The Best Cities in the UK for Welfare

As the cost of living and daily stresses continue to rise, one recent report revealed that the UK is at risk of becoming a ‘burnt-out nation’. Surveys have revealed that the economy, crime and healthcare are among the biggest concerns for people in the country. Alarmingly, one survey revealed that 63% of Brits feel stressed at least once a week while another survey reveals that 48% of people in England and Wales feel that their mental health has been negatively affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

At TITAN Containers, we analysed 52 cities in the UK to determine which is the best for overall welfare. The results were determined based on several factors such as crime rates, access to mental health services, community centres, anxiety and wellbeing. The wellbeing score uses average ratings for happiness, life satisfaction and feeling that things are worthwhile.

Each category consists of the latest data available from reputable sources and is standardised using min-max normalisation. This value is then multiplied by 10 to create a score (between 0-10) and each city is ranked based on its overall average score.

TOP CITIES FOR WELFARE IN THE UK

Bristol is ranked the best city in the UK for welfare outside of London, with an overall score of 6.53. This is thanks to its abundance of community centres and access to mental health services. In Bristol, over 147,000 people were referred for mental health services and over 61,000 finished their course treatment for these services—a completion rate of 42%. Community centres also provide a wealth of benefits as research has found that they can provide accessible and affordable opportunities for vulnerable people.

Tied in second position are Hereford and Oxford, both with an overall score of 6.41. Hereford is ranked highly due to its low crime rates, low anxiety and good wellbeing. The city has a crime rate of 60.1 per 1,000 people, much lower than the study average of 104 crime reports per 1,000 people.

Hereford also received high scores for low levels of anxiety (7.16) and high levels of wellbeing (7.89). However, with just one community centre in the area, this contributes to the city missing out on the top spot.

Oxford receives the highest wellbeing score (8.39) in the top five, with residents reporting high levels of happiness, life satisfaction and feeling that things in their life are worthwhile. However, figures reveal that there was a drop in overall feelings of wellbeing in 2023, compared to 2022.

However, it misses out on the top spot in part due to its crime level, with 107.51 crimes reported per 1,000 people.

Truro and Lichfield round up the top five best cities for welfare in the UK with overall scores of 6.37 and 6.35 respectively.

TOP LONDON BOROUGHS FOR WELFARE

In London, several boroughs are ranked highly, with Newham ranked highest. It receives an overall score of 7.32, the highest in the study. This is thanks to its excellent scores for anxiety (10) and wellbeing (10).

Redbridge and Greenwich are also ranked highly, with overall scores of 7.23 and 6 respectively.

BOTTOM 5 CITIES FOR WELFARE IN THE UK

Manchester is ranked the worst place for welfare in the UK, with an overall score of 1.28. This low score is due to high crime levels (181.5 crimes per 1,000 people), which are well above the study average of 104 crime reports per 1,000 people.

Mancunians also reported high levels of anxiety, giving it a score of 3.18. Residents also reported low levels of happiness and life satisfaction, with an overall wellbeing score of 2.96.

With over 268,000 referrals for mental health services, just 81,000 are reported as completing course treatment, a completion rate of 30%. Reports have revealed that mental health services in the area are under ‘sustained pressure’ due to a shortfall in funding.

Liverpool is the second least favourable city for welfare in the UK, with an overall score of 2.65. This is due to high crime levels (141.62 per 1,000 people), a lack of community centres (3) and low wellbeing (4.76).

Rounding up the bottom five are Salford, Bradford and Kingston-Upon-Hull. Salford has an overall score of 2.76 while Bradford and Kingston-Upon-Hull have overall scores of 3.23 and 3.48 respectively.

METHODOLOGY:

Several data sources were used in this study including:

• Crime rates by location were gathered from https://www.police.uk/
• Access to mental health treatment was calculated by comparing the number of mental health referrals against the number of referrals that had finished course treatment by region. Data was gathered from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06988/
• The wellbeing score averaged ‘worthwhileness’, ’happiness’ and ‘satisfaction’, while ‘anxiety’ was left as listed. Data by location was gathered from https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/
• The number of community centres by location was gathered from council websites. As a caveat, these only included those labelled as ‘community centres’ and were easily found on the council site in question – some council sites provided easy-to-access lists, others did not which highlighted potential accessibility issues.
• The overall score is the average of all normalised data points.

Any locations with missing data points were removed to ensure the accuracy of the study.

Once we had the data for each factor, we standardised their respective results using the following minmax normalization formula:

Result = (x-min(x))/(max(x)-min(x))

This provided every location with a score between 0 and 10 for each data point. These numbers were then collated to give us the final ranking scores.

WHY WE AT TITAN CONTAINERS TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY

At TITAN Containers, we recognize the profound impact that welfare, mental health, and community well-being have on the overall quality of life. As the cost of living rises and daily stresses mount, it is more important than ever to address these challenges head-on. Our commitment to this cause is reflected in our efforts to support the welfare of our employees, invest in their well-being, and contribute positively to local communities through charitable initiatives and donations.

We believe that a thriving community is the foundation of a successful business and society. That’s why we are dedicated to understanding and improving the welfare of cities across the UK. Our study, which analyzes factors such as crime rates, access to mental health services, and the availability of community centres, is part of our ongoing mission to identify and address the areas where support is most needed.

By actively engaging in these efforts, we aim to create a positive impact that extends beyond our immediate business operations. Whether it’s through supporting local charities, sponsoring community events, or providing resources for mental health, we are committed to making a difference. Our goal is to help build stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities where individuals can thrive both personally and professionally.

At TITAN Containers, we take these issues seriously because we care deeply about the welfare of our employees and the communities we serve. We are proud to play a role in fostering environments where people feel safe, supported, and valued. By continuing to prioritize welfare and well-being, we hope to contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone.

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