Glastonbury Community Development Trust

<BODY> <H1><A HREF="GCDT1.html">Glastonbury Community Development Trust</A></H1> <H2>Community survey 2003/04</H2> <H3>Summary report</H3> <P>The full 60-page report is available to read at Glastonbury Library and at GCDTs Opportunities shop in Abbey Mews, High Street, Glastonbury</P> <P>The GCDTs community survey project was designed to:</P> <UL> <LI>earn the communitys trust</LI> <LI>ensure that the community 'owns' GCDTs future activities and initiatives</LI> <LI>build a robust base of information about the capacity and needs of the community, as a solid foundation on which to plan.</LI></UL> <P>We wanted to talk to at least 25% of the towns adults and, at the same time, create an opportunity to use some of the under-used abilities of local people. People from the community were recruited, trained and paid to carry out the survey (with some expert help). Everyone who wanted to participate was encouraged to join the team. In all, more than 40 Glastonbury people contributed their time, energy and ideas to the project  double the number we had originally hoped to recruit. </P> <P>The research team members ranged in age from 17 to 70s, and included people from Old Glastonian families, and incomers from all sorts of backgrounds. This very diverse group worked through considerable differences to reach agreement on every question that was included in the survey questionnaire. They then went door-to-door in Glastonburys very mixed neighbourhoods, and faithfully recorded the views of everyone they met who wanted to be heard  any sort of person might be interviewing any sort of person  and the results were encouraging. To quote team members:</P> <P>The survey began where all previous consultations in the town had ended  with a list of issues that people were talking about. But we didnt just ask for opinions  we asked how important each issue was. We asked people not just "what do you think?" but "what do you need?" and "what will you use?"</P> <P>The survey reached close to 28% of the adults and perhaps half the households in Glastonbury. And, like the research team, interviewees did it their own way  they answered only the questions they wanted to answer, and often insisted on giving multiple answers to the questions they liked. Open questions drew fulsome replies, and people often returned to pet themes again and again, regardless of the nature of the particular question.</P> <BR> <H4>Key findings</H4> <UL> <LI>Compared with the rest of Mendip, Glastonbury has proportionally more women, more one-person and lone-parent households, and fewer car owners. Unemployment is higher, as is the proportion of people with long-term illness or disabilities.</LI> <LI>Glastonbury people are as well-qualified as the rest of Mendip, and better than county averages. Nearly half of survey respondents had taken a course during the last few years.</LI> <LI>However, we found no correlation between qualifications and employment in Glastonbury. People without qualifications are as likely as anyone else to be employed. People with degrees are just as likely to be unemployed as those with few or no qualifications.</LI></UL> <BR> <H5>Employment and unemployment</H5> <UL> <LI>Although the 2001 Census told us that unemployment in the economically active 16-74 age range was 3.8% in Glastonbury, the GCDT survey found that unemployment is much higher among people aged 30-59, and higher still in the 20-29 band.</LI> <LI>Glastonburys job market is not able to take full advantage of local peoples skills. Nearly a third of people with a degree or higher say they are working below their abilities. Quite a few people with lower qualifications say the same thing.</LI> <LI>People want local jobs. Location is the single biggest factor in peoples choice of work. Job satisfaction and ethical considerations are also important to more than half of interviewees.</LI> <LI>Although tourism is generally thought to be important to Glastonburys economy, less than 20% of the people we interviewed said that any of their income depended on tourism.</LI> <LI>Few people are interested in retail work (though high numbers work in shops), nor in hospitality or construction jobs, and least of all in manufacturing. However, there is very high interest in land-based and environmental occupations. People also have skills, experience and aspirations in performing arts and creative arts/crafts, and in a range of socially useful occupations like care, teaching, counselling and working with children.</LI> <LI>Half of unemployed people and a third of all employed people said that "accessible listings of vacancies" would help them find work. Training was cited most often by part-time workers and self-employed people, and by over a third of unemployed people.</LI></UL> <BR> <H5>Barriers to employment</H5> <UL> <LI>Nearly three-quarters of all people on benefits said they would want to work more or earn more, if their benefits were not adversely affected.</LI> <LI>The Benefits Trap is the major barrier for unemployed/unwaged people, and to a lesser extent for full-time carers, but few others.</LI> <LI>Care issues are the major barrier for many full-time carers, but for relatively few others.</LI> <LI>Transport is a barrier for a small minority in all categories.</LI> <LI>Low wages were named as a barrier by 39% of unemployed people and more than a quarter of full-time workers.</LI> <LI>Significantly, only a tiny minority of unemployed/unwaged people said they were simply not interested in looking for work.</LI></UL> <BR> <H5>Town centre</H5> <UL> <LI>More than three-quarters of the people we talked to wanted streets cleaned of dog mess (the leading town centre issue), restrictions on drinking alcohol in the High Street, and more police patrols on foot.</LI> <LI>There were numerous additional comments about lack of policing and anti-social behaviour, from substance abuse to graffiti to fireworks.