Press Releases Archives - Church Action on Poverty

Dreams & Realities: welcome to an incredible exhibition

Learn the story of Dreams & Realities, and the stories behind it

Susan stands in front of her portrait, smiling

Liudmyla, Rebecca and Stephen stand in front of the portraits, as other people view the pictures

Dreams & Realities launch at St Mary's Bramall Lane in Sheffield. From left: Michelle, Susan, Wayne, Stephen and Yo

Rebecca stands beside her portrait, with artist Stephen Martin

The tall tower of St Mary's Church against a slightly cloudy sky, with the sun breaking through

A powerful new art exhibition has been launched, telling the stories and aspirations of people in poverty.

Dreams & Realities is on display at St Mary’s Church in Sheffield, and will then go on tour as part of the Let’s End Poverty campaign.

Dreams & Realities of people's lives

Stephen Martin, a local artist, has painted acrylic portraits of nine people living in poverty in Sheffield, including himself.

Each picture shows the person, something that depicts their economic reality, and something that represents the dreams and ambitions they would pursue if they were not held back by poverty and unjust systems.

The project has been coordinated by Yo Tozer-Loft, who runs a community choir at St Mary’s, with support from Church Action on Poverty.

Yo says:

“I really hope the paintings show the reality for a lot of people in this country. There are still a lot of people constrained to live on the front line of poverty and I really hope this project shows their humanity by their dreams. All humans have dreams and as humans together we should enable each other’s dreams, and Governments should enable the health and the dreams of the people they govern.”

————

Stephen's story

Stephen’s self-portrait includes a wellbeing journal, which has helped him with his mental health.

The background is black, as the electrical circuits in Stephen’s home blew more than ten years ago, so he has lived without electricity ever since. His income is only £340 a month.

Stephen says:

“Just being on benefits, I feel the pinch come the end of the month. It’s a struggle just to get by day by day, so I hope the message we’re putting over in this exhibition about poverty does have an effect in the General Election campaign and it does become a major issue within the election.”

————

Dreams & Realities: The launch

The exhibition was launched at St Mary’s in March, at a special celebratory concert, which also included the choir singing Disney songs.

The initial response to the paintings was incredible, with many people deeply moved by the stories, and encouraged to get involved in the Let’s End Poverty campaign.

The people behind the paintings

The stories in the exhibition are deep and diverse.

For instance, Wayne, who is homeless and who supports people hit hard by the cost of living scandal, dreams of empowering others to overcome issues such as racial injustice and homeless.

Liudmyla moved to Sheffield as a refugee from Ukraine, and the school where she had taught was bombed in the war. Her dream is to gain English teaching qualifications so she can resume teaching, but the great uncertainty around the war and her right to stay in England are represented in the painting by a crystal ball.

More detail on all the individual stories is included in the exhibition.
Dreams & Realities will be on display at St Mary’s Church, Bramall Lane, Sheffield, until the end of April. See the church website for opening hours.
The exhibition will then tour nationally in support of the Let’s End Poverty campaign.

News

SPARK newsletter summer 2024

Read or download the summer 2024 issue of our newsletter for supporters

Resources

Church on the Margins reports

Two reports from our research alongside churches on the margins

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Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24

Download our local group’s report on the right. Download resource Resources Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24 Download our local group’s report …

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Silhouettes of eight people, against different coloured backgrounds

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This outrageous, counter-productive Budget marginalises people with least

This is Church Action on Poverty’s statement on the 2024 Budget. It includes the views of our expert advisors with direct current experience of poverty.

The 2024 Budget further punishes and marginalises people on the lowest incomes, and is outrageous and counter-productive.

That’s the message from social justice campaigners with Church Action on Poverty.

Recent Budgets have rarely provided adequate support or good news for people on low incomes, despite polling showing that 88% of the British public think more should be done to tackle poverty.

Further cuts to public services will harm communities and people who are most likely to need public systems such as health services, libraries, social housing, public transport, and children’s and youth centres.

Calculations by Church Action on Poverty indicate a two-parent family on £60,000 a year will be about £3,100 better off a year as a result of the Budget and Autumn statement, including cuts to National Insurance and the increases to child benefit given only to higher income households, whereas the childcare assistant or teaching assistant charged with looking after their children on a starting salary of £14.500 will be a grand total of £80 better off.

How can this be right?

And someone unable to work due to disability or caring responsibilities will not be better off by a single penny. How can this be right?

Our advisers, all of whom have direct current experience of poverty, have called for a more just tax system, action to fix the UK’s broken housing system; and investment in a long-term future for everyone rather than short-term tweaks.

Stef Benstead said:

“I would want them to be increasing taxes on the wealthiest people so they can fund social care and health care properly. When they are spending money, it should be to help poorer people, not funding tax cuts for richer people.

“The Chancellor’s supporters say countries with low taxes grow fastest, but that’s only in the short term, because you then have a bust. IMF research has shown that the more equal countries grow fastest in the long term because they do not have that bust afterwards.

“We need to look at what makes for steady long-term growth. The answer is to reduce inequality. Data shows we could be much more equal – more equal than Scandinavian countries – and still improve growth. We need to look at what makes for long-term growth, and the way to do that is taxing the very richest, because they currently take too much for themselves.

“It’s not a matter of punishing wealth, but of deterring rich people from over-paying themselves excessively while their staff are struggling on low pay.”

Tracy Porter said:

“We need to commit to meaningful co-production policies with people who have experienced the impact of previous policies.

“I would also like to see more done to increase digital inclusion. So many people have not got the same access, and that means their opportunities are limited, whereas if they had equal access then people could achieve more.

“It affects young people at school and also older people, who maybe are told to use technology to do tasks and send things. It’s not just about having the technology, but also knowing how to use it.

“It is estimated that it costs around £120,000 to raise a child to the age of 18. £120,000 is a lot of money for any household, but if you find yourself unfortunate enough to be at the bottom of the economic scale it becomes even more difficult to provide the basic essentials for that child to flourish.

“A lot of families, in reality, have very few choices. Some families have a disability, learning difficulty or mental health issue, some have to cope with all of these things as well as raising a child to the best of their abilities.

“Without fair access, children can quickly fall behind and the gap between what they and their peers can achieve grows ever wider. Enter the cost of living crisis and the cracks that were already there, become chasms that are swallowing families up.”

Wayne Green said:

“A wealth tax is needed. We need an asset tax. Once you earn more than £250,000 you pay less tax as you can afford to invest in assets and shares. If you had something like a 3 percentage point tax increase on offshore wealth, it could pay for so much – it could pay much of our national debt off.

“The very wealthiest people have millions or billions. There is an imbalance – we should be taxing the super rich and investing in this country long-term.”

“We need a better form of community tax. It does not work properly. And we need to act on housing, instead of MPs seeking to water down policies like eviction laws.”

Wayne had said he would be worried about the ending of the Household Support Fund, which he had said would be outrageous. In the Budget, it was extended by only six months.

Mary Passeri said:

“I think the rich are going to keep on getting richer, but if you are on a low income it disproportionately badly affects you.”

Alisha Barton said:

“I think it will make no positive difference to me, and cutting National Insurance inherently means a cut to public services.”

Sydnie Corley said:

“What needs to really change is the difference in income when you try to get back into work, or into more work. I am part time and if I go over the income thresholds, I lose everything else suddenly.”

Contributors to this article are member of Church Action on Poverty’s Speaking Truth To Power programe.

Stef Benstead is advisor on disability and social security, and also the author of Second Class Citizens: The Treatment of Disabled People in Austerity Britain.
Tracy Porter is a trustee and digital inclusion advisor.
Wayne Green is advisor on unemployment, social security and policy.

News

SPARK newsletter summer 2024

Read or download the summer 2024 issue of our newsletter for supporters

Resources

Church on the Margins reports

Two reports from our research alongside churches on the margins

Resources

Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24

Download our local group’s report on the right. Download resource Resources Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24 Download our local group’s report …

Opinion and insight

Stories that challenge: Sarah and Rosie’s health

This is a guest series, of stories that challenge and change. These are intentionally contrary stories that push back against negative ideas, and force us …

News Press Releases

Dreams & Realities: welcome to an incredible exhibition

Learn the story of Dreams & Realities, and the stories behind it Previous Next A powerful new art exhibition has been launched, telling the stories …

News Opinion and insight

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“What drives me is people and community. I am passionate about equality and want to see that here in Linacre ward.” Jo outside St Leonard’s …

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This is Church Action on Poverty’s statement on the 2024 Budget. It includes the views of our expert advisors with direct current experience of poverty. …

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Autumn Statement: Stef & Church Action on Poverty’s response

This is Church Action on Poverty's response to the 2023 Autumn Statement, from campaigner, researcher and writer Stef Benstead.

Stef is a trustee for Church Action on Poverty, author of Second Class Citizens: The Treatment of Disabled People in Austerity Britain, and a member of Manchester Poverty Truth Commission.

The Government has yet again come up with policy ideas that don’t match the reality of benefit recipients’ lives. Some of what they say sounds good until you realise what the actual issues are. Some of it only sounds good if you think that the right way to help people is to punish them into doing what you want.

A lot of it is very frustrating to anyone who has read the Government’s own research, because their policies tend to be the opposite of what their research says.

Government needs to learn the realities of Universal Credit

The Government is saying it will kick people off all support, if they are on an open-ended sanction for six months and don’t get any money for housing or other issues in their Universal Credit. In their head, I imagine they are thinking of young adults living with their parents, and these young adults are just not bothering to look for work.

