Active Communities
Citizens have rights and responsibilities towards the community
The 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey just published is a large-scale survey that will be run every other year. It plays an important part in Home Office development community policies, particularly upon volunteering/active community participation and civil renewal. The survey adds to the continuing debate about social capital, addressing issues of social cohesion and civil renewal. The Home Office can assess this performance against targets.
Title: The 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey
Author: Home Office Research Development Statistics
Series Home Office Research Study 270
No. of Pages: 164
Date Published: September 2003
Availability: Download full report 
PDF 456Kb
Findings from the 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey suggest the vast majority of citizens in England and Wales recognise that they have rights and responsibilities towards the community. Yet the survey implicates that formal volunteering and civic participation activities are highly concentrated within more affluent social groups. More encouragement is needed toward the contribution of poorer, deprived communities, and people lacking qualifications.
At the annual National Volunteering Convention 2003, Home Office Minister, Fiona Mactaggart illustrated:
the high commitment and drive of the voluntary sector
the challenge of delivering innovative ideas to increase participation in communities with below average levels of formal volunteering
the £36 billion a year contribution value made by volunteers
the commitment to increasing community participation by 5 per cent by 2006.
Main findings within the The Home Office Citizenship Survey 2001 showed:
97% of respondents agreed that 'if people treated others as they would want to be treated themselves, our society would be a better place'.
96% agreed that 'you can't demand rights as someone living in the UK without also accepting the responsibilities'.
93% agreed that 'some people take advantage of public services and benefits without putting anything back into the community'.
85% agreed 'that people are entitled to basic human rights, regardless of whether they are a good person or not'.
Only 34% agreed that 'if people would mind their own business, our society would be a better place'.
There is strong evidence that people did not generally feel empowered to influence political decisions at either the local or national level:
43% of respondents agreed that they could influence decisions affecting their local areas
24% agreed they could influence decisions affecting Britain.
The survey reflects the commendable community participation levels, but states more could be done:
67% had volunteered informally at least once in the last 12 months
39% had volunteered formally at least once in the last 12 months
38% had volunteered within civic participation at least once in the last 12 months.
These activities, particularly civic participation, were highly concentrated among people from certain social groups: white people, the highly educated and those from the highest socio-economic groups.
Download: The Home Office Citizenship Survey 2001 PDF 456Kb
Last update: Wednesday, November 19, 2008