Why everybody needs Rotherham good neighbours

The town comes out just behind York in the league table of how well people know the people on their street.

Meanwhile, Rotherham was top of the lot when it came to the most peaceful communities, with four-fifths of those questions saying they had never fallen out with their neighbours.

The Community Spirit Survey was carried out on behalf of the organisers of The Big Lunch, which aims to get people together with their neighbours for a bite to eat on June 5.

Pollsters questioning 1,000 people in 11 cities and towns  across the region found that in some areas one in five were unable to name even one of their neighbours.

But the overall picture was much brighter, with 77 per cent of those polled receiving a Christmas card from their neighbour every year—highlighting residents’ desire to connect with one and other.

Seven out of ten Rotherham residents knew four or more neighbours personally, while in some areas such just a fraction could name so many, with only 37 per cent in Sheffield able to name a handful of people in their street.

The study also found that half of people living in Leeds have actively avoided a neighbour, while over half of all Yorkshiremen have had a neighbour do an unprompted favour such as cut their lawn.

To find out more about the Big Lunch, visit www.thebiglunch.com.