Actually a lot of these young people may already not be claiming benefits at all! Instead the people the Government are talking about could be people who are living in temporary accommodation, B&Bs, hostels, refuges, or sheltered or supported accommodation. They might be sick or disabled, but not have this recognised by Universal Credit because they’re not deemed ill or disabled enough. They might have shared caring duties, but again not have it recognised by Universal Credit because the other carer is claiming those duties on their benefits.

Precisely because their extra challenges aren’t recognised by Universal Credit, these people can be some of our most vulnerable. And now the Government is saying it wants to make these people’s lives even harder by kicking them off benefits completely, just because the challenges of their lives make it difficult for them to do anything and everything a work coach might decide to impose on them.

Government has responsibilities

The Government wants to force people to take unpaid work placements at private companies. The Government tried this ten years ago, and it went down really badly. The public objected to the idea that private companies should profit off forced labour in this way, and that jobseekers should be forced to take low-skill, entry-level activity instead of doing meaningful activity like volunteering. It is crazy that the Government is trying to reintroduce such a bad idea.

The whole ethos of Government ought to be about building an economy with enough jobs and where jobs are decent, and where we look after people rather than making people’s lives as poor and miserable as possible in the belief that this will somehow create enough jobs, and the right sorts of jobs, in the right places. Government likes to talk about rights and responsibilities – let’s talk about the Government’s responsibility to make sure there is a decent standard of living for everyone.

Government should value volunteering

For people seeking work, I’d love to see a Government that valued and prioritised volunteering. One option would be for the Government to treat every hour of volunteering as two hours’ of jobsearch when it comes to applying conditions to jobseekers. This would recognise that people want to work and want to make a meaningful contribution to their community and society. It would recognise that actually, doing 35 hours of jobsearch every week for weeks on end is pretty meaningless and de-skilling, and helps no-one.

Valuing volunteering would benefit communities, by having useful activity carried out that otherwise doesn’t get done. It would benefit jobseekers, by giving them meaning and purpose in their life, and allowing them to practice skills that could actually lead to a decent job. The Government should be actively pursuing ways to enable jobseekers to engage in voluntary activity like that. It should be the key stream of the job-related support that they offer.

For people who are too sick or disabled to be able to support themselves through paid work, it is more than time that the Government recognised that we actually exist. It is so frustrating to see the Government complain that we aren’t forced to look for work, when all of the Government’s own research shows that people who are less sick still really struggle to get and maintain paid work.

We need the freedom to manage our lives

The Government complains that we’ve been abandoned, when actually the freedom to manage our lives in accordance with our health needs – and not in accordance with the demands of a paid job – is so important.

The Government should be declaring that it wants to enable sick and disabled people to live a fulfilled life, and that it will support us in whatever activity we can engage in – voluntary work; community or religious participation; taking part in family life – and that it will ensure we can access timely, quality healthcare. This does not mean more CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy).

A challenge to Christians and churches

To Christians, I want to say that God is very clear that He expects leaders to look out for the people they lead. Ezekiel 34 is a whole chapter condemning selfish shepherds and fat sheep for abusing the weak, sick, and injured and for acting harshly and brutally. God frequently pulls leaders up for not acting to ensure justice and the wellbeing of the poor. Government should be looking out for people in society who are struggling and making sure people in power are not exploiting others.

The society that God set up for his people was one that made sure people always had access to a home and a means to live. God used laws around debt, interest, employment, and Jubilee to ensure that everyone was provided for.

The principle is a society making sure everyone has a stable home to live in and a means of income, through work or other financial support. These are principles that Christians should be calling for and pressing Government to provide. Governments have failed to do this for decades and this is a matter of justice. Churches should be challenging Governments when they fail.

News

SPARK newsletter summer 2024

Read or download the summer 2024 issue of our newsletter for supporters

Resources

Church on the Margins reports

Two reports from our research alongside churches on the margins

Resources

Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24

Download our local group’s report on the right. Download resource Resources Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24 Download our local group’s report …

Opinion and insight

Stories that challenge: Sarah and Rosie’s health

This is a guest series, of stories that challenge and change. These are intentionally contrary stories that push back against negative ideas, and force us …

News Press Releases

Dreams & Realities: welcome to an incredible exhibition

Learn the story of Dreams & Realities, and the stories behind it Previous Next A powerful new art exhibition has been launched, telling the stories …

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“What drives me is people and community. I am passionate about equality and want to see that here in Linacre ward.” Jo outside St Leonard’s …

News Opinion and insight Press Releases

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This is Church Action on Poverty’s statement on the 2024 Budget. It includes the views of our expert advisors with direct current experience of poverty. …

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Revd Jeremy Tear has kindly shared with us this sermon, which he preached at St Mary’s Great Sankey on Church Action on Poverty Sunday 2024.

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North East churches & community gather to tackle poverty together

Church leaders from 6 denominations and people with experience of poverty in North East England met, to work together to tackle poverty in the region.

Church Action on Poverty North East, Thrive Teesside and the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, co-hosted a roundtable event for 35 people at All Saints Church, Newton Hall, Durham, on October 11th.

Led by voices of experience

The agenda had been led by people with experience of poverty, and speakers included people with six particular perspectives of poverty.

6 perspectives of poverty in North East England

Davey, from Gateshead, had prepared an account about sanctions, which was read on his behalf. It told how an unnecessary sanction had led to him losing his housing benefit, and therefore being evicted while still grieving for a family tragedy.
Sue from Gateshead told of the particular challenges facing carers, and the huge backlog of people waiting to be assessed for support. She also talked of sanctioning, saying: “People get sanctioned for any reason, sometimes if people could not get online to see a message from the DWP.”
Lesley from Jarrow relayed stories from a debt support programme, which is helping local people address more than £360,000 of debt collectively.
Richard from Upper Teesdale talked about the invisible poverty in rural areas, exacerbated by people being pushed to use online services, when rural internet is often inadequate.
Graham and Sharon from Easington Colliery told of the challenges in ex-mining areas, and the lack of support services. Graham said: “A lot of people feel abandoned.”
Julie from Thriving Women in Stockton on Tees read from a collaborative poem, which asked: “Whose narrative is being heard?”

Church leaders to work together

Others talked about the loss of face-to-face support, and of the remaining support being stretched to its limit, and David Burns from the Salvation Army talked about the need to uphold people’s dignity, and to accompany them rather than giving hand-outs.

Attendees were encouraged to support community events during the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and a follow-up meeting has been arranged, to begin agreeing practical next steps.

Church can hold politicians to account

The meeting was chaired by Bishop Paul, and church attendees included representatives from the Catholic Church, Church of England, Methodist Church, Salvation Army, the Society of Friends, and the United Reformed Church.

Bishop Paul said he would relay the discussions to northern church leaders at a meeting next month, and also to people involved in the national Poverty Strategy Commission.

He said North East Churches Acting Together would also continue to invest in finding collective solutions. He said he and the Bishop of Jarrow would put a church representative forward for Hartlepool Poverty Truth Commission.

He said local and national government, and businesses, must work together to improve conditions for the lowest 15-20 per cent economically, and echoed the Let’s End Poverty campaign in saying all parties must be pushed to say what they will do to tackle poverty.

Picture gallery

A large group of people seated around a table in a church hall

The Bishop of Durham listens to a participant seated beside him.

RIchard Andrew speaks, while seated beside two members of Thriving Women

The Bishop of Jarrow speaking at the event

Claire Lowery speaks, standing in front of a Church Action on Poverty display

Julie, Coy Eastwood and RIchard Andrew at the event.

Comments from attendees

Bishop Paul said afterwards: “As always it was very good to hear the reality of poverty from those living with it.

“To be able to have a significant number of church leaders listening in to the stories, and hearing from others working alongside those facing the challenges of the social security system, the inadequacies of provision for those with significant mental health issues, and the lack of support for carers, raises many questions that we need to face as a society.

“The journey to seek to really end endemic poverty is not a simple or easy one but it is one to which all of us gathered together are committed.”

The Rt Revd Stephen Wright, Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, said: “I’m very grateful for the invitation for the meeting of Challenging Poverty Together in the North East. Our Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle is committed to working alongside our Christian sisters and brothers, people of all faiths and none in accompanying those who face needs and struggle in life.

“Our Lord always invites us to see our society and our political decisions through the eyes of the poor. As Christians, we are called to be advocates for their needs and to support them as best we can. I was very inspired to hear of all the ministry taking place across the North East and I am so grateful for all the volunteers who work across the region to support our brothers and sisters.”

The Revd Richard Andrew, Chair of the Darlington Methodist District said: “It was a powerful and challenging experience to share with others as we listened to those living in poverty. I was particularly moved by these words, ‘The world does not see my face.’

“If we really believe that we see the face of Jesus in the face of the poor then as North East churches we need to stand up and be counted in solidarity with them.”

Bernadette Askins, from Church Action on Poverty North East, said: “Listening to the voices of people from our North East communities who live daily with poverty was a very powerful experience. I feel very hopeful that by working together we can make a real difference.”

Corrina Eastwood, Community Organiser for Thrive Teesside, said: “The commitment and the desire to tackle poverty and inequality was evident from all who attended. By uniting and sharing our insight and knowledge we will continue to work together to create change. The collective poem from thriving women was a powerful expression of voices unbroken, along with others who shared their lived realities – it gave a face and feelings behind the statistics.”

