Community Spirit: Which UK cities are the most caring?

Whether you’re volunteering for a local charity or making a conscious effort with your recycling, caring for your community is really important. There are lots of different ways to get involved, but which cities across the UK have the most community spirit?

To find out, we’ve conducted a new study, analysing 30 of the most populated cities in the UK, to determine which locations are the most caring. The research has taken into account various factors including: recycling habits, the amount of fly-tipping incidents, crime levels, and the number of charities, blood drives, and community centres in each city.

The life insurance team have also provided their top tips for those wanting to get involved in their local community.

The most caring locations in the UK

Some Brits will be more environmentally conscious, while others might want to give back by helping others. But where in the UK is the most community-minded overall?

Interestingly, the top three most caring cities are all located in the North. People here are known for being particularly friendly, so perhaps it makes sense that they’d be a caring bunch too.

1. Leeds

Taking the crown as the most caring city in the UK is Leeds. Residents are clearly quite environmentally-minded, as they send around 2,509 tonnes of household waste (per 10,000 people) to be recycled every year — which is the second-highest amount in the study.

There are also plenty of charities across the city dedicated to various good causes, with around 1,699 currently operating in Leeds. In particular, the city has 52 animal charities, which is one of the highest amounts of all cities analysed.

Community centres are also a great way to bring people together, offering social support and a place to gather for group activities. Leeds has 98 different centres dotted around the city, which equates to two for every 10,000 people — the most of any location in the study.

The city is also deemed to be relatively safe, with a crime level score of 49 out of 100. To compare, the city with the lowest crime rate is Cardiff, with a score of 40.

2. Bradford

Coming in second place is Bradford. Citizens here also seem to be big recyclers, sending 2,488 tonnes of recycling per 10,000 people to be processed every year – the third-highest amount in the study. While Bradford residents might be green-minded with their recycling, fly-tipping levels are quite high in the city, with 544 incidents per 10,000 people reported every year.

There are 1,342 dedicated charities in Bradford, with 39 of these being specifically focused on animals. Donating blood is another great way to give back to your local community, and Bradford matches Leeds with the number of blood donation centres it offers (5). For those interested in giving blood, you can find more information on the NHS website.

3. Manchester

Manchester ranks as the third most caring UK city, boasting the most charities per 10,000 people of any location in the study (52). This equates to an impressive 2,063 in total, with 31 of these dedicated to animals.

There are plenty of opportunities to give blood in Manchester, with nine blood donation centres dotted around the city. It also has 51 community centres for anyone who is looking for a supportive space, or for somewhere that might offer activities or volunteer projects to get involved with.

The locations with the fewest fly-tipping incidents

Fly-tipping is the illegal dumping of large items or waste, often on public roads, land, or in rivers. Not only is fly-tipping illegal, but it can create a dangerous environment for people, pets, and wildlife — not to mention it’s usually an eyesore for the local area. So, where in the UK sees the least instances of illegal dumping?

Reading takes the top spot, with 46 incidents of fly-tipping per 10,000 people every year. This equates to around 1,453 total reported occurrences on an annual basis.

In second place is Southend-on-Sea, with 66 illegal dumping incidents for every 10,000 residents, followed by Stoke-on-Trent with 102 occurrences.

On the other end of the scale, London residents are the biggest culprits when it comes to fly-tipping. There are around 1,112 instances of illegal dumping per 10,000 people each year in the capital city.

The best cities for recycling

One of the simplest ways to help the environment is to recycle. Actively recycling your household waste reduces the need for landfills, and prevents the use of more costly methods of waste disposal. In the UK, recycling saves about 10-15 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year, the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road. So, which cities in the UK have the best recycling habits? We analysed the latest available government data to find out:

Milton Keynes is the number one city for recycling in the UK. Residents send around 62,984 tonnes of household waste to be recycled each year, which equates to 2,739 tonnes per 10,000 people.

Leeds, in second place, sends a huge 114,208 tonnes of recycling to be processed every year, which equates to 2,509 tonnes per 10,000 people.

Bradford rounds off the top three cities for recycling in the UK. Residents are recycling an average of 2,488 tonnes of household waste (per 10,000 people) every year.