Page 67 - Barrow Town Deal Board Agenda 14/4/2020

Chapter Five: Discussion and Recommendations

This following discussion highlights the key findings of the community survey that inform the

recommendations made at the end of the chapter.

Discussion

Families and Friends Matter in Ormsgill

The survey results revealed that families, friends and neighbours made up the core support networks for
residents in Ormsgill. This indicates a strong degree of bonding social capital (Putnam, 2000), but weak

bridging and linking social capital (Szreter & Woolcock, 2004). Strong bonding capital – in which the
connections within a group or community are characterized by high levels of similarity in dimensions such

as demography, attitudes and available information resources – has its strengths. It can, for example,
provide support to people with poor access to resources within a tight structural network. This may be

seen as being reflected in well-being measures for Ormsgill that are above the national average. However,
it can prevent communities from connecting with individuals or organisations that are outside of their

network, but might promote social change or enable other forms of association to be identified or utilised.
Such a social network composition can alienate communities, leaving them reluctant to engage with

external services. Social capital of this kind may be seen as being associated with the conditions of a
number of ‘left behind’ working class coastal communities, which have strong shared collective identities,

tightly bound in their industrial past (House of Lords Select Committee on Regenerating Seaside Towns
and Communities, 2019).

Young mothers were found to be the most lonely and more research is needed on a local to understand

the experiences of this group. There is research showing that mothers of young children are vulnerable to
loneliness and social isolation (Lee, Vasileiou & Barnett, 2019). We need to know more about the ages of

the children of these mothers, and the social networks that are available.

Turning the Gaze Outwards
‘Bridging social capital’ means creating connections that link people together where traditionally they may

be divided by race, class or religion. And these associations that ‘bridge’ between communities, groups or

organisations look ‘outwards’, rather than ‘inwards’. An extension of bridging social capital, is ‘linking
social capital’. This describes the respect and networks of trusting relationships between people who are

24