Areas which invested in social cohesion programmes prior to the pandemic fared better than elsewhere during the crisis. Residents in those areas reported they were twice as likely to volunteer compared to people living elsewhere. They experienced a higher sense of neighbourliness (10% higher), and higher levels of trust in local government’s response to COVID-19 (8% higher).

Communities were able to mobilise more quickly and effectively to help others in the early days of the pandemic and residents sustained more positive feelings towards other groups, including migrants, over time.