New independent research conducted by ICM and commissioned by the CSV Make a Difference Day campaign reveals the extent to which riots and recession are taking their toll on the nation’s anxiety about the future.

Nearly a third of young people are more anxious about their future since the onset of recession, while 1 in 10 of the population report anxiety following the summer riots.

The independent research published on the two month anniversary of the start of the English riots and the third year since the start of the recession was officially confirmed, shows the extent to which British people are lonely, isolated and anxious about the future.

The research, which probes the perceptions of 2030 adults across Britain, asks if the nation feels more or less isolated from their community since the English riots, as well as asking if the riots and the onset of the recession triggered feelings of anxiety or loneliness.

The key results of CSV Make a Difference Day’s Riots, Recession and Loneliness Survey reveal:

More than 1 in 10 people (13%) are more anxious about their future as a result of the English riots, rising to over a third (35%) since the onset of recession.

Younger people aged 18 – 24 are particularly badly affected. More than a fifth (22%) reported feelings of anxiety about their future since the English riots, rising to a third since the recession started three years ago (29%).

Additionally 1 in 10 young people (18 – 24 years old) feel more isolated from their community since the riots in August.

When asked about general feelings of loneliness over a wider 10 year periods they report that they feel twice as lonely (36%) than people aged over 65 (14%).

Across the socio-economic classes, the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society are more than twice as likely to feel lonely since the onset of recession, compared to other social classes (Category: DE 12% (1 in 10) versus AB 5% (1 in 20).

People who live in riot-hit cities are amongst those most likely to feel more anxious about their future: Manchester and London both stand at 16% though peaks were recorded in other cities with more minor disruption such as Oxford (21%) and Southampton (17%).

Looking at key parts of Britain, more people living in the capital are likely to express feelings of isolation as a result of the riots than anywhere else (1 in 10 – 11%) compared to 9% in both the North West and North East and just 1% for Wales and Scotland

The research comes in the build-up to CSV Make a Difference Day, which is the UK’s biggest single day of volunteering on Saturday 29 October 2011.

This year the focus is isolation and loneliness.

The campaign is looking to demonstrate how giving time through volunteering with friends, family and neighbours and being an active member of the community can make people feel less lonely, anxious and isolated whether it’s clearing graffiti and reporting faulty street lamps or visiting isolated people.

Psychologist and life coach, Honey Langcaster-James, is supporting the campaign and gives some analysis to why people may feel lonely or anxious since the English riots and explains why giving your free time to benefit the community is one way to meet new people to combat loneliness and isolation.

“People like to feel that they belong in their community and volunteering to benefit someone else that may be less fortunate is one way to validate ourselves as individuals.

"Modern day issues like unemployment and depression can make you feel worthless but volunteering and spending time with others can remind ourselves that we all have qualities and talents to offer.

“The English riots were shocking to many, and younger people especially are likely to have been affected emotionally by them.

"They may feel a combination of guilt, that other young people like them were mainly responsible, and isolation because perhaps they as individuals would not act in such ways, so they may feel ‘different’ from their peers as they see them.

“People from cities that were not involved in the riots may have felt even more anxious because often the anticipation of a problem is worse than the problem itself.

"Furthermore, people in London and affected areas also experienced the camaraderie and the pulling-together of communities in clean-up operations around the city.

"This will have given them a sense of survival, that they suffered yes, but also that as a community they could cope with it and overcome the trouble. Cities that were not hit may fear that if they had been they might not have coped so well.”

Last year 70,000 volunteers took part on a huge range of causes: creating homes for snakes, bees and newts; protecting ancient burial mounds; knitting hats and gloves for premature babies and even walking on hot coals to benefit children.

This latest research builds on earlier research commissioned by Make a Difference Day about the positive impact of volunteering:

More than half the population (55%) feel happier when they help a neighbour or friend with a problem, rising to 67% for the over 65s

A third (31%) of 11-17 year olds would like to spend more time with their family. This rises to 38% amongst older teenagers (15-17 year olds)

41% of adults surveyed do not feel they spend enough time with their family peaking at 48% for adults aged 25-34 years

Nearly half of all volunteers (47%) say volunteering improves their physical fitness

Half of people (48%) who have volunteered for more than two years say volunteering makes them less depressed.

Up to 63% of people say volunteering helps them feel less stressed.

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