With over 600 people volunteering for Rye Mutual Aid in recent weeks it will come as no surprise that Rye ranks highly in community satisfaction surveys.
This was highlighted in a recent report from Sussex Community Foundation. While their report also shone a spotlight on child poverty in Rye, on a more positive note the data also highlights the positive aspects of living in Rye, such as the the strong community spirit and its low crime rate.
The report measures people’s satisfaction with their neighbourhood and their sense of community cohesion within their neighbourhood. It also measures how many people participate in volunteering activities and whether they are engaged in the political decision making process within their area.
When asked, 86% of Rye residents agreed that they were ‘satisfied with their neighbourhood’, which is 7% higher than the national average of 79%. Pensioners aged 65+ are the happiest in Rye with 86% ‘satisfied with both home and neighbourhood’. Slightly higher than the national average 83%.
When asked if people feel that they feel they belong to their neighbourhood, 66% in Rye agreed (compared to the national average of 58%).
The report shows that people in Rye are more likely to help others with 28% having given unpaid help at least once per month over the last 12 months against the national average of 23%.
The report was compiled before the Covid-19 lockdown but it’s clear the current crisis has brought out the best in some people. It would be great to see this continue in the future on other worthwhile initiatives, such as collecting for the food bank and assisting in Rye’s community garden, to name just two community projects.
Image Credits: Andrew Bamji .