ENCOURAGED - and frustrated - is how cultural services manager Natalia Silver starts the new year, following the results of a recently-published Herefordshire Council survey.

"I think it was quite brave of the council to ask the questions in the first place," she said.

"And, of course, I was worried that only three people would say they're satisfied with cultural services in the county!

"It's a positive piece of work that shows people are interested in culture and where improvements can be made."

The survey, carried out last July, investigated the cultural profile of the county.

It revealed a positive attitude to leisure, with more that 65% of the population taking part, or having an interest in, the arts.

She admitted that her main concern was not the number of residents leaving the county to pursue leisure activities - put at more than 30% - but the number who said they didn't know what was going on in the county.

"Looking at imaginative ways to overcome that communication barrier has become a priority," she said.

A panel of over 1,000 adults were questioned about their attitudes to the county's facilities and their involvement and interest in the arts.

While it was shown that twice as many residents were likely to visit a cinema than an arts centre in a month, an encouraging 68% indicated a use or interest in library facilities. Nine out of ten residents borrow books from a library on a regular basis.

"It's encouraging to see so many people using library services and shows the potential for future development in that area," Natalia said.

Nearly half those surveyed play, or have an interest in, sport with a high level of participation in swimming, going to the gym and cycling.

The survey revealed that 73% of residents took part in, visited, or had an interest in recreation and outdoor activity, with 50% of people walking at least once a week.

Another barrier that the council has identified is the number of residents who don't take part in leisure activities - and don't appreciate what they're missing.

"It's about getting the information across, and highlighting what benefits there are - even if that means simply encouraging people to set foot in their local library to hire a CD or DVD," Natalia said.

"There are people out there who don't see what benefits there are."

The main reasons given for people leaving Herefordshire to pursue their leisure activities were the lack of provision in the county, and she was not therefore "horrifically" worried about that figure.

"Although I hate the thought of people going outside the county, it's often to visit things that we don't necessarily have in the county and can't match.

"I deeply sympathise with those people who would love Herefordshire to have a 400-seater concert hall, but it would be very difficult for us to sustain a facility of that nature.

The survey - the first piece of major research of its nature for this area - asked questions covering the arts, sport, heritage, archives, libraries, outdoor activities, and visits outside the county.