</LI> <LI>Nearly a third of interviewees had experienced vandalism to their property.</LI> <LI>Although there was concern about street people, more than 40% of these comments indicated that these were people with problems who needed help.</LI> <LI>People were concerned about planning and housing development; generally approved of colourful facades for High Street shops (with, however, some exceptions); and called for more floral displays, green spaces, trees and seating to enable people to enjoy them.</LI> <LI>The huge volume of answers given about Glastonburys appeal to visitors shows that its attractions cant be limited to a single "unique selling point". The majority believe that visitors are brought to town by its many and diverse spiritual, religious, historical and alternative attractions. Glastonburys diversity may itself be the towns greatest attraction.</LI></UL> <BR> <H5>Life in Glastonbury</H5> <UL> <LI>Nine out of ten people in Glastonbury rate their quality of life "good" or "very good".</LI> <LI>More than half say that what they like most about Glastonbury are its friendly atmosphere and people. About 40% enjoy the rural location, and 20% its history. Others talked about <BR> its diversity, its peace and spirituality, its uniqueness and its culture.</LI> <LI>Nearly a third of people we talked to are involved in voluntary or community activities  most in more than one. They told us that funding and more volunteers are the most critical priorities for the 140+ local voluntary and community groups in Glastonbury.</LI> <LI>Housing is an economic issue, with a direct correlation between difficulties in finding suitable housing, and low income and unemployment. There was frequent mention across the board that  whether renting or buying  suitable accommodation was expensive and hard to find. This was equally true for locally born residents and more recent arrivals.</LI> <LI>Nearly three-quarters of residents want  and would use  free access to the Abbey; 62% a cinema; more than half a swimming pool and almost half want an arts & music centre.</LI> <LI>Young people emphatically want a cinema. While nearly half would use a skateboard park, an equal number are not interested. There is low interest in an under-18s club, but free access to the Abbey and an arts & music centre appeal to slightly more young people.</LI> <LI>Some of the facilities people want might be accommodated at the Morlands site. Survey respondents largely focused on possible community amenities at Morlands, rather than employment, and overwhelmingly expressed their preference for recreational and leisure facilities. However, the accessibility of the space provisionally designated for community <BR> use, at the farthest end from town, remains a challenge.</LI> <LI>To improve life in Glastonbury, by far the greatest numbers of people suggested a wide variety of recreational facilities and activities  for young people, for children, families, older people  and for the community to come together.</LI></UL> <BR> <H4>Conclusions</H4> <P>The Development Trusts community survey project achieved, or made good progress towards, all of its aims:</P> <UL> <LI>The databank we created remains a rich resource for detailed analysis and in-depth understanding of the town and its people  and continues to underpin GCDTs plans.</LI> <LI>Analysis of the data has begun to shed light on Glastonburys unemployment problem, areas where opportunities could be created, and initiatives that could help  such as GCDTs Opportunities shop in Abbey Mews.</LI> <LI>The survey has gauged the communitys level of concern on a number of persistent issues, and has provided the Development Trust with an ideas bank of suggestions on ways to improve the town and its amenities.</LI> <LI>Hundreds of people have put their names forward for our community contacts database  so that they can get involved in future projects and initiatives.</LI> <LI>The project was designed, led and carried out by Glastonbury people. Many people volunteered their time; many were paid for at least some of their time and efforts. Most of GCDTs first-year funding was spent on paying local people for the work they did.</LI> <LI>The project was wholly owned by the Glastonbury community.</LI></UL> <P>Trust can only be earned over time, particularly in a community that has often felt let down by those in authority. This project has made a good start in delivering what the GCDT promised.</P> <P>The community survey project proved that Glastonbury is rich in 'social capital'. People in this town show a high degree of active involvement in learning, in voluntary work, and in community organisations. Within the towns diversity  a strength in itself  there is broad agreement on a wide range of issues, and countless ideas on how to approach these issues. </P> <P>Above all, the survey has shown that people in Glastonbury are overwhelmingly happy with the quality of their life in this town, and they are passionate about making their community better.</P> <P>There is a wealth of skills, talent, ideas and enthusiasm in this town. Harnessing these assets  turning ideas into action, and creating opportunities for people to use their skills  will be key to putting the local economy on a sound footing. This is the essence of GCDTs forward strategy as an independent, volunteer-run organisation working with and for our community. <P CLASS="sansmed">Funding for GCDTs Community Survey was provided by: <BR> Bringing Glastonbury Together" SRB6, Somerset County Council Partnership Fund, the Glastonbury Trust, Glastonbury Town Council, Mendip District Council/Glastonbury & Street Area Regeneration Board</P> </BODY>  <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript1.2"> </script><script type="text/javascript"> </script><noscript><img height="1" width="1" alt="" src="http://nht-2.extreme-dm.com/n2.g?login=avalon23&pid=comcgdt1&j=n&jv=n"/> </noscript>