News

SPARK newsletter summer 2024

Read or download the summer 2024 issue of our newsletter for supporters

Resources

Church on the Margins reports

Two reports from our research alongside churches on the margins

Resources

Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24

Download our local group’s report on the right. Download resource Resources Church Action on Poverty North East annual report 2022-24 Download our local group’s report …

Opinion and insight

Stories that challenge: Sarah and Rosie’s health

This is a guest series, of stories that challenge and change. These are intentionally contrary stories that push back against negative ideas, and force us …

News Press Releases

Dreams & Realities: welcome to an incredible exhibition

Learn the story of Dreams & Realities, and the stories behind it Previous Next A powerful new art exhibition has been launched, telling the stories …

News Opinion and insight

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“What drives me is people and community. I am passionate about equality and want to see that here in Linacre ward.” Jo outside St Leonard’s …

News Opinion and insight Press Releases

This outrageous, counter-productive Budget marginalises people with least

This is Church Action on Poverty’s statement on the 2024 Budget. It includes the views of our expert advisors with direct current experience of poverty. …

Resources Sermons

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Revd Jeremy Tear has kindly shared with us this sermon, which he preached at St Mary’s Great Sankey on Church Action on Poverty Sunday 2024.

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It’s like they’ve flown: the awesome power of craft & companionship

We hear of remarkable progress among a small group on Merseyside

We all need a fresh start sometimes. A new idea, or a new opportunity. New friendships perhaps or a new routine. Maybe just fresh impetus and new hope.

A group of women in Bootle, near Liverpool, have been enjoying all of that newness, and more, since becoming involved in the Self Reliant Group movement.

The women became involved only in late 2022, but are already reporting greater positivity, new friendships and new excitement about what lies ahead.

How Self-Reliant Groups work

Self-Reliant Groups bring people together. Members support each other and meet regularly, share skills, learn together, and typically save small amounts together each week, to explore new ideas and opportunities. Groups are independent and make their own decisions, so don’t have to tick anyone else’s boxes.

Church Action on Poverty has supported the expansion of groups across North West England, and was introduced to the group in Bootle through local community project, St Leonard’s, which had set up a women’s space in a local shopping area.

Jo Seddon, who runs the group, says: “It feels like they’ve flown. I do think the sessions we had kick-started a different train of thought. There’s a new confidence, a new self-belief. People are saying ‘You know what?… we can do it!’”

Self-Reliant Groups: a journey in Bootle

St Leonard’s had set up a women’s space in a local shopping area, and people were introduced via other local projects or through word of mouth. Bootle is an area with many difficulties: a lack of job opportunities, severe under-investment, challenges around health and education, and significant poverty. But as everywhere, there is community pride, tenacity, and a determination to make things better.

Jo says: “We set up a craft hub and had a sewing tutor, and we ended up having a fabulous group of people who were interested. We were then introduced to Joyce and Felicity from Church Action on Poverty, and it has been amazing.

“It has been a small group (three women and one man) but we have had some really nice sessions, and it has opened up people’s thinking about what they are all capable of. It has shown what talents people have and has helped improve their own sense of value.”

Two of the women had been lacking confidence and struggling with anxiety, and one was also grieving following a family bereavement when the group began.

Self-Reliant Groups: the impact for members

Jo said: “One of the women, Ann, has had some difficult issues but she makes amazing things and has started helping the tutor and she is going from strength to strength and has really benefited from Joyce and Felicity’s sessions.

“Another of the women, Claire, makes wonderful blankets. She has health difficulties and was feeling down, but what has come out of the sessions is belief. People started feeling they could make stuff for our shop at St Leonard’s, but we said to go beyond that – see what they could do independently of us. So now they have hired tables at craft fairs for this autumn and Christmas at an old church in Waterloo near where they live, and they will be selling things they have made.

“People have become friends. There’s another woman, Deirdre, who makes bags, and people are becoming friends and sharing skills. I cannot believe it’s the same people who I knew before. It’s just amazing seeing them looking ahead and planning things and talking about products they are going to make.

“I’ve seen people walking through our doors anxious and not knowing anybody, and where we are now is lovely to see. Joyce and Felicity were so lovely. I have been working in charity for 40 years, and I know what it means to talk about independence. But these sessions have really brought it home for the people involved.”

What Church Action on Poverty did

Joyce and Felicity had spent several mornings with the group, talking through the possibility that some of them could form a group, who would meet regularly to support each other, learn to share their skills and learn from each other, and who would collect a small amount of money so that eventually they might launch a small enterprise or business.

When they began, the idea such an enterprise would have seemed far-fetched and something of a pipe dream but today, less than six months on, it is already a reality.

The group initially met at Claire’s house because of her health, and as it was hard for her to get out but they soon involved others. Ann had been inspired by and learned quilting from her late mother and was a fantastic quilter. Deirdre made bags, and was a talented sewer. They pooled their talents and shared their knowledge. The answer to the question “What can we do?” was that they could make things. And they did.

The group organised themselves and supported each other. The table rental of around £15 a session came from the funds they had collected, and the new friends are all making things for the fairs. A local woodworker and carpenter, John, who makes things but has had no outlet to sell them, has also joined the group and is joining in the preparations and production.

What the group has accomplished already is a triumph – but what if the fairs go well, that could be the icing on the cake.

The people mentioned in this article have made incredible progress, but do not yet want to be named widely. Jo is using her real name, but the other names have been changed.
To learn more about Self-Reliant Groups, watch the short video below.

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Budget 2023: a precious chance to bridge the rich-poor divide

This week's Budget must bridge the rich-poor gulf, and start addressing the causes of poverty, say people with direct experience of UK poverty

This week’s Budget statement is a precious chance to bridge the rich-poor divide and to enable opportunities instead of barriers for people on low incomes, according to a national panel of people, who all draw on their own personal experience of struggling against poverty.

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt should seize the moment to tackle the unjust systems that hold people and communities back, to ensure that incomes keep pace with soaring living costs, and to invest in the vital public systems that we all require.

The Speaking Truth to Power national panel includes people living on low incomes who have been involved in a variety of local projects to tackle and end poverty and strengthen community around the UK.

Members met ahead of Wednesday’s spring Budget statement, to discuss what it should include, and why, and to discuss how people’s lives could be enhanced if the Government committed to tackling the root causes of poverty.

Time for concerted action

The group says:

“The post-covid roadmap was meant to be for everyone. If we have a Budget – or a General Election campaign – that neglects poverty and the causes of poverty, then the wealthiest people will accelerate away with ease, while the rest of us are left at the side of the road.

“We’re a compassionate society and we believe in justice. But we won’t get there by wishing ourselves forward – we need concerted, national action from our political leaders.”

Polling has shown that more than 60% of people think the Government should act to reduce income inequality, and an overwhelming majority see the prospect of widening inequality as problematic.

Key messages group members would like to see in the Budget included:

Extending support on energy bills, and doing more to prevent the crisis from recurring
Making childcare more accessible and affordable, to support low-income parents
Creating opportunities for young people
Removing flaws and cliff-edge thresholds in systems such as the carer’s allowance, which can punish people instead of enabling them
Committing to serious investment in new social housing
Increasing the living wage, to help low-income workers

Budget 2023: Wayne's view

One of the panel members is Wayne Green, from Shoreham By Sea, who has been campaigning against the structural causes of poverty for more than 25 years.

He says:

“The money that people in poverty have is not enough to live on, and people need to be able to live. As a country we have the money to end poverty. We have the expertise. We have the technology. It is now a matter of political will.

“The will is there to pump as much money as they can into other things, yet they are withholding what it takes to address poverty, while millions sink further into debt and difficulty. It’s really problematic the way the decisions are made.

“People who are not in the situation do not understand what it’s like being poor or on social security. It falls below the bare minimum people need. There’s such a social distance now between parliament and professionals and those of us who have fallen into unemployment or hard times.

“I think the Budget needs to remove things like the cap on housing benefits, and to protect people from high energy bills and address the huge profits the energy companies make. Profits should be for a noble cause, not to make rich companies richer. The Budget should also guarantee everyone an income they can live on, like a citizens’ income.”

Budget 2023: Gemma's view

Another panel member, Gemma Athanasius-Coleman, from Cornwall, said:

“Young people want change and want to influence change, and they want opportunities. The Budget should do more to create opportunities for young people.

“I don’t like divisive politics that pits people against each other – we need to give all young people the opportunities they will need, especially if they have coke from a socially-deprived background.

“The Government could do so much more for people in regards to the cost of living. They know what’s happening, they can see it – but they are not doing enough. It’s not necessarily handing out money – they need to help bring down costs in the first place, by looking at the energy companies, as well as putting more money in people’s pockets.

“Another thing the Budget should look at is childcare. We need them to do more to ensure childcare is well-funded and available and affordable for parents, like in the rest of Europe. It’s so unaffordable that it keeps people out of work, as many parents are financially better off not working, due to what childcare would cost if they worked.”

Speaking Truth To Power

The Speaking Truth to Power programme is coordinated by the charity Church Action on Poverty, and works with people on low incomes to identify causes of poverty, work on potential solutions to end poverty, and advocate for change.

The group also discussed the vital values that should drive the Budget statement. There was consensus that it should be guided by a desire to create a just society, which truly listens to and heeds people in poverty and on the margins, and which works to support people being swept into deepest difficulty.

There was a strong desire among the group for sustainable solutions that create inclusive opportunities, not barriers, and for a commitment that recognises everyone’s right to housing and affordable good food.

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1,000+ church leaders say: Don’t cut Universal Credit

Church leaders join with Church Action on Poverty and Christians Against Poverty to urge the Government not to cut UC income by £1,040 a year.

People in church leadership positions, with the support of two anti-poverty charities, are calling for the plans to cut Universal Credit by £20 a week from next month, which will impact millions of households, to be stopped.

Over 1,100 church leaders have felt compelled to speak up because of the impact this cut will have on people in poverty, and have signed a letter to the Prime Minister.

In the letter to Boris Johnson, created in partnership with Church Action on Poverty and Christians Against Poverty, the church leaders say, “We urge the Government to choose to build a just and compassionate social security system that our whole society can have confidence in.”

