Wave One – July/August 2020

Coronavirus has had a big impact on how we all live, work, travel and interact. To understand the local impact, in July and August we asked residents to tell us how they have been affected. Over 2800 people took part in the survey and shared their experiences of the pandemic.

If you took part in the survey, thank you for taking the time to tell us how coronavirus has affected you and your family. The results of the survey will help shape how we work with other organisations, residents and communities to keep Portsmouth safe and help the city plan for the future.

Residents told us about their health and wellbeing, trust and confidence in local services, as well as their economic situation, spending habits and lifestyle.

Among the findings we learnt that the vast majority are following coronavirus rules and most are confident in the way local public services are handling the pandemic.

People’s biggest worries are friends or family catching coronavirus and others not following the rules. The national and local economy, the government’s response to the pandemic and how long measures will go on for are also high on the list of people’s concerns.

For around a third of residents, household finances have been negatively impacted, especially those whose who are younger and from households on lower incomes.

Others reported some positive changes to their lifestyle such as less time spent travelling and using technology more to keep in touch with loved ones.

The research used a predominantly quantitative survey approach which was self-completing and mostly online. Residents who were not able to complete the survey online were given the option to take part over the phone. The survey was promoted through various marketing and communication channels:

• City-wide leaflet drop to all households and businesses
• Engagement with partner organisations in the city
• Media outreach
• Social media posts
• Email marketing
• Leaflets targeting the homeless community in temporary accommodation
• Targeted promotion to faith groups

If you have any questions about the research or its findings you can contact our research team via marketresearch@portsmouthcc.gov.uk