Informal support in a Yorkshire town: interim findings

The interim findings from our project ‘Landscapes of helping’ draw out some key messages into the giving and receiving of informal support within a community. The report, based on research in West Yorkshire town Hebden Bridge, explores the reluctance of people to accept support, in a society where dependence is increasingly being disparaged. It looks at small, everyday acts of kindness, rather than focusing on ‘official’ social care. The interim findings highlight:

• the implicit ‘rules’ surrounding the giving and receiving of help;
• the language in which people frame their acts of kindness in giving support; and
• the mediating factors that can foster or inhibit mutual aid in local communities.

The full report is due to be published in Autumn 2014.