Is it true what they say about your neighbourhood? England’s friendliest places are revealed as part of major study on community life

A survey of England's 296 local authority areas has named the Isles of Scilly the friendliest place in the country, scoring 99 out of 100 based on measures of neighbourliness, civic participation and feelings of belonging. The study, part of a wider project examining community cohesion, highlights stark contrasts between rural and urban areas in how connected residents feel to their neighbourhoods, with researchers warning of a broader "tinderbox of disconnection and division" across the UK.

The Isles of Scilly, home to just 2,300 people, saw 86.5 per cent of residents express pride in their community and 90 per cent say they spoke to neighbours at least monthly, while only 3 per cent reported frequent loneliness. Barking and Dagenham ranked bottom, with 10.1 per cent reporting frequent loneliness and only 42.8 per cent feeling proud of their area, against a national average of 59.7 per cent. The research was carried out by The National Conversation, an initiative led by former Home Secretary Sajid Javid and former Labour policy adviser Jon Cruddas, using data from the government's Community Life Survey.