Church at the Margins Officer and Former Vice President of the Methodist Church, Eunice Attwood, said, “Cutting £20 a week from families who are just keeping their heads above water cannot be right.

“Every day we see in churches and foodbanks people with huge potential, bursting to contribute who cannot move forward because the struggle simply to make ends meet is all-consuming. I urge ministers to come to a church project and see the difference £20 a week makes for some families.

“We believe that everyone should be able to fulfil the potential God has placed within them and that we should do all that is necessary to prevent people being held back by poverty.”

The Bishop of Doncaster, Right Revd Sophie Jelley, added, “I fully support the plea to retain Universal Credit at the current level at the present time. With the increase in food and energy prices together with the impact of the pandemic on household income I am extremely concerned about families and households already struggling to make ends meet.

“There is no doubt that recent months have placed additional burdens on the poorest in our communities and this feels like the least we can do to show practical compassion and care at this tremendously difficult time.”

The Bishop of Selby, Rt Revd Dr John B Thomson, said, “I signed this open letter because this proposed cut comes at a time when the future of the pandemic remains uncertain and at the very point when the furlough scheme ends.

“It will also coincide with significant increased costs for electricity and gas just when the weather begins to turn and is a concern which has been expressed widely by all organisations who work with the poorest, and those who monitor the impact of such policies on them. I accept that this is a major cost to the nation as a whole but believe that those in most need must be protected by the nation.”

Christians Against Poverty’s UK Chief Executive, Paula Stringer says, “This cut will lead to thousands more people falling into problem debt. If it goes ahead many will be forced to make impossible choices. They’ll be faced with the very real prospect of falling into arrears, and having to choose whether to eat or put the heating on to stay warm. No one should ever have to choose between food or heating, it’s simply not right, but that will be the heartbreaking reality if this cut goes ahead.

“That is why we’re backing the Keep The Lifeline campaign and we’re standing with the church community in continuing to urge the Government to show compassion and make a last-minute U-turn.

“Our message is clear – stop this before it cripples millions of households. We will continue to stand together with those affected by this cut, churches and other charities, calling for this vital lifeline to be kept.”

Niall Cooper, Director of Church Action on Poverty, said, “Cutting £1,040 a year from low-income households would cut hundreds of thousands of families adrift. It’s simply not right.

“With food and fuel costs rising sharply, we know millions of families are struggling to stay afloat, and this £20-a-week cut will make a difficult situation disastrous. We should be pulling together to get the economy back on course, but instead people are having to watch the threadbare lifelines being cut.

“The breadth of support for this letter reflects the wider public’s desire for a just and compassionate economy. We need to redesign the social security system so it brings stability and opens up opportunities, rather than sweeping families into deeper poverty.”

Our letter to the Prime Minister

Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA

27 September 2021

Dear Prime Minister,

We stand together as church leaders from across the UK to urge you to think again about cutting Universal Credit payments by £20 a week from the start of October.

If the Government persists with this cut, it would be the single biggest overnight reduction in the basic rate of social security since the welfare state was established in the 1940s. Millions of low-income households will be swept further into poverty as a result.

As Christians, we are compelled by the gospel imperative to prioritise the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable.

As church leaders, we must speak up, because of the impact this will have on our poorest neighbours and church members.

We urge the Government to choose to build a just and compassionate social security system that our whole society can have confidence in.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer people in communities all over the country were suffering because the lifelines they needed from our social security system and vital neighbourhood services were not strong enough. Analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has shown that the cut will particularly hit the north of England, the West Midlands, Wales and Northern Ireland. Rather than levelling up the UK, this will compound existing inequalities.

The loss of £1,040 a year will be devastating for many families at a time when energy bills and other household costs are increasing. Instead we can make sure our social security system brings stability, and opens up options and opportunities for people whose income is too low or insecure to make ends meet.

The cut has already been opposed by community groups up and down the country, charities, six former Conservative Work and Pensions Secretaries, and many MPs from all parties. This is an opportunity for the Government to send a message that it listens, and recognises the pressure faced by those on the breadline.

Universal Credit has been a vital lifeline throughout the pandemic. For the sake of millions of families, it must be retained at its current level, and we therefore reiterate the calls for the planned £20 a week cut to be withdrawn.

