What we want: Village residents have their say

The results of community questionnaires returned in Old Leake and Fishtoft parishes are being analysed to guide decisions for the future.

The rural isolation project group was satisfied with the numbers of responses received, but would have liked more engagement by younger people in the villages.

Both parish councils are taking part in a My Community pilot and sought views from residents about what they thought was good about the area they live in and what could be done to make things better or easier.

The survey is part of the Rural Isolation Project which tackles such issues as transport difficulties and access to services in rural areas, mobility and loneliness.

In Old Leake 153 responded and the headline results reveal that:

  • Most use a number of local services including shops, doctors, Post Office, fish and chip shop;
  • Most rely on newspapers, magazines and newsletters to find out what is happening in the area;
  • 78 per cent owned a car;
  • 20 per cent did not have access to the Internet;
  • 23 per cent felt they lacked companionship;
  • 44 per cent who responded were aged over 65;
  • They wanted to see more activities available locally, such as clubs and entertainment for children and families, sporting and social activities.

In Fishtoft 38 people responded to a door-to-door survey and they said:

  • They used local services including shops, the village hall and the Post Office;
  • Most relied on word of mouth to find out what was happening in the area;
  • 92 per cent owned a car;
  • 13 per cent did not have access to the Internet;
  • 27 per cent felt they lacked companionship;
  • 42 per cent were aged over 65;
  • They requested social clubs, sports activities and coffee mornings.

A community event is now being planned in both Fishtoft and Old Leake providing opportunities for services to engage with the community, highlight services in the area, share the survey findings and gather more feedback from residents.

For the full results see:
My Community Questionnaire – Fishtoft results 2019
My Community Questionnaire – Old Leake results 2019