Local people respect ethnic differences

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67% say people from different backgrounds get on well

A recent survey of local residents has given an encouraging picture of harmonious living in the racially mixed borough of Hammersmith and Fulham

More than a thousand people were asked if they agree that people from different backgrounds get on well in the borough. Sixty seven per cent of those who replied
said yes. Compared to 2004, this figure has risen by an10 per cent.

"I was delighted to find that community cohesion in Hammersmith & Fulham continues to thrive," says Peter Savage, Assistant Chief Executive. "We have a long tradition of cultural and ethnic diversity in the borough and it is heartening to see that translated into a real sense of community spirit."

The population of the borough has been increasing over the last 20 years and the 2001 census showed that the proportion of residents in ethnic groups other than white was 22 per cent, up 4 per cent on 1991. More than seventy per cent of those surveyed said they thought people
from different ethnic backgrounds get on well in their local area.

Mr. Savage continued, "London has always been a cosmopolitan city and Hammersmith & Fulham is no exception. People come here from the four corners of the world to live and work side by side. These results reinforce the fact that we are a mature community that thrives on
diversity."

The council's citizen's panel was set up in 1999 by Mori. Its 1,200 members are regularly asked about council services and policies. It members change each year and are selected to be representative of the local population.

April 3, 2006