Yours sincerely,

Nicholas Adams, Louth Methodist Church
Jenny Adams, Duffus Spynie and Hopeman Church of Scotland
Jonathan Adams, Sunderland Minster
Rebecca Aechtner, St Paul’s Scotforth
Janice Aitken, Kelsall Methodist Church
Rosemary Aldis, Sr Mark’s, Heath Park
Keith Aldred, St Peter’s St. Albans
Iris Aldridge, Unity Church
Katie Alexander, Garland St Baptist
Torquil Allen, Frampton Park Baptist Church
Michael Allen, St. Mary’s Arnold
Trevor Allin, New Life Community Church
Angela Allport, St John’s Methodist Church, Hereford
Kathryn Alvis, Glebe Farm Baptist Church
Ian Anderson, Methodist Church
Christopher Anderton, Redeemer, Blackburn
David Andrews, Methodist church
Revd. Caroline Andrews, Saltaire United Reformed Church
Marianne Anker-petersen, Bield at Blackruthven retreat centre
Robin Anker-Petersen, Bield at Blackruthven retreat centre
Stephen Ansa-Addo, Park United Reformed Church and Hungerford United Reformed Church
Nick Archer, Church of Scotland
Keith John Argyle, Retired United Reformed Minister
John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh, Scottish Episcopal Church
Bernard Arnold, Ely Methodist
Marieke Arthur, Canton Uniting Church
John Ashcroft, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Lewes
Vincent Ashwin, Southwell Minster
Bernadette Askins, Churches Together South Tyneside
Barbara Aspinall, Edgeley Community Church
Richard Astill, Grace Community Church
Howard Astin, Bradford Prayer For Bradford
Heather Aston, Boscastle Group of Churches
Ann Atkins, Downsview Methodist Church (Croydon Circuit)
David Austin, Holy Trinity Coldhurst
Philip Averay, St Mary’s Priory, Chepstow
Gillian Baalham, The Methodist Church (Redhill & East Grinstead Circuit)
Susan Baggott
Patricia Baggott, St Swithun Wells
Steve Bailey, St Paul’s, Oadby
Hazel Baird, Culybackey Methodist Church
Maria Baker, Trinity Chippenham Church
Richard Baker, United Reform
John Baker, Earl Shilton Metodist
Rev. Dr. Nelu Balaj, Livingston Old Parish Church
Kathleen Baldwin, Methodist Church Herefordshire (South and East) Circui
Jennifer Bales, Goldsithney Methodist Church and Local Preacher
Stephen Bales, Lizard and Mounts Bay Methodist Circuit
Dan Balsdon, Methodist Church
Amy Barker, Walsgrave Baptist Church
Matt Barlow, The Light Church
James Barnard, Cheadle Hulme Baptist Church
Helen Barnes, Our Lady of Lourdes, Lee
Anthony Barnes, North Wiltshire Methodist Circuit
Helen Barrett, Fore Street Methodist,Brixham
Richard Barrett, Methodist Church
Kate Barrett, Methodist Church
Revd Dr Al Barrett, Hodge Hill Church
Sara-Jane Barron, Love Looe
Rev Diane Barrow, Toll Bar with Prescot URC; Newtown URC
Salah Bastawrous, St Mary and St Abaschyroon Coptic Orthodox Church
David Batchelor, St Andrew’s Methodist, United reformed Church, Skipton
Michael Bate, Church of the Epiphany, Oxley
Timothy Bateman, Gas Street Church
Kathryn Beamish, Cairneyhill Parish Church
Pauline Beattie, Walsall Central Hall
Adrian Beavis, Christ Church Woking
Pat Beazley, Holy Innocents Kingsbury
Ruby Beech, Hope Community Methodist Church Newark
Russ Beese, Witney Community Church
Gillian Belford, Penrith Methodist Church
David Bell, Unity Church Orpington
John Bell, The Iona Community
Carole Bell, Unity church
Ray Bell, Unity church
Susan Bennet, Northumbria Quakers
Geoffrey Bennett, St Budock
Mehwish Bhatti, Victoria Park Baptist Church
Nigel Bibbings, South Bedfordshire Methodist
Ian Bickerstaffe, King’s Church High Wycombe
Heather Bingley, Bridlington Deanery
Colin Birnie, St.Clements Belfast
Kevin Birtles, Jinny
Sheila Bishop, Gawsworth Methodist Church Gawsworth Cheshire
Biddy Bishop, Polperro Methodist
Penny Bissell, Durham City Methodist Church
Gina Bisset, Grace Church Family
Gregory Black, Wesley Methodist Church
Edmund Blackie, Society of St Francis
Ross Blackman, Hamilton Old Parish
Rosemary Bland, Holy Trinity, Haddington
Nick Blundell, Bradford North Circuit
Tim Boaden, Seedfield Methodist Church
Bev Boden, St John’s Methodist Church
Philip Bodey, Grove Lane Baptist Church
Sheila Bodey, Grove Lane Baptist Church
Joanne Bond, The Well Retford Baptist Church
Teresa Bond, St Thomas More Middlesbrough
Jacky Bone, St Mary’s Church Witney
David Bonnett, Pakenham Christian Fellowship
Pat Booth, Bromsgrove methodist
Laura Booth, Bromsgrove metjodist
Duncan Booth, Cheadle Hulme Methodist Church
Mike Bossingham, Cromer Methodist Church
Irene Bourne, Romsey Methodist Church
Erica Bowler, Love Purfleet
Steve Bownds, Latymer Community Church
John Boyd, The Gathering Methodist Church – Sunderland South Circuit
Jean Boyd, Drumoak Durris
Jonathan Boyers, The Peoples Church
Nic Boyns, Cherry Hinton Baptist Church
Michele Bradbury, St Mark’s at Friday Bridge and Coldham
John Bradbury, General Secretary, United Reformed Church
Rev Matthew Bradley, Creech St Michael Baptist Church
Bronwen Braisdell, Epworth & Scunthorpe Methodist Circuit
John Bramhall, St Mary’s Greenham
Alan Brand, Renew Church, Cambridgeshire.
Christopher Brann, Ascension Bath
Graham Brazier, Churches Together in Stourbridge
Derry Brebner, Fodderty and Strathpeffer Church
Joan Breen, Our Lady of Mercy Institute
Wendy Brennan, Skipsea Methodist Church
Ruth Brew, Freedom Church Liverpool
Amanda Briggs, The New Room, Bristol
Roger Bristow, Holy Trinity Church, Bromley Common
Alison Britchfield, Tillicoultry Parish Church of Scotland
Richard Britton-Voss, Ruskington Methodist Church
Margaret Brock, St George’s, Morpeth
Ian Brodie, Shrivenham Methodist Church
Diane Brooke, Christ Church Bridlington
Colin Brough, Fintry Church, Dundee
Deirdre Brower Latz, Nazarene Theological College
Sarah Brown, Castlemilk Parish Church
Kenneth Brown, Livingston United Parish Church
Judith Brown, RC
Terence Brown, St Mary’s Crowborough
Pat Brownmarlow, Marlow Methodist
Ramon Bruzzichessi, Grosvenor Church Barnstaple
Julie Bryan, West Craven Baptist Church
Estelle Buckley, The Triangle Methodist Community Church
Carolyn Buley, St Mark’s Methodist Church, Cheltenham
Philip Bunce, Shrivenham Methodist
Roz Burch, SoundCafe Leicester – a Bishop’s Mission Order
Peter Burgess, Southend Christian Fellowship
Carol Burns, St Benedicts, Garforth, Leeds
Hugh Burton, St Francis Dudley
Firsl Mike Bush, Rodley
William Butchart, Ellon Baptist Church
Debbie Butland, Freedom Church Liverpool
John Butler, The Parish Church of St. Paul, Shipley
Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, Diocese of Durham
Revd David Butterworth, Methodist Church
Robert Byrne, Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle, Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle
Jenny Bywaters, Millhouses Methodist Church
Prudence Cahill, Methodist Central Hall, Manchester
Bryce Calder, Motherwell St Mary’s
David Callander, Ilkley Baptist Church
Barbara Calvert, The Cotteridge Church
Alastair Cameron, South East Scotland Area Quakers
Foluke Campbell, Audacious Church
Dawn Canham, The Lantern Methodist Church
Steven Cann, Our lady of lourdes
Mike Cansdale, Keighley Parish
Lindsay Caplen, Baptist Regional Minister
Mark Carey, Christ Church Bridlington
Eileen Carlin, Brayton Methodist Church
John Carlisle, St Williams
Barbara Carroll, Roman Catholic
Debbie Carruthers, KingsGate Church Helston
Jane Carter, Bede Methodist circuit
George Carter, St Matthew and St Lenoard Bootle
Maria Carter, St David’s Methodist Church
Carol Carter, Woodstock Methodist Church
Rhona Cathcart, Inverurie West Parish Church
Andy Chadwick, Reach Church
Lesley Chandler, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Falmouth Meeting Cornwall
Michele Chapman, The Countess Free Church
Neil Chappell, Southam Congregational Church
Dawn Charles, The Community Church, Burton and District
Steve Charman, Lancaster Methodist Church
Jon Chesworth, Shropshire and Marches Methodist
Steve Chick, Hop Church Winchester
Dave Chislett, ChristChurch
Chris Chorlton, Parish of Girlington, Heaton and Manningham
Margaret Christopher, St Andrew’s Skipton
Rev John Churcher, Methodist Church
David Clark, Oakham Baptist Church
Rod Clark, St Chad’s, Lichfield
Mel Clark, Elim Gateway Bradford
Wayne Clarke, Trinity Baptist Church, Gorton, Manchester
Stuart Clarke, Melbourn Baptist
Graham Clarke, Marshalswick Baptist Free Church
Penny Clarke, Christ Church, Bridlington
John Clarkson, Wigan Baptist Church
Georgia Clarkson, Wigan Baptist Church
Richard Clarkson, St Peter’s, Kinver
Geoffrey Cleave, United Church Bradford on Avon
Peter Clements, Saltash Wesley Methodist
Bruce Clifford, ST Catharine’s Gloucester
Roger Clifford, Craigavon Trades Council
Leonard Clift, Stormore Baptist Church
David Clitheroe, Temple Methodist Church, Taunton
Iain Cloke, Highfield Trinity Methodist Church, Sheffield
Patrick Coad, St Andrew’s
Roswitha Cods, Kensington temple
Nigel Coke-Woods, South Worcester Circuit
William Cole, Holy Cross Bobbington
John Coleby, Caritas Westminster
Paul Coleman, Leeds North and East Methodist Circuit
Michael Collins, Hadleigh Baptist Church
Christopher Collins, Evesham Methodist Church
Jennie Collins, The Pathway Methodist Church
Christopher Collins, South Worcestershire Methodist Circuit
