Do you think your town, village or city has a "strong sense of community"?

Posted by gintokireddit@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 32 comments

I've seen an article about an event describe my city as "always having a strong sense of community". I'm unsure that's true, as most people know their family and a few friends. I would have thought of a strong sense of community as helping each other out, people knowing each other and low barriers of communication with everyone (more like countries where people speak to "strangers" and places where people feel responsible for one another and one's social role (like "it takes a village to raise a child" versus "not my job to care"). What would you say a strong sense of community is and is it true for where you live?

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32 Comments

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

The only people who I've observed as having any sense of community in the UK, are those who have next to nothing.

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EvenMathematician874@reddit

I'm sure the rich also have their communities, edpecially yhe tutled ones. There is also religious communities for every faith (my church is great for that), runing and other sports communities, universities have strong sense of community

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

To clarify, I meant 'community' as in a group who are supportive of each other. I didn't mean 'community' as in people who share a liking for a certain activity.

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Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

People with next to nothing generally need a lot more support, so it makes sense that they bond through support-seeking activities.

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

See what I mean?... People who have seen hardship do not go around trying to debunk genuine good deeds and honesty by implying it's merely necessity.

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Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

Perhaps people who have seen real hardship have had thier empathy exhausted to the point where they can't imagine that other people experieriemce real hardship too. Playing oppression olympics feels pretty competitive.

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

Oh fuck off.

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Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

There's that community spirit!

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

There's that punching down, for no particular reason other than bruised ego.. Regular as clockwork.

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Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

You only think I'm 'punching down' because you have decided that disagreement with your opinion, and having experienced hardship, are mutually exclusive.

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

I honestly do not know why you are choosing to be an autistic asshat over this.

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Defiant_Put_7542@reddit

A. I'm autistic. B. It's measurably disproven by science that hardship is strengthening or imparts special personal qualities. It's a tired old trope. There's nothing to romanticise. Your claim that it's the only way to have real community was laughable, that's all.

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Eukonidor_Of_Arisia@reddit

In my experience, this is the case. In my experience, people refuting this observed tendency do not know what they are talking about and talking from a place of hurt pride, nothing more.

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EvenMathematician874@reddit

Yes I meant the same.

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destria@reddit

I'd describe my village as that. Maybe not for everyone who lives here but there's definitely a sense that people know each other and there's all these tangled social webs. There's lots of community events happening all the time. There's an annual summer feast, monthly farmers market, the fireworks show, charity events. There's a group restoring the windmill nearby and I've just subscribed to their newsletter, hoping to go along and help out if I can. So it feels like there's lots of opportunity to participate in the community. The village itself just feels very community led. There are independent shops and small businesses. There's postbox toppers every holiday occasion like Christmas and Easter. There was a local sculpturist who donated all his bronze works to the village so there's now a local sculpture trail. There's a community orchard. There's still a thriving pub scene. Sure there's occasionally crime and antisocial behavior. But it doesn't detract from the overall feel of the place.

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Mysterious_County154@reddit

Depends if you like being friends with a bunch of hateful Nigel voters I don't, so I would say no

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Over_Locksmith9670@reddit

Not really, unless someone’s been nicking from aldi, then everyone bands together and acts like they’re on police interceptors

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AttersH@reddit

Yes, very much. I live in a small, semi-rural town that most people would probably describe as a large village. The community here is strong IMO. The local businesses all work together to run events & there are regular community events such as a food fest, an art fest, Easter Egg hunting, a duck race, pride, the Christmas light switch on & tractor parades. Loads of community pre-school groups (baby & toddler) & I know of 5 book clubs, a knitting club & a social group that regularly meets to help people feel less alone (& it’s really well used). There’s running clubs, walking groups, exercise classes & the library offers things for older people. It’s honestly a really nice place to live. I knew it would be, I moved here for a reason!

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EvenMathematician874@reddit

I feel like these things (bar the tractor) exist in big cities too but there are just too many different people that the ones going to these almost never intercept

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EvenMathematician874@reddit

I live in a major city, so no everyone is too different in every possible way. However, I feel like there is community in my area (neighbourhood). I live in one of those neighborhoods that solidly consist of 20s and 30s middle class ppl who have dogs and love a brunch. So we have a shared identity, which is crucial for community. Like people in the local bakery recognize me, people always say hi on a run etc type of thing

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Proud_Durian6956@reddit

No. It's mostly second homes where I am. It's completely dead. I don't like it

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aje0200@reddit

Second homes are a nightmare. But I couldn’t think of a good solution. Maybe we should all go back to holidaying at real B&Bs instead of airbnbs

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Bride-of-wire@reddit

Yes, to an extent. I moved from London to a small town in Somerset in 2014, noticed that there was no local Facebook group so set one up. 12 years and 15k members later I’m thoroughly convinced that the town has been through some kind of timeslip where it’s still firmly rooted in the misogynistic, homophobic and racist 1950s. I’m not sure they’re aware of transgenderism yet, but they do have very strong views on immigrants “swarming” the town, despite there not being a single refugee here. I always wondered where Daily Mail readers congregated. It’s Somerset.

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WGD23@reddit

Yeah, not bad

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FunkyYoghurt@reddit

There is where I live. On one hand it's quite wholesome and helpful. For example if someone pictured a child vandalising a car and put it on our local FB group they're 100% identified. They're fucked. On the other hand instances like that are very rare because everyone knows everyone and everything. There are downsides. I had an ambulance come for me once because I was vomiting blood. I didn't tell anyone. Four days later in the local pub people were asking me about the ambulance being at mine and why.

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EyeAware3519@reddit

Yeah pretty good community both in my local area and the city as a whole. Always something going on. Personally I don't get too involved but it's there if you want it.

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Lolabird2112@reddit

I’m in London so way too big, but I’ve always preferred living on estates compared to anywhere else because there’s more a sense of community. You have to participate to be part of it.

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Odd-Paramedic-3826@reddit

I don't really know. Lived here since i was 10 but I didn't go to school here, don't work here, so if there is a community i'm quite disconnected from it. What I do know is that the high street is dead, theres no hobby shops or other activities to do other than a gym and some cafes, and there's absolutely zero sense of culture, identity, or pride in the town. A lot of people i've talked to from other towns in the area don't even know we exist. So probably not

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IDKBear25@reddit

Not at all.

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Different-Employ9651@reddit

Not the town itself. It's far too transient for that. There are places within the town that do, though.

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nomadic_weeb@reddit

Not even a little bit true of where I live. I wouldn't be able to point out anyone that lives on my street, let alone tell you their names. It is what it is, I've got family and friends, and I'm usually out of town on weekends anyway

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