Coronavirus pandemic has ‘made communities more united as country pulls together in crisis’

THE pandemic has made communities more united as the country pulls together amid the crisis, research reveals today. Divisions, such as Brexit, which had split public opinion before Covid have faded significantly. Only 12 per cent of the public now say their main political identity is Leaver, while Remainers are just 13 per cent. And […]

THE pandemic has made communities more united as the country pulls together amid the crisis, research reveals today.

Divisions, such as Brexit, which had split public opinion before Covid have faded significantly.

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Nearly seven in ten people took part in the weekly Clap for Carers last year[/caption]

Only 12 per cent of the public now say their main political identity is Leaver, while Remainers are just 13 per cent.

And an overwhelming majority of us want to sustain or build on the tight-knit spirit after we have beaten coronavirus, findings from the Together coalition’s survey of nearly 160,000 people show.

Nearly seven in ten people took part in the weekly Clap for Carers, which saw many people meet and speak to their neighbours for the first time.

The research also found 12.4million people volunteered during the pandemic, 4.6million of them for the first time.

‘PULLING TOGETHER’

They include around 50,000 people who signed up to The Sun’s Jab’s Army campaign.

Together’s Bishop Nick Baines said: “Despite the immense challenges of this pandemic, people have responded by pulling together, not apart.

“That is quite remarkable, given how divided our society looked as Britain entered 2020.

“Faced with this adversity, we could have become more divided and looked for others to blame.

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Around 50,000 people signed up to The Sun’s Jab’s Army campaign[/caption]

“Yet this new research finds that people feel a stronger sense of connection to their neighbours and community.

“There are worries, too, about divisions re-emerging in the difficult times to come.

“But we found a clear public appetite for a society in which we are more connected to each other and the community spirit of 2020 is kept alive.”

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