Michelle Compton-Large, Whitehouse Baptist Church
Chris Condrup, Gloddaeth
John Cook, Howe Trinity Parish Church
Tanya Cook, Kingswood Methodist church, Wollaton
Jon Cook, Kings Church Eden
Helen Cook, St Ninians Old Parish Church Stirling
E. Cooke, St Stephen
Revd Naomi Cooke, Bethesda Methodist Church
Ann Cooke, Church Stretton Methodist church
Lynne Cooper, Forest Town Methodist
Lynda Coulthard, Methodist Church in South East Northumberland Ecumenical Area
Revd Nigel Cowgill, The London District of the Methodist Church
Christine Crabtree, Bradford North Methodist Circuit
Simeon Cracknell, Canon Street Church
Patricia Craig, Church of The Assumption
Michael Craig, Portobello and Joppa Parish Church
John Crawford, Tiverton Vineyard Church
Margaret Crawshaw, Somerset Mendip Circuit
Roger Cresswell, Fund for Human Need
Richard Cresswell, St Mary the Virgin, Shawbury
Graham Criddle, West Street Christian Fellowship
Dan Cronin, HEART Church
Colette Cronin, Sister
Phil Crouter, St Pauls, Weston-s-Mare
Toby Crowe, St John’s, Sparkhill
Claire Crowley, Churches Together in South London
Tim Croxson, C3 UnitedLife
Diana Cullum-Hall, The Church at Carrs Lane
Iain Cunningham, Kirkton Parish Church, Carluke
Deborah Curnock, Metropolitan Community Church, Birmingham
Simon Curry, Larne Baptist Church
Richard Curtis, Cannings and Redhorn Benefice
Alistair Cuthbert, Falkirk Baptist Church
Michelle Cutting, IIC
John Dale, Church Action on Poverty and Forres Parish
Mariot Dallas, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Polmont Meeting
Jock Dalrymple, St John’s, Portobello, Edinburgh
Sheree Daly, United Reformed church in Rhyl
Mary Davidson, St Mark’s United Reformed Church
Ceri Davies, River Church
Elizabeth Davies, United Reformed Church
Robert Davies, Glossop and Tameside Methodist Circuit
Jess Davis, St Peter’s Birstall
Maria Davison, St Albans R C , Macclesfield
Rachel Dawson, The Light Church
Liz Day, Addingham Methodist church
Janet de Maine, St Boniface
Dorothy Dean, Maldon URC
Bruce Dear, Southgate
Judy Dennis, Trinity Church, Enfield
Keith Dennis, Hall Green United Community Church
Robert Dennis, New Hope
Jane Denniston, Campsie parish Church
Gareth Dickens, The Salvation Army – Winsford
Shuna Dicks, Cults Parish Church of Scotland
Robert Dimmick, Caversham Park Church, Reading
Judith Dimond, St Paul and St Martin, Canterbury
Peter Dixon
David Dixon, Selsey Methodist Church
Catherine DOBSON, Wesley Memorial Methodist, Oxford
Kenneth Donald, Prestongrange Church
Marion Donald, Cairneyhill Parish Church
Rosemary Donohoe, St Bridget’s
Sandra Doore, St Marks Church, Childwall Valley & Gateacre Team Ministry Liverpool
Neil Douglas, Ebenezer Baptist Church
Terry Down, Unity Church Orpington
Ian Dowsett, St Paul’s South Harrow
Neil Draisey, Beckenham Baptist Church
Lorraine Drinkwater, St Marys Potsea
David Driscoll, Holy Trinity Bradford on Avon
Alison Duncan, Montrose South and Ferryden
Mary Duncanson, Cromdale & Advie
Steve Dunn, The Beacon Church Herne Bay
Jonathan Dunning, Meadowhead Christian Fellowship
Kay Dyer, Holy Trinity
Cath Dyer, The Religious Society of Friends
Kathleen Dymond, Midsomer Norton Methodist
Nick Eades, East Plumstead Baptist
Dave Eadie, Roundswell Church
Donald Eadie, Methodist
Matthew Earl, Emmanuel Church Eastbourne
Vicky Earll, St Michael Le Belfrey
David Easton, Stockton Heath Methodist Church
Richard Eddleston, Beeston Quakers
David Edmondson, Dalton Community Church
Stephen Edney, Maidstone Family Church
Adrian Edwards, Castleton Baptist Church
Marion Edwards, Rogiet Methodist Church
Edward Egan, Brother
Aaron Elder, Oxgangs Community Church
James Ellis, Evesham Methodist
Caleb Ellwood, Gateway Church – York
Gerald Elvin, St Barnabas, Manor Park
John Emmett, Methodist Church
Lynn Emmott, St Margaret’s Liverpool.
Esther Ensing, Amazing Grace Church
Maureen Etherington, Coleford Baptist Church
Judy Evans
Sarah Evans, Christ church Bridlington
Simon Evans-White, Halton Baptist Church
Dub Everitt, Welcome Church
Stephen Ewing, Crofton Park Baptist Church
Jeremy Fagan, St. Martin’s Church, Southdene, Kirkby
Martin Fair, St. Andrew’s, Arbroath
Nathan Falla, Newark & Southwell Methodist Circuit
Margaret Fancy, Arkholme Methodist Church
Diana Farmer, St James’, Wollaston and St MIchael’s, Norton
Katharine Farnham-Dear, Southgate Methodist Church
Sheila Farnsworth, Ludham Methodist Church
Ian Farnsworth, South East Northumberland Ecumenical Area
Geoffrey Farrar, Putney Methodist Church
Tony Farrar, St. John’s Whitley Bay
Jon Farrimond, Liberty Church, Dunfermline
Anne Farrow, Centenary Methodist Church Crawcrook.
Rachel Fasham, Christ Church
Susan Fender, The Linked Pastorate (URC)
Patricia Fenton, St Luke’s Harrogate (Parish of Bilton, St John & St Luke)
Cristine Ferguson, Stromness Church of Scotland
John Ferguson, Peterculter Parish Church
Oliver Fernandes, St Francis de Sales RC Church – Hampton
Camille Fidgett, Catholic Parish of Hemel West
Jade Fielding, Holy Saviiyrs
Jonathan Fillis, Haddenham-cum-Dinton Baptist
Dennis Finch, Hedge End Salvation Army
Sean Finlay, Wisbech Churches Together
Kay Finnegan, Sister
David Firth, Methodist Church
Sue Fisher, Lindsay Park Baptist Church
Neil Fisher, Christ Church, Lewes
Derek Fitchett, All Saints, Trefonen, Oswestry
Abigail Flavell, River City Church Hull
Dean Flay, Unity
Jonathan Fleming, Greenock Lyle Kirk
David Fleming, Rugby Baptist Church
Suzanne Fletcher, Dunglass Parish Church
Hedy Fletcher
William Fletcher, Central Sussex United Area
John Flitcroft, St Mary’s, Old Swinford
Jean Flood, St Nathanael
Geoff Floyd, Sheldon Road Methodist, Chippenham
Gifford Foote, Handsacre Methodist
Ann Ford, Hall Green United Community Church
Carole Ford, St Marys Horsell
Dr Joseph Forde, St Mark’s Church, Bromhill & Broomhall.
Bea Foster, Hapton Methodist Church
Sean Fountain, Pier Avenue Baptist Church Clacton on Sea
Richard Fox, The King’s Church, Addlestone
Aileen Fox, The Pilgrim Methodist Church Blakeney
Michael Fox, Unity Church
Carolyn Frayne, Frodsham Methodist Church
Helen Freeston, Copmanthorpe Methodist Church
Richard Frith, Southwell Minster
Stephen Froggatt, Kingsbury Methodist Church
Carol Fry, Redland Park URC
Ruth Fry, Methodist Church
Daniel Fryer, Jubilee Church Hull
Helen Fuller, King’s Church
Ian Gall, Riverside Evangelical Church
Simon Gatenby, Brunswick Parish Church
Sally Gathern, St Mary’s in Singleton
Neil Gatland, Billingshurst Family Church
Jessica Gatty, Religious of the Assumption
Lisa Gauntlett, St Paul’s Chichester
Alison Geary, Methodist Church, Birmingham Circuit
Andrew Geldart, Oceans Community Church Bude
Alice Gem, Wallington Methodist Church
Martin Gem, Wallington Methodist Church
eddie george, Nantwich Methodist Church
Margaret Gibbs, Perry Rise Baptist Church
Rachel Gibson, St. John’s
Liz Gibson, North Mull Church of Scotland
Anne Gibson, Kelsall Methodist church
Mark Gilks, Hampton Mission Partnership
Linda Gilson, Wolverhampton Methodist Circuit
Helen Glass, Arnold URC
Neil Glover, Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem, Grantully, Logierait and Strathtay
Andy Glover, Hoole Baptist Church
Shirley Godfrey, St. Andrew’s Methodist Church
Ben Goodyear, Parish of Herne Hill
Roger Gordon, North Shields Methodist Church
Stuart Gosling, New Life Church
Michael Goss, Barry l/w Carnoustie
Christine Goudie, Murrayfield Parish Church
Louise Gough, Trinity Church Cheadle
Ruth Gouldbourne, Grove Lane Baptist Church, Cheadle Hulme
May Grafen, St John’s Evangelical Church Linlithgow
Paul Graham, Clare Baptist Church
Peter Grainger, Allnations Wolverhampton
Norman Grant, Cairneyhill linked with Limekilns Parish Churches
Kate Gray MA, The Dandelion Community – the United Reformed Church, Wythenshawe
John Grayson, Standish Methodist Chursh
Stephen Greasley, Gillingham Baptist Church, Kent
Lynn Green, General Secretary, Baptist Union Of Great Britain
Jacqui Green, Stony Stratford community church
Catherine Green, St Columba’s Chester
David Gregory, Croxley Green Baptist Church
Angus Gregson, New Brunswick United Reformed Church
Margaret Greig, Howe of Fife Parish Church
mark Griffin, st Martin and St Paul, Canterbury
David Griffiths, Horwich Team of Churches
Leila Griffiths, Methodistiaid Calfinaidd
John Grimes, Denton Methodist Church
Philomena Grimley, Parish of Christ the King and St Kentigern Blackpool
Robert Grimshaw, The Gate Community Church
Ross Grindlay, St Margaret’s Portsmouth
Kevin Gripton, Churches Together in Brierley Hill
Heston Groenewald, All Hallows, Leeds
Margaret Guite
Phil Gunn, Rosskeen Parish Church of Scotland
Carol Guyers, Brunshaw Methodist Church
Anne Hackling, Pontllanfraith Methodist church
Andrew Haddow, Parish Church of Coldingham & St. Abbs lw Eyemouth Parish Church
Ian Hague, The Parish of Walton Breck, Liverpool
Phil Haines, South Kent Community Church
Oriole Hall, Inverness Quaker Meeting
Sarah Hall, Avenue St Andrew’s URC
Tony Hall, Hope Church Bromley Borough
Sue Halliday, Hope. Church
Revd Ian P. Hamilton, Dialstone Lane Methodist Church
Clive Hamilton, Salford All Saints Team Ministry
Elizabeth Hamilton, Leyland Baptist Church
Jane Hampson, Deane Church
Michele Hampson, Warden Sacrista Retreat House
Ros Hancock, S. Beds Methodist Circuit
Allison Hanshaw, Seascale Methodist Church
Karen Harbison, Greenock Westburn
Ashley Hardingham, Altrincham Baptist Church
George Hardman, Methodist Chuch
Richard Hare, Emmanuel, Bridlington
Mark Harlow, St Paul’s Church, Ireland Wood
Rev’d Dan Harper, Bridge of Allan Parish Church
Daniel Harris, United Reformed Church
Michael Harrison, Llandudno Cytun / Churches Together
John Harvey, The Iona Community
Graham Harvey, Hope Church, Dawlish
The Very Rev’d Joe Hawes, St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Rachael Hawkins, All Saints’ Church, Berkhamsted
Rev Dr Graham Hawley, The Ridge methodist Church Marple
David Hawtin, Wakefield Cathedral
Linda Hayes, Freemantle Baptist Church
Philip Hayllar, Sacred Heart & St Peter the Apostle Waterlooville
Maureen Hazelwood, St Francis of Assisi Kenilworth
Richard Heard, St Francis Church
Nick Heaton, St. David’s Holmbridge
Joanna Hellenbrand, Eastwood Baptist Church
Elfriede Elisabeth Helliar, Dorridge Methodist
Terry Hemming, Church of England
Julian Hemmings, St Francis of Assisi, Rhayader
Terry Henry, Fountains Church Bradford
Rosemary Henry, Cairneyhill Parish Church
Graham Hepburn, Canada Common Methodist Church, Wellow, Hampshire
Paul Heppleston, Wellspring Wirksworth
David Hepworth, Adwick-le-Street Methodist Church
Ali Herbert, St Luke’s Gas Street
Lynsey Heslegrave, New Growth Ministry (Baptist)
Tom Hibbert, St John’s Buxton
Christine Hide, Daventry Methodist Church
Helen Higgin-Botham, Christ Church (Methodist & United Reformed Church)
Anne Higginbotham, Trinity Hillsborough
Robin Hill, Gladsmuir linked with Longniddry
Brenda Hill, Central United Reformed Church Sheffield
Revd Jonnie Hill, Greater Manchester South & Cheshire Missional Partnership
Jonathan Hill, St Martins Hull
K. Hilton-Turvey, S. Michael’s Ledbury & S. John’s Eastnor
Sheila Himsworth, Evesham Methodist Church
Evelyn Ho, Stratford. Upon Avon Methodist
Lim Ho, Stratford upon Avon Methodist
David Hoadley, Avenue St Andrews URC, Southampton
Elise Hoadley, C3 Cheltenham
Gary Hodgson, St Christopher’s Church, Holme Wood
Derek Holl, Jubilee Church, Bromley
Jim Hollyman, The United Reformed Church of St Andrew and St George, Bolton
Linda Hood, Shrivenham Methodist Church
Roger Hook, Christchurch Harpenden
Alison Hooper, Redland Park URC
Eileen Hope, Trinity Methodist Skipton
Alex Houghton, Chorley Quaker Meeting
Kathleen Houston, Roman Catholic
Fleur Houston, United Reformed Church
Hilary Howarth, The Triangle Community Methodist Church
David Howe, Heanor Baptist Church
Andrew Howell, Church of England and CEO of End Hunger Cornwall
John M Hoyle, Nene Valley Methodist
Timothy Huc, United Reformed
Elizabeth Hudson, Waltham Methodist
Tim Hughes, Gas Street Church
Edwin Hughes, Barry Parish Church
Sara Hughes, St. Peter’s & St. Paul’s Church, Bleadon
Rob Hughes, West Mersea Free Church
Natalie Hughes, Church From Scratch
Peter Hughes
Gavin Hume, St Andrew’s Methodist/URC Church, West Moor Methodist Church, Coxlodge
Methodist Church
Margaret Hunt, Cottingham Methodist
Bev Hunt, St Michael and All Angels
Gavin Hunter, Stoneleigh Baptist
Graham Hunter, St John’s Hoxton
Ronald Hunter, Methodist Church
Walter Hurfurt, Ashbourne Methodist
Jason Hurr, Hayle Methodist Church
Lesley Husselbee, Chorlton Central Church, Manchester
Joanne Hustwick, United Benefice of Birchencliffe and Birkby: St Cuthbert
James Hutchings, St Mary’s Church, Barnes
Philip Hyne, Cinderford Methodist Church
Hamilton Inbadas, St John’s Forres
Carl Irvine, Inverurie St. Andrew’s Parish Church
Samuel Jackson, Paisley Methodist Church
Annette James, Christ Church, Toxteth Park
Patricia James, St Andrews Thornton Heath
Amelia Janes, St Mary’s Church
Philip Janvier, St Stephens Parish Church
Karen Jardine, Thomas Helwys Baptist Church
Barbara Jeffery, Institute of Our Lady of Mercy
Anne Jeffrey, The Methodist Church in Consett, County Durham
Sophie Jelley, Bishop of Doncaster, Diocese of Sheffield,
Helen Jenkins, Strathclyde Methodist Circuit
David Jenkins, Caversham
Rebecca Jenkins, Christchurch Baldock
Andrew John, Senior Bishop, Church in Wales
Rose Johnson, St Marks Church Chester
Nina Johnson, The Square Methodist Church & Harlington Methodist Church
Neil Johnson, Birmingham Methodist Circuit
Nick Johnson, Long Lane Church, LIverpool
Judith Johnson, All Saints Harworth
Ian Johnson, Northallerton Methodist CHurch
Shirley-Anne Johnston, Found church
Ashleen Johnston, ChristChurch Primacy Bangor
Andy Jolley, Archdeacon of Bradford
Derek Jones, All Saints and St. Oswald’s, Bradford
Stephen Jones, Helston Baptist
Keith Jones, Shipley Baptist Church
Mark Jones, Padiham Parish
Janet Jones, St Paul’s with St John’s URC
Kenneth Jones, Seedfield Methodist Church, Bury
Nicholas Jones, Heswall United Reformed Church
Gareth Jones, St Andrew’s Psalter Lane & Highfield Trinity, Sheffield
Daphne Jones, Christ Church Methodist Addiscombe Croydon
Margaret Jones, St Paul’s Sale
Lesley Jones, The Parish of Jarrow and Simonside
Brian Jones, Methodist Church
Mary Jones, Methodist Church
Richard Jones, Methodist Church, South Worcestershire Circuit
Heulwen Jones, Eglwys Dewi Sant, Cardiff
Pauline Jones, Christ Churchparishoner
Fr Allan Jones, CRIC, Our Lady of Charity & St Augustine
Mike Jourdain, Brighton & Hove CIty Mission
Nick Jowett, St Aidan Sheffield Manor
Carol Joy, Bournemouth Methodist Church
Colette Joyce, Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission
Gordon Joyce, St Stephens, Bury, Lancs
Joe Kavanagh, Mearns Kirk
Jonathan Kear, Forest New Life Church
Sue Keegan von Allmen, Chandler’s Ford Methodist Church
Sam Keen, Oasis Church Swansea
Julian Keen, Bicester Methodist church
Melvyn Kelly, Methodist Church
Michael Kennelly, Park Road Baptist Church Peterborough
David Kent, St Paul, Armitage Bridge. Huddersfield
Pamela Kent, Emmanuel benefice
Duncan Keys, Friars Baptist Church
Richard Kidd, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Chris Kilby, Life Church Southampton
Christopher Kimbangi, Hope Church Guildford
peter kimber, Muff Field wr Church
Andrew Kimmitt, Aberlour Parish Church
Cathy King, City Hope Church
Jo King, Holy Cross North Bersted
Mark King, Mosaic Church Bangor
Tom King, Bridge Community Church
Carolyn King, Westbury Leigh & Stormore Baptist Church
Simon Kirby, St Mary’s Cogges
Ian Kirby, The United Reformed Church
Julie Kirby, The United Reformed Church and United Welsh Independant Church
Ian Kirby, United Reformed Church
Belinda Kirby, St Michael-in-Lewes
Ann Kirk, Arnold URC
Neil Kirkham, Acting as individual
Betty Anne Kirkham, The Triangle Community Methodist Church
James Kissack, The United Reformed Church Yorkshire Synod
Andrew Kleissner, Christchurch United Church, Llanedeyrn
Rachael Knapp, Diocese of Rochester
Jacquie Knight, Love Church Bournemouth
Jackie Knott, Victoria Park Baptist Church
Karen Kowlessar, Arun Community Church
Sadie Krishnathasan, Freedom Church Liverpool
David Kruczek, Grace Church Bolton
Antonia Lacey, Catholic Church
Laurene Lafontaine, Kingswells Parish Church
Dr Pieter Lalleman, Knaphill Baptist Church
Freda Lambert, National Board of Catholic Women
Bernard Lane, Rockbeare parish church
Trudie Lane, Woodlands
Patricia Lawrence, All Saints, Streetly
Andrew Lawrence, Harvest Church
Linda Lawson, Trinity Methodist Church
David Lawton, Lincoln Circuit
Christina Le Moignan, Methodist Church
Jane Leach, Catholic Church
Nick Lear, Mutley Baptist Church
Rachel Leather, Bishops Cleeve Methodist Church
Simon Lee, Northchurch Baptist Church
John Lee, Thatcham United Reformed Church
Matthew Lee, Melbourne Methodist
Graham Lee, Ruislip Manor Methodist Church
Peter Leech, Our Lady of the Assumption
June Leeming, Brandlesholme Methodist Church, Bury
Stephen Lees, St Margaret’s
Sarah Leeson, Emmanuel United Reformed/Methodist Church
Danielle Leigh, Stafford Baptist Church
Clare Leighton, Parish of girlington, Heaton and manningham
Pamela Lerwill, Bradmore Methodist Church
Joanna Levasier, Burpham Church
Ann Lewin, Swaythling Parish Southampton
Tim Lewis, Mowbray Community Church
Michael Lewis
Brian Lewis, Oakham Methodist Church
Bethany Lewis, St John the Baptist Belmont
Sue Liddell, Saxmundham URC
Malcolm Lindo, Felpham Methodist
John Lindsay, Antrim Elim
Jane Linley, Our Lady of Kirkstall
Andy Littlejohns, Chorley URC
Trevor Lloyd, Community Church Huddersfield
Sarah Lock, St Edmundsbury & Ipswich Dioces Cursillo
Diane Locke
Jennifer Lockwood, Lanner Methodist
Trevor Lockwood, Emmanuel URC/Methodist Church Redditch
elaine Loe, Ross Baptist Church
Michael Long, Notting Hill Methodist Church
David Longe, The Matlaske Benefice
Jennifer Low, St. Stephen’s Southmead Bristol
Sheilah Lowe, Trinity Harrow
Andy Lowe, Hove Methodist Church
Colin Lowther, Holy Trinity Huddersfield
Julie Loxley, Victoria Park Baptist Church
Iain Luke, Tyne Valley Parish
Phillip Lund, St Andrew’s Penrith
Laurel Luscombe, Woodfalls Methodist Church
Philip Luscombe, Woodfalls Methodist Church
