Survey Details
Who, When, How
Though a handful of responses came by post, most were received through the online survey at mytribe.org. This was promoted via appearances on local radio, features in relevant newsletters and magazines, personal messages (sent by email), and by using social media such as twitter and facebook. Though I was helped occasionally by a part-time researcher, sadly I did not have the funds to launch a major nationwide campaign to promote the survey.
Nonetheless respondents came from all over Britain, and they were of all ages – ‘nappies to nineties’ as one respondent put it.
The results of the survey are based on 179 responses from 173 different groups. Using the average attendance reported at their meetings, this represents well over 5000 active group members.
Is that a significant fraction of the total number of group members? Recent estimates suggest that there may be between 1 and 1.5 million groups active in Britain today, in which case this project covered little more than 0.01% of the field. So no, this survey did not involve a statistically significant proportion of those who belong to groups.
Does that matter?
Yes and no. The one thing to stress is that the conclusions in my book are not founded on these statistics. They are the half-time entertainment. Nothing more.
But, and there are those who would disagree, even if the survey had canvassed the opinions of 100,000 group members the results would not prove a thing in isolation. All they can do is provide an indication as to what may be happening.
As Jacob Bronowski puts it, unforgettably, from 2:45 on, ‘every judgement in science stands on the edge of error and is personal.’ Approaching the world of small groups using only numbers, taking the implications of a survey of small groups too far and making absolute judgements, would be to miss the point entirely.
Why? Because the cost and sheer impracticality of collecting exhaustive data on these groups means that there will never be a complete set of figures about how many of us club together in this country. For the most part, the groups we join will fly beneath the radar with which we monitor society.
So what can we do?
Either we accept a grim, Positivist take on the world and declare that without comprehensive statistics there’s nothing to discuss. If you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist.
Or, we can go about it another way.
This is what I’ve tried to do in Together. I’ve made a series of judgements based on the numbers that exist – including those generated by my survey – as well as the political, social and legal history of these groups and psychological studies into how we behave within them, why, and what gaps they fill in our social equilibrium.
As you’ll see in the book, the emphasis is certainly on the cultural side of things. And yet, in the spirit of Bronowski, I can’t be entirely sure that this was the correct approach. Read the book and let me know what you think.
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Groups That Took Part
The National Fancy Rat Society
Apperley Cricket Club
The Lower Wharfedale Group of the Ramblers
Hadleigh Bobbin Lace-Making Class
Pimlico Puffins
Christian Naturist Fellowship
Inverness Field Archery Club
Outdoor Swimming Society
Wimbledon Book Club
The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA)
The London Beer Meetup
London Pooches and Pals Meetup Group
The South-East London Meetup Group
The London Rock Meetup Group
Norwich Coin and Medal Society
London BookCrossing Group
Leeds Morris Men
Headingley Badminton Club
The West Yorkshire Fuchsia Society, Leeds
Littlehampton DollsHouse Club
Rutland Road Allotment Association
Subterranea Britannica
Sunday Hoop Club (aka London Hula Hoopers Meetup)
Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society Ltd
London Photographic Meetup Group
Wye Valley Transport Interest Group
Queensway
Allotment Association, Crosby, Merseyside
Thameside Sewing Bees
Coquet Yacht Club
The Real Book Club (TRBC)
University of Edinburgh Humanist Society (HS)
FireBeaters
The Young Georgians
Rotary Club of Stirling
Model Steam Road Vehicle Society
M5-M50-NGM
Briston Players
Edinburgh University Philosophy Society
D.A.M.E. (Dolls’ House and Miniature Enthusiasts)
Mini-Ness Dolls House Club
Bozeat Players
Mendip Caving Group
Alt Tuesdays Caving Collective
Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society
Wells Diving Group
Sevenoaks Allotment Holders Association
Calderdale Leisure Gardens Federation
The Association of Sustainability Practitioners
The Blackburn and East Lancashire Beekeepers Association
Ridgewood Sun Club
Altrincham and District Natural History Society
Berkshire Family History Society
32nd (Cornwall) Regiment Foot 1808–1815
American Civil War Society
Chesham & District Natural History Society
Dorset Geologists’ Association Group
East Herts Geology Club
Shropshire Geological Society
Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum
The British Gladiolus Society
Cleveland Naturalists’ Field Club
Friends of Bunting’s Wood
Wenvoe Wildlife Group
Colchester Natural History Society
Craven & Pendle Geological Society
Yorkshire Philosophical Society
Welford Women’s Winter Reading Group
Wharfedale Gardeners
The Dell Angling Society
Matienzo Caving Expeditions
Strathclyde University Canoe Club
NUI Galway Kayak Club
Baldock and District Canoe Club
Meridian Canoe Club
Bristol Exploration Club
Hood Bikers
South Wales Caving Club
Mildenhall Naturist Swimming Club
The Desert Divas
Two Rivers Naturist Club
South Western Outdoor Club
The Preston Stroke Club
Stroke Care for Newbury and West Berkshire Support Groups
Macclesfield and District Young Stroke Society
Derby Younger Stroke Social Group
Plane Stupid
Stew
Little Moor Allotment Association
Historical Society of Frampton
Greater London Dutch Rabbit Club
Camborne-Redruth Natural History Society
South Downs Society
Broomhouse Lane Allotment Association
Norfolk Federation of Allotments
Furness Family History Society
North Cheshire Family History Society
The Northern Koi Club
Central Scotland Bat Group
Calthorpe Project Wednesday Evening 7:30 Athletic
Middlesex County Cricket League
Shropshire Ornithological Society
The Association of British Fungus Groups
Otley Aquarists Society
Essex Badger Protection Society
South Essex Natural History Society
Barnsley Naturalist and Scientific Society
Brandon & Wolston Young Farmers Club
Welford Women’s Institute
Leamington Hastings Young Farmers Club
Barston & District Young Farmers Club
Welford School Association
Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire Bat Group
Network 2012
Exeter Canoe Club
Dabbers Session
Hoover Amateur Radio Club
The Calton Ramblers
The Remainders
Bovey Book Group
Pub History Society
New Embroidery Group
Dulwich Quilters
South London Women Artists
Dulwich Dilettantes
Painswick Players
Denmead Operatic Society
Gravesend & District Theatre Guild
Middle and East Greens Allotment Association Morpeth
Herefordshire Goat Club
Malvern Hills District Brass Band
Kippax Central W. M. C.
Dawlish Black Swan Handbell Ringers
Bingley Amateur Swimming Club
Stockport Amateur Operatic Society
Artful Dodgers
Waltham Forest Hockey Club
AFC Snappers
South London Ladies Book Club
Stoke-on-Trent Reading Group
Connect Group
Buddies
Leytonstone Allotment Holders Association
Seven Kings and Goodmayes Allotment Society
Gosport Musical Theatre Productions
North Leigh Short Mat Bowls
The Bostock Singers
Liverpool Old Swan Cage Birds Society
Yoga Group
Kent lyengar Yoga Institute (KIYI)
Wanderers Essex Section
Southeast Koi club
Scottish Outdoor Club
Areley Kings Players
Swansea & District Leisure Club
Sussex Chorus
Birkbeck Early Modern Society
Mabo Miniature Maniacs Dolls House Club
Tern Valley Vintage
Machinery Trust Ltd
East London Advanced
Motorcyclists (ELAM)
Midland Vehicle Preservation Society