Bingo and the Community
A new survey commissioned by the Bingo Association shows that traditional forms of social interaction in the community are not as popular as they used to be. 1,000 people from all over the UK were sampled for the survey, and although the majority said that community meeting places such as churches, pubs, clubs and libraries helped individuals to foster a sense of belonging, most participants admitted that they would prefer to stay at home and watch TV rather than socialise in a more traditional way.
One group of people that is continuing to enjoy a more traditional social life is bingo club members. The survey revealed that 48% of people view bingo halls as a good place to socialise and continue to enjoy a strong sense of community. A second piece of research published by the Henley Centre shows that just over 8% of the population play bingo, and that the number of bingo players under the age of 41 has increased by 16% over the last six years. Clearly, bingo has a very important role to play in the social interaction of communities all over the UK, which is yet another reason why the current spate of bingo club closures is cause for concern.
“Both of these pieces of research provide us with a fascinating insight into how traditional community activities and social pursuits are changing,” said Paul Talboys, who is the Chief Executive of The Bingo Association. “Bingo players feel very strongly about their local clubs and the role that these clubs play is very important in terms of ensuring people retain a sense of belonging in their local community. Whilst bingo is a very popular game, the industry has been heavily impacted by recent regulation which could limit its ability to adapt quickly to the changing shape of local communities and nature of social interaction.”
Dr Carolyn Downs of Manchester Metropolitan University has a PhD in the history of bingo in Britain and contributed to the report. She said: “Traditional bingo clubs may play an important role in maintaining a sense of connectedness to the local community amongst both players and staff. This is more likely to be the case in rural or more deprived urban areas. Where there are no alternative social networks, loss of a sense of belonging could have repercussions on both individuals and society as a whole, and might contribute to isolation and social dislocation.”
31st October 2007
Article Last Updated: 11/04/2008 09:25:00
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