Religious organisations, social groups
and sports clubs play an important role in communities by providing
avenues for people to meet others and share common interests.
Membership of such groups enables people to enrich their social
connection with other community members through participation in
social, educational, cultural and recreational activities.
These groups also provide opportunities for people to be actively
involved in and support their communities' activities.
The most popular social networks are
related to work or school, or online. Sporting
groups, religious groups and hobby and interest groups are the next
three most common social networks. Males are more likely than
females to be involved in a sports club with the reverse being true
for community and voluntary groups. Māori are more likely to belong
to sports clubs than other ethnic groups, and Pacific and Asian
more likely to belong to church or spiritual groups.
Read the full issue summary on involvement with
organisations, groups and clubs [PDF].