JOIN WHAT ??   -   OH CAN'T BE BOTHERED !!

Membership of community groups has fallen dramatically over the last few years, as the curse of apathy becomes apparent in today's modern world.  Over seventy percent of the general public say they have no involvement with local organisations, which used to be the mainstay of society not so many years ago.  Among those in the 18 to 24 age group the figure is at 80 percent.

Recent surveys show that many of those questioned blame the decline in membership of groups, such as The Womens Institute, Scouts and Charitable Organisations, on time restrictions and the busy and complicated lifestyles they now lead.

For example, membership of The Womens Institute has halved since the 1970s to around 215,000, whilst the Labour and Conservative parties now have fewer than 500,000 members between them.  Girl Guide membership has also dropped and this is thought to be a result of unavailability of leaders, due to an increase in the number of working women.  Church membership has also seen a decline in recent years, with less than 10 percent of the population attending on a regular basis.

A recent poll by YouGov of over 2,500 adults indicated that the most popular organisation was, in fact, Neighbourhood Watch, with one person in ten being involved.  One of its appeals is thought to be due to the fact that participation requires minimum effort.  Long term members say that it's not about being nosey or wishing to interfere, but rather it's all about being good neighbours and supporting and caring about the local community.  This is even more important in rural areas, such as ours, as properties and neighbours tend to be located much further apart than in major towns and cities.  Neighbourhood Watch can help retain and support community spirit and help you to get to know your neighbours.

Do you belong to a Neighbourhood Watch scheme?

Is there a scheme operating in your area at present?

If you wish to join or start a scheme or just want to find out more about Neighbourhood Watch then contact the Bassetlaw Neighbourhood Watch office on 01909-473875.

To look at some good reasons for joining Neighbourhood Watch go to the Advice area under the Crime Prevention menu above.