Our Hidden Somerset reports are designed to raise awareness of some of the important issues affecting people in Somerset and the great work being done by local charities and groups to tackle some of our biggest challenges. Our thanks to The Fairfield Charitable Trust for their generous funding. Details of the first four reports can be found below.
The first of the reports, Rural Isolation, was published in July 2019.
Hidden Somerset: Rural Isolation – read the full report here
To download a PDF of this publication, click here.
The research highlights that:
- there are a number of hidden needs in Somerset linked to rural isolation including loneliness, poor access to vital services such as GP surgeries, shops and banks, and significant barriers to opportunities for work and learning
- lack of access to transport is the most significant issue for all age groups – in parts of Exmoor, for example, households are an average of 40 minutes away from their nearest food store and 50 minutes away from a GP
- younger people in rural communities are more likely to be working multiple, seasonal jobs with lower pay which, combined with high housing costs, means home ownership is impossible for many young families and forces many to move away
- though there have been significant improvements in access to broadband, a lack of digital skills and access to high speed broadband and mobile data are still significant barriers for many. Remote areas of Somerset also have few free WifI hotspots, creating financial barriers to getting online and accessing learning and employment opportunities
The second report, Homelessness, was published in October 2019.
Hidden Somerset: Homelessness – read the full report here
To download a PDF of this publication, click here.
The research highlights that:
- many of Somerset’s homeless people are sleeping in tents in the woods, in farm outbuildings, or in cars hidden from view and recent research estimates that around 62% of homeless people are ‘hidden homeless’.
- the life expectancy of someone sleeping rough in this country is just 47 – 30 years younger than their peers, with rough sleepers ten times more likely to die than those of a similar age in the general population
- tragically, four rough sleepers died in Somerset in 2018
- one homeless drop-in centre in Taunton alone sees between 15-20 visitors every day, suggesting the actual number of rough sleepers is likely to be considerably higher than the official figure of 36
Read our news story here.
The third report, Unseen Youth, was published in February 2020.
Hidden Somerset: Unseen Youth – read the full report here
To download a PDF of this publication, click here.
The research highlights that:
- Almost half the voluntary groups we surveyed told us that poverty is one of the main barriers facing the young people they support
- Nationally, only a third of pupils from low-income backgrounds achieve five good GCSEs at 16, compared to two thirds of their peers.
- A report from 2016 shows that 52% of Somerset’s young carers and 47% of pupils with special educational needs intended to continue in full-time education after Year 11, which is 10–15% lower than their peers.
- Just one in five of people with disabilities who are from low-income backgrounds enter professional occupations
- In December 2019, 44% of the 361 care leavers living in Somerset were not in education, employment or training
The fourth report, Food Poverty, was published in November 2021.
Hidden Somerset: Food Poverty – read the full report here
To download a PDF of this publication, click here.
The research highlights that:
- Over 70,000 people in Somerset are worried about being able to provide enough food for their household
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By the end of the academic year in 2021, over 12,000 children were eligible for free school meals in Somerset, an increase of 10% since the start of the year
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There has been a 63% increase in demand for community food projects and initiatives over the last two years
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National research shows that the groups most likely to access food support are single parents, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. Reflecting the demography of our county, our survey respondents said that the groups that most accessed their services were single parents, older people and those on universal credit. 20% of groups reported universal credit recipients as their sole client.