it’s *un*friendly, per se].
I definitely notice a lot of community spirit in many online spaces, and while that can be a positive or negative thing, depending on the nature of the space, I do think the way it can help people develop their community-building and -maintaining skills is great. As long as they then use those skills for good rather than evil, obviously!
I live in a small village where there is a great community spirit and we know all our neighbours.
It is nice when you’re in a place like that 🙂
I live in a village not far from Norwich and we have a wonderful community spirit. We all look out for each other, without living in each others pockets.
That sounds so lovely it is amazing when you have that around you isn’t it.
Yeah love it! We live in apartments now mainly because of that community atmosphere, gone are the days where you can have neighbourly get-togethers in the old neighbourhood!
It can be amazing can’t it? When you have a good apartment building it is well worth it!
Man is a social animal and the social media of today’s day and age is only an extension of our basic needs of connecting with others living in a society. The online and the offline communities are very important in our day to day life. The survey throws light on many interesting facts.
Most definitely we all need to have people around us don’t we!
The community spirit is a must have in any neighbourhood. It’s always amazing to work together in a great community for everyone to feel safe and happy.
It is amazing how people can come together isn’t it at times?
Community spirit is so important in our lives. I have a neighbour who takes in my parcels for me, luckily.
My city never made it to the list.
Sometimes when you live that you can feel it more than others see it I think.
I love where I live. Community Spirit is cheering each other on and caring about each other Bringing each other up in times of need.
Aww I love that you have that going on – caring for each other is a big thing.
I am quite lucky, we have quite a close knit community in the area I live (although I live in apartments and there are some nightmare) but in the wider area its great.
It can be so hard living in flats at times can’t it? Just such close quarters.
The town I just moved from had a lot of spirit to go around. I miss that place; such great people.
It is hard to get used to a place which doesn’t have it when you are used to it isn’t it?
Unfortunately, my neighborhood is not like this. We tend to live our own lives separately and hardly we know anything about the person next door. Though we do want to connect and live in community spirit but it seems to difficult here to trust people
It can be hard can’t it – we are very lucky where we are now.
Great post. I love it when towns and communities work together. Everyone wants the best for their town so it only makes sense to help each other out.
It is amazing what can be achieved when people come together right?!
Your community objectives are really nice. Seems that Trust is above everything. This is a type of group I want to be part with.
Most definitely it’s something special to be apart of isn’t it.
It is satisfying to be part of a good community like this. It’s a community with a purpose. I’d love to be part of this.
Most definitely you can feel like you belong when part of a community can’t you.
This post really makes a lot of sense. It just feels great to be around with same minded individuals. These communities will really help a lot.
It really does, doesn’t it – I feel safe knowing my neighbours are around if I need them as well.
We have really selfish neighbours on one side of us and they have NO sense of community spirit at all (inconsiderate parking, swearing, bonfires, parties) 🙁 Luckily our other neighbours are lovely and we help each other out. As a parent, I think the school community is really important so supporting the PTA is essential
Oh no that is such a shame 🙁 people like that can change the whole feel of an area can’t they.
I love this as I do most of these already! Kindness is what makes the world go around!
It really does, doesn’t it! It’s nice to bring a smile to someone’s face!
Community spirit is something that I hope continues to increase everywhere. We all need to look out for one another and our community. If we don’t who will?
I really do as well – it can really change how an area feels.
We don’t know our neighbors well, but everyone would be willing to help out in an emergency or in a pinch. When my husband had a broken wrist years ago, another neighbor cleared our driveway from snow all winter.
Whenever we see each other, we make time for a 5-20 minute conversation to get reacquainted. It is really nice, even though I’m an introvert.
Sometimes I think that is enough, we have a quiet neighbour one side but they have knocked on our door before when they have needed a hand and so I am glad they feel they can do that.
I honestly find community spirit to be a lovely concept, and something people are in favor of in theory, but dead in reality.
That is sad that you feel that way, I think although as not as popular as it once was it is making a come back.
I would love to visit Nottingham one day and see for myself this friendliest city. I live in a complex where I don’t even know my neighbours- how sad.
I have never lived there but have been there myself and it is lovely. So much history and of course Robin Hood!
You won’t find me running with a run club anytime soon! I will however help my neighbors.
Haha we have walking and cycling ones here I think lol
These are signs of a great neighborhood and community spirit indeed. I am pretty friendly and get along well with all our neighbors!
Most definitely it is really nice to have such an environment around you!
I am so lucky that I am living in a place that there is a community spirit and thankful to have a neighborhood that are so kind and good heart.
Oh yay I am glad this is something you get to experience daily.
These are all great ways to have community spirit! I moved into my apartment almost a year ago and still don’t know my neighbors…oops!
Sometimes it is really hard to get to know people isn’t it?
Wow very interesting. I live in a pretty safe town in general but I’m not sure I would trust my neighbors with ALL of these things.
It is so different across the world isn’t it! We are really lucky with ours for sure.
We have lived in our neighborhood for a while, and we know about half of our neighbors very well. The others are acquaintances, but we would like to get to know them better.
I hope you manage to get to know them all better over time 🙂
We definitely have community spirit around our neighborhood. Everyone always looks out for others. I’ve signed packages a few times for the neighbors too. We all look out for one another all the time.
Aww it is lovely when you live in a neighbourhood like that 🙂
I’m not located in the UK. However, some of my favorite cities did make the list.
Yay, that is awesome! We do have some OK cities over here.
Whelp. This confirms that I’m not friendly! Well at least not with my neighbors, but I hardly ever see any of them which makes it hard. I do agree that all those things make you a good neighbor, and I’m going to try doing some of them!
Good luck with trying to start doing some of the things 🙂
Very interesting post! I would love to travel to any of these places (well the friendly ones lol). I have never thought about what makes for a friendly community, but these make a lot of sense.
Haha they are some nice places to go to for sure!
I think comunity spirit is so important. I’m very lucky that I live in a Christian community of about 100 so all the things mentioned are normal to us. Mich x
I bet that is amazing to always have someone around – such a lovely way of life in so ways.
Our community fits a lot of these. My community is part of a New Urbanist plan, where the shops, services and play are all walkable from your home. I know we love it here.
Oh wow it sounds like you have a lovely community in the way it works around you.
I think that community spirit is a very important thing, and I think I lack it in the place where I live. I’d love to do a few things out of that list, as that would bring me closer to the people who live around me. 🙂
Most definitely we live in a small village and our neighbours are amazing – we are very lucky with that.
I’m all about community spirit for the most part. But I also appreciate being inside and not dealing with others. However, if someone needs help, I do my best to be there. I won’t babysit on a notice though. I am not keen on other people’s children, but I will help mow their yard or check on pets if they go on vacation!
Most definitely you need that mix don’t you, where you can be alone or together.
This is interesting, and I have seen in news articles where there was an emergency at a residence, and neighbors stopped to help. However, what seems strange is they often had no contact with them prior to the emergency, not even knowing their name, and this I’ve seen more than once in single family homes on residential streets! Everyone works so many hours, then kids with busy schedules being driven around, etc., people often don’t seem to have the time to get to know even their next door neighbor! Worth doing, and these are good ways!
Most definitely it is always amazing when people seem to come together isn’t it.