Social capital can be defined as the shared norms and co-operative relationships that help us to get along together as a society. It is the social glue that enables us as individuals to cooperate and act collectively. While definitions of social
capital vary, it can be broken down into a number of different components, including citizenship, neighbourliness, trust and shared values, community involvement, volunteering, social networks and civic participation.
In March 2008, the London Borough of Camden commissioned Ipsos MORI to run a survey amongst Camden residents to establish levels of social capital in the borough, to check whether these have improved over recent years, and to start to
explain some of the changes that have occurred.