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e: gimson@familyandparenting.org  

Regional press releases for Families and Neighbourhoods report, Thursday 18 October 2007

East of England Parents more concerned about stranger danger than in any other part of England
East Midlands children less likely to play with neighbours' children
Londoners are the most neighbourly people in England
More North East children play out in the streets than in any other part of England
North West parents have poor confidence in their neighbourhoods
South East parents more concerned about traffic than in any other part of England
South West parents give their neighbourhoods vote of confidence
Families in the West Midlands are least likely to have access to a space that is well-maintained and pleasant
Children in Yorkshire and the Humber more likely to play with neighbours' children than anywhere else in England

Return to main Press Releases page

East of England Parents more concerned about stranger danger than in any other part of England

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that parents who say that children don't play out in the street are more likely to cite stranger danger (17 per cent) in the east of England than anywhere else where stranger danger is only given a reason by 13 per cent of people. More parents in the east of England would ask their neighbours to lend them something like a screwdriver or eggs (74 per cent ) compared to 68 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

East Midlands children less likely to play with neighbours' children

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that children in the East Midlands are the least likely to play with their neighbours' children 42 per cent compared to 45 per cent nationally, but 84 per cent of parents talk to their neighbours in the east midlands compared to 82 per cent nationally. Families in the East Midlands have lived the least time in their neighbourhood than anywhere else in the country – just over seven years compared to just over seven and a half years. 46 per cent of families have lived in their neighbourhood only five years compared to 40 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

Londoners are the most neighbourly people in England

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that Londoners are more likely to count their neighbours as close friends than anywhere else in the country with 17 per cent saying this compared to 13 per cent nationally. Only 49 per cent of parents in London report children playing on the street compared to 64 per cent nationally. Londoners are more likely to have access to a green space that is well-maintained and pleasant than anywhere else 77 per cent compared to 72 per cent nationally. Londoners are also the least likely people to be confident in the quality of their local school – only 52 per cent compared to 66 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

More North East children play out in the streets than in any other part of England

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that children in the North East are more likely to play on the street than anywhere else in the country: 77 per cent of parents in the north east report children playing on the street compared to 64 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

North West parents have poor confidence in their neighbourhoods

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new YouGov poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that only 51 per cent of parents in the North West are confident they can do the best for their children in their neighbourhood compared to 56 per cent nationally. YouGov surveyed 2,105 parents in England to explore how they felt about parents felt about their neighbourhoods, how involved they were in them and whether they thought that they could do the best for their families.

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report  is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

South East parents more concerned about traffic than in any other part of England

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that traffic in the South East is cited by 51 per cent of parents as the reason children don't play out on the street, compared to 41 per cent of parents nationally (60 per cent of parents in the south east report children playing on their street – slightly less than the national average of 64 per cent). But more families in the south east than anywhere else have access to a children's playground 87 per cent compared to 81 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

South West parents give their neighbourhoods vote of confidence

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that parents in the South West are more confident than anywhere else in the country that they can do the best for their children in their neighbourhood – 63 per cent compared to 56 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page

Families in the West Midlands are least likely to have access to a space that is well-maintained and pleasant

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that families in the West Midlands are least likely to have access to a space that is well-maintained and pleasant 66 per cent compared to 72 per cent nationally. Parents in the West Midlands and the North East are the least likely to have made friends through their children – 34 per cent in both places hadn't made any friends at all through their children compared to 28 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

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Children in Yorkshire and the Humber more likely to play with neighbours' children than anywhere else in England

Thursday 18 October 2007

An exclusive new poll for the Family and Parenting Institute has shown that children in Yorkshire and the Humber are more likely to play with their neighbours' children (51 per cent) than anywhere else in the country (average 45 per cent). 82 per cent of parents in Yorkshire and The Humber would feel confident enough to speak to their neighbours' children if they were misbehaving/ being unruly in the street/ area around their own home compared to 77 per cent nationally. Parents here are also the most likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school 73 per cent compared to 66 per cent nationally.

These are the findings of a new report  published by the Family and Parenting Institute, based on a YouGov survey of over 2,000 parents (note1). Other findings from the study include:

• Families in rural areas have very different needs from those in more urban areas. For instance a quarter of parents who live in the countryside say that better public transport is the one thing that would improve their neighbourhood the most for families, and a further 17 per cent chose reducing traffic as their number one priority. In urban areas parents are much less concerned about traffic and more worried about reducing crime and anti-social behaviour (50 per cent in the inner cities).

• More organised activities for children and young people was consistently seen as a priority by parents from all walks of life (23 per cent overall). Some respondents commented on how teenagers effectively took over the streets at night

• Parents who live in London are more likely to be active in their community than parents in other parts of the country – 44 per cent in London compared to 34 per cent overall. Those least likely to be involved in their community live in the north east (26 per cent) and the west midlands (28 per cent)

• But parents who live in London are also the least likely to be confident in the quality of their local state school (52 per cent). Those in Yorkshire and The Humber and the North East jointly had the most confidence in their local state school (73 per cent). Overall, 66 per cent of parents are confident in the quality of their local state school and 71 per cent would be happy to send their children there.

• The average time for a family to have lived in their neighbourhood is just over seven and a half years. Only five per cent of parents in England had lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives

• However, more than half of all families (56%) had at least one set of grandparents living within a 15 to 20 minute journey from them . This was highest in the north east (69 per cent) and lowest in London (40 per cent). This might explain the fact that parents in the north east rely less on their neighbours to water their plants when they are away (47 per cent) than families in London (59 per cent).

Chief Executive of the Family and Parenting Institute Mary MacLeod said:

"For most parents, the picture is actually quite positive. There is a sense of neighbourliness, security and happiness which is far removed from the picture which is sometimes presented. But for the poorest families life isn't so rosy. They are afraid to go out at night, their children lack safe green spaces to play in, and worst of all, they feel less able to rely on the kindness of neighbours. It is tragic that so few poor people feel that they can do the best for their families in their neighbourhood

She added:

"There is much which the Government can do to improve this situation. Investment in well maintained and secure green spaces should be a priority as well as more activities for young people and affordable sports and leisure facilities. More too needs to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Government has made this a priority but we need to carry out research into what works. This year's Public Accounts Committee report into tackling anti-social behaviour was critical of the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the different approaches used. So we currently don't have a proper picture of what works. If we are to make a difference to the family lives of the poorest in our country then we need joined up thinking"

 

Notes:

1) This report is based on the results from the Family and Parenting YouGov 'Neighbourhood' bespoke survey; fieldwork was undertaken between 10th and 12th September 2007. The survey questions were asked of a sample of 2,105 parents in England with a child or children aged 16 or under. This survey was conducted online. No weighting factors were applied to the data.

2) From the lowest income band (under £10,000 net household income) 45 percent of respondents said they felt safe in their neighbourhood at night, 55 per cent said they could easily access a pleasant well-maintained green space, and 50 per cent said that their neighbours would help them out in a crisis. For the richest (over £80,000 net household income) these figures are 86 per cent, 85 percent and 80 per cent respectively.

3) For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Michael Scanlan on 020 7424 3460, 07958 698 698 or scanlan@familyandparenting.org

4) The Family and Parenting Institute is the leading centre of expertise on families in the UK. We do research and policy for the real world, provide practical resources for people working with families and find out what matters most to families

Return to main Press Releases page