Social participation

Social participation is the extent of people's involvement and interaction with others in their local communities, neighbourhood and wider society. This can include volunteering, group activities, or being part of social networks that can foster a sense of belonging. Many factors can influence social participation, including the facilities and resources available in the community or neighbourhood and the ease by which people can access them.

Community and engagement survey

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport publishes the community engagement survey (CES). This survey provides data on the factors influencing social participation and being involved in community activities, volunteering and civic engagement.

The latest figures are from the 2025/26 annual release, covering the period from October 2025 to March 2026.

Key figures

• In all districts of Lancashire-12, more than half of people had very or fairly strong feelings of belonging to their neighbourhoods (England = 61.2%).

• Satisfaction with the facilities and amenities in the local area varied across Lancashire-12, ranging from 78.1% in Ribble Valley to 54.8% in Hyndburn (England = 70.4%).

• The majority of people across the districts of Lancashire-12 agreed that people from different backgrounds get on well together in the local area (England = 78.5%).

• Almost a third or more of people volunteered regularly in all districts of Lancashire-12, ranging from 42.7% in Lancaster to 29.2% in Burnley (England = 34.6%).

• In all districts of Lancashire-12, over two thirds of people had engaged with the arts in person in the previous 12 months, ranging from 89.6% in Ribble Valley to 74.1% in Burnley (England = 83.4%). This includes a range of activities such as going to an exhibition, the theatre or cinema, a live music, literature or comedy event.

The King's Award for Voluntary Service, previously known as the Queen's Award for Voluntary service, has been given annually since 2003 in recognition of outstanding voluntary work. It is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon voluntary groups in the UK, and they are awarded for life.

In 2025, there were three award winners in Lancashire:

• Counselling in the Community – a Blackpool-based counselling charity for all age groups.

• Escape2Make (E2M) – a charity providing creative activities to help tackle boredom, loneliness and school pressures for 11 to 18 year olds in Lancaster and Morecambe.

• Helping Hearts Fylde – a charity dedicated to alleviating poverty, supporting people across Blackpool, Fylde, and Wyre.

This brings the total of voluntary organisations in Lancashire that have won an award since the inception of the King's Award for Voluntary Service to 103. Details of previous winning organisations in Lancashire can be found on the search page of the King's Award for Voluntary Service webpage.

Page updated 14 August 2026