Everybody needs good neighbours

Do we care about a sense of community? 

Residents from across Scotland are invited to nominate the projects or organisations that make a real difference to their local communities to receive funding of up to £2,000 each.

The funding will be delivered by Provident’s Good Neighbour Community Programme, which invested more than £1m into the community during 2015.

Until 9^th May, the public can nominate good causes across Scotland and the North with an online submission. A shortlist of the top four nominations across this region will be announced next month.

Once the shortlist is announced, local people will again get the chance to vote to decide on their winner.

The programme is announced as recent research carried out by Provident found that only 69% of Edinburgh residents value living in an area with a sense of community, compared to 76% in Glasgow and 81% in Aberdeen. In comparison, other larger capital cities such as London (69%) and Cardiff (66%) score lower for valuing community spirit.

However, the research found that an overwhelming 89% of Aberdeen residents get along well with their neighbours, making it the highest scoring city in Scotland and one of the friendliest cities in the UK. Of the cities surveyed, Aberdeen was also shown to be the safest and well-maintained in Scotland.

In a poll of 2,800 people across 30 cities in the UK, the findings suggest the most neighbourly cities are also some of the happiest. The findings also reveal difference between cities in Scotland:

Aberdeen

• 89% of Aberdeen residents also say they would happily greet people in the street
• Almost 9 in 10 residents in Aberdeen also know their neighbours’ names
• Almost half (47%) who live in Aberdeen regularly use their local amenities

Edinburgh

• 77% of Edinburgh residents also say they would happily greet people in the street
• 8 in 10 residents in Edinburgh also know their neighbours’ names
• Almost half (47%) who live in Edinburgh regularly use their local amenities

Glasgow

• 68% of Glasgow residents also say they would happily greet people in the street
• Almost 9 in 10 residents in Glasgow also know their neighbours’ names
• Almost half (42%) who live in Glasgow regularly use their local amenities

Andy Parkinson, Provident’s Home Credit Director, commented: “Provident agents have always worked closely within the communities in which we operate and see first-hand the importance of community spirit. We believe that people in Scotland do have pride in their communities and sometimes just need a helping hand to develop it and improve it.

“In 2015 we invested over £1m in our communities through our Good Neighbour Programme, and we want to extend our support to new projects this year. It’s because of this that we’re now inviting the public to nominate the organisations that they think make a real difference in their local communities. No matter how small the project or organisation, I’d encourage people to nominate those who deserve support to continue their great work.”

To nominate a local good cause visit: providentgoodneighbour.co.uk