Peter Lyndon, City Church, Bristol
Elizabeth Lynn, Axminster Methodist church
Laura MacBean, West Wickham Methodist Church
Matt MacDiarmid, Hope Community Church, Wigston
Monica MacDonald, Slamannan Parish Church
Irene MacGregor, Gillespie
Craig Mackay, Grosvenor Church Bideford
Amanda MacQuarrie, Bo’ness Old Kirk
Rod MacRorie, Bearwood Baptist Church
Marilyn Mahon, Trinity Church
Robert Mahy, Saltash Wesley Methodist Church
Pauline Main, Summertown, Marston and Wheatley United Reformed Churches
David Malcolm, Thurso St Peters & St Andrew’s
Maria Malson, St Osmond’s
Phil Maltby, City Church Preston
Neil Maltman, Unity Church Orpington
Terry Mansfield, Hollins Lane Methodist Church
Margaret Mansfield, Hollins Lane Methodist Church
Stephen Mares, Methodist Church
Kelvin Marsh, Hope Church Harrogate
Revd John Marsh, Former Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
John Marsh, Former Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
Alison Marshall, St Peters Macclesfield
Hanneke Marshall, St Machar’s Ranfurly Church
Roger Martin, Lindsay Park Baptist Church
Malcolm Martin, Brockley Baptist Church
Laura Martin, St John’s Church
Jill Martin, Overend Methodist Mission
Paul Martin, Bolton Methodist Mission
Nicola Martyn-Beck, Milton Keynes Methodist Circuit
Linda Maslen, Fountains Church Bradford
Hugh Mathie, Stirling Baptist
Dyfed Matthews, Baptist Old Colwyn
Joanne Maude, River City Hull
Larry Maurice, Sonrise Church, Hastings
Robert Mawer, Shrivenham Methodist Church
Ross Maynard, South Street Baptist Church
Noel Mc Garrigle, All Saints Rainford
Scott McCarthy, Garthamlock and Craigend Parish Church
Ann McCool, Johnstone: High, Church of Scotland
Mary McCullough, Sacred Heart and St Cuthbert
Emma McDonald, St David’s High Kirk
Kate McFarlane, St Bartholomew’s Benefice
John McGarrigle, St peter and Saint Paul’s Great Casterton
Stephen McGarva, Wigtown Baptist Church
Liz McGibbon, Cobham United
Barbara Mcintivey, Hounslow Methodist Church
Gregor McIntyre, Faifley Parish Church
Elspeth McKay, Cumbernauld Old Parish Church
Edward Mckenna, South St Nucholas Church
Jean Mckenna, Leyland Road Methodist Church
Shirley McKenzie, The Salvation Army Darlington
Andrew Mclelland, Fullarton Parish Church Irvine, Ayrshire
Rev. Jacqeline Mcleod, Living Word Christian Fellowship
Caroline McLoughlin, Cairneyhill Parish Church
James McNaughtan, St Marnock’s
Thomas McNeil, Calderwood Baptist Church
Emma McPhail, Gosport Waterfront Baptist Church
Alison McQueen, City United Reformed Church, Cardiff
Gordon McQuoid, C3 Church Cheltenham
Debra McQuoid, C3 Church Cheltenham
Margaret McShane, St Patrick’s
Trev Meardon, St Mary’s Church Pype Hayes
Paula Medd, St. Colman’s R.C. Cosham, Portsmouth
Mary Paula Medd, St. Colman’s Cosham Portsmouth
Helen Mellor, Charlestown URC
Howard Mellor, Wesley Methodist, Winchester
Christopher Mellor, Elmwood Church
Joel Mercer, Whitley Bay Baptist Church
Henry C Merriweather, Bolton Villas Family Church
Hannah Metcalf, Heaton Methodist Church
Toni Miles, Christ Church Bridlington Network
Emma Miles, Christ Church
Greville Mills, Nexus Methodist Church, Bath
Jennifer Mills-Knutsen, American International Church
Daniel Milne, Gateway Church
Penny Milsom, Downing Place URC
Gail Minter, St Matthew’s Ipswich
Suzanna Mitchell, Reading Family Church
Ellen Monk Winstanley, Midge Hall Methodist Church
Hannah Montgomery, Lighthouse Central
Geoff Moore, St Brandon’s, Brancepeth, Durham
Sarah Moore, The United Reformed Church National Synod of Scotland
Lindy Morgan, St John’s Pontyberem
Gareth Morgan, St Aidan with All Saints Speke
Gill Morgan, Grove Lane Baptist Church Cheadle Hulme
Andrew Morrice, Dunfermline East
Rosemary Morris, St Mary’s, Bury St Edmunds
Ian Morris, Ilford High Road Baptist Church
Laura Morris, Mosaic Bangor
Ruth Morrison, St Mary’s Parish Church, Kirkintilloch
Paul Morrison, Putney Methodist Church
Alan Morton, GoChurch Manchester
Malcolm Moss, Stourbridge Street Pastors
Rachel Muers, Society of Friends (Quakers)
Maura Mullen, Sister
Anne Mulligan, Mayfield Salisbury
Peter Mulrooney, Dodworth Methodist Church
Andrew Mumford, Falmouth & Gwennap Methodist Circuit
Alan Munday, Stalybridge Methodist
Deirdre Munro, Christ Church East Sheen
Christine Murdoch, Craigrownie Parish Church of Scotland
Ros Murphy, Kineton Methodist Church
Chris Myers, Rugby Quaker Meeting
Liz Mylon, King’s Church Heathfield
RitaLynn Mynett, Sandbach Baptist Church
Graham Nash, Cambusbarron: The Bruce Memorial, Church of Scotland
Geoffrey Naylor, Discovery Church Swindon
Jim Neal, Holy Trinity Church, Penrhyndeudraeth
Michael Neal, Barnsley Methodist Circuit
Cezar Neculai
James Needham, Methodist Church, Alsager
Janis Neil, Rutherglen Stonelaw Church
Alan Nelson, New Life Church, Woking
Martyn Newman, Liverpool City Centre Methodist Church
Joyce Newton, St James the Great Hebden Bridge
Selina Nisbett, Trinity and All Saints Abingdon
Matthew Noden, Saint Luke’s
Gary Noonan, Houston and a Killellan Kirk
Peter Normington, Torrisholme Methodist Church
Philip Nott, St Barnabas
John Nugent, Church of Scotland
Fr Thomas O’Brien a.a., Our Lady Immaculate and St Andrew
Peter O’Halloran, Belfast City Vineyard
John O’Melia, Our Lady’s Belper
Rosalind O’Melia, Our Lady’s Belper
Sara O’Shea, Croxley Green Baptist
Hazel O’Sullivan, St Francis and St Mary, West Wickham
Charles Chijioke Oham, All Nations Church RCCG
Gabriel Ojo, Covenant of Peace Assemblies, Manchester
Judith Oldroyd, Talbot Rd Methodist Church
Ivan Oliver, The Salvation Army
Pat Oliver, Avenue St Andrews Southampton
Marian Olsen, Cleckheaton Methodist Church at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Liversedge
Steve Openshaw, Christ Church Walshaw
Anthony Oram, Cottesmore Benefice – Peterborough Diocese
Chris Orange, St Mary Magdalene’s Maltby
Andrew Ovens, St Andrews
Colin Oxenforth, Christ Church, Waterloo
Simon Oxley, Centre for Theology and Justice
Rebecca Packer, Trinity Church Cheadle
Juliana Packer, Trinity Church Cheadle
James Packman, Holy Trinity Nailsea
Nelson Pallister, Christ Church, Orpington
Avis Palmer, Kelsall Methodist
Ben Parish, Lowestoft Community Church
Ian Parker, Lamplugh, Kirkland and Emmerdale LEP
Julia Parkes, Hall Green United Community Church
Sarah Parkin, Bramhall Methodist Church
Rachel Parkinson, Wolverhampton & Shrewsbury District, Methodist Church
Josephine Parkinson, Generations Church
Ruth Parrott, Methodist Women in Britain
Jon Parsons, Buxton Church in the Peak
Hazel Parsons, Halberton Methodist Church
Ian Parsons, Sandbach Baptist Church
Guy Partridge, Freedom Church Bexhill
Linda Paterson, Orchard Baptist church
Raj Patta, United Stockport Circuit
Helen Pattison, Cobham United Church
Will Pearce, King’s Church Leicester
Arnold Pease, Grove Lane Baptist Church
Alyson Peberdy, St Michael and All Angels, Summertown
David Peel, Former Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
John Peet, Airedale Methoidst Circuit
Mark Pengelly, Trinity Methodist, Chelmsford
Diana Penny, St Clements, Outwell
Tim Perkins, Wharfedale & Aireborough Methodist Circuit
Elizabeth Perrott, St Davids. Tywyn
Kathleen Perry, Wolsingham Methodist
Susan Pestell, The Benefice of the Guitings, Farmcote, Cutsdean, Upper and Lower Slaughter
with Eyford and Naunton
Jo Pestell, St Catharine’s Gloucester
Teri Peterson, St John’s
Ian Phillips, Crawley Baptist Church
Joff Phipps, All Saints Highertown
Frank Picken, Torrisholme Methodist Church
Al Pickering, King’s Church Lewes
Melanie Pike, Bromley Baptist Church
Darren Pike, Bromley Baptist Church
Gill Pilkington, Seedfield
Enid Pinch, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
David Pitkeathly, Dorking Christian Centre
Marysia Placzek, St Francis of Assissi
Damian Platt, Christ Church Thornton
Heather Pocock, Kerith Community Church
Matthew Pollard, Bridlington Priory
Keith Poltock, St Peter’s Jessopp Road Church
Richard Poole, St. Andrew’s Church, Furnace Green, Crawley
Iain Pope, Totterdown Baptist Church
Andrew Popplewell, Cedar Tree Church
Stephen potts, Auchaber United Church linked with Auchterless Church
Joyce Powell, Droitwich Methodist
Robert Powell, Drioitwich Methodist
Andrew Pratt, Methodists
Tim Presswood, North Western Baptist Association
Oliver Preston, Christ Church Bridlington
Adam Price, St Aidan’s, Ernesettle
Andres Price, St Michael ‘s Church, Edinburgh
David Price, Stroat Church
Ann Price, St Paul’s
Andrea Price, St Michael’s Church
Rhiannon Price, Tabernacl.Efail Isaf.Pontypridd South Wales
Viv Prior, City Valley Church
Adrian Prior-Sankey, Taunton Team Chaplaincy
Adella Pritchard, Uniting Church Sketty
Joe Pritchard, St Mary’s, Walkley, Sheffield
Barry Probin, New Central Methodist Church, Blackpool
Marc Prowe, Invergowrie Parish Church and Carse Churches
Fr Michael Puljic, Sacred Heart, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
Tom Putt, Burford Church
Andrew Radford, St HIlda’s, Hunts Cross, Liverpool
Simone Ramacci, Wivenhoe Congregational Church
Charles Ramsay, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, Dolgellau
James Ramsay, All Saints, Briston
Sophia Ramsay, Wave