Should you trust your neighbours? New map reveals most and least trusting areas in England – find out where yours fared
- The most trusting neighbourhoods in England have been revealed in a survey
- Bristol, Sheffield and St Albans have some of the most trusting areas
- Stoke, Wigan and Salford have areas where neighbours feel lowest levels of trust
- People were asked if they were more careful or trusting in dealing with others
England’s most trusting and least trusting neighbourhoods have been revealed in a new survey of thousands of people across the country.
Bristol, Sheffield and St Albans were found to be some of the most trusting places to live in the England.
The most trusting community in the country is Gayton and Lower Heswall in The Wirral, according to the study by Onward, with 62.8 per cent of residents saying they trust others.
More than 42,000 Britons were asked to say whether they feel they can always or usually trust others, or if they think they can’t be too careful when dealing with people.
The survey found that the least trusting place in England is in Stoke, in the Bentilee and Ubberly area of the city.
Just 27.1 per cent of respondents there said they felt confident they could usually trust others, while more than 65 per cent said they were always or usually careful in dealing with people.
The average level of trust in England is 46.1 per cent, while 48.6 per cent of the population say they are usually cautious, giving the country a net rating of -2.5 per cent for trust.
Neighbourhoods in Wigan, Salford, Liverpool and Hull were also found to have some of the lowest levels of trust in the country and some of the highest levels of caution.
However, levels of trust could can change quickly within the same city or region.
For instance, while East Finchley in north London has a trust rating of 54.6 per cent, trust in nearby Tottenham North West is just 36.1 per cent.
In Sheffield, the difference between the number of trusting and careful residents changes hugely in different parts of the city.
Some communities in Sheffield are in the top 5 per cent most trusting in the country, while others are in the top 5 per cent least trusting.
In Ecclesall in Sheffield 60 per cent of people say they are trusting of others, but in Burngreave and Pitsmoor on the other side of the city, the figure is almost half that at 35 per cent.
Bristol has some of the highest levels of trust in England – topped by the Henleaze area of the city
Bentilee and Ubberly in Stoke-on-Trent is the least trusting area in England, according to the survey
High trust within communities is associated with higher economic growth, better mental health and better public services.
The survey cites research which suggests that for every 10 per cent of trust, GDP per capita increases by 0.5 per cent.
Think tank Onward said that a lack of trusting neighbours was ‘a warning light on the dashboard of a developed economy’.
Deputy Director of Onward Adam Hawksbee said high levels of trust in Britain was vital for a thriving democracy and economy.
He said: ‘The Prime Minister has said that he wants to build the strength and resilience of our communities.
‘Our new research helps to understand the scale of the challenge and begin tackling it.
‘Social trust underpins a healthy democracy, strong economy, and vibrant communities.
‘Our data shows that in too many places this vital trust is lacking. That’s why boosting it should be a guiding mission for the Government.’
Source: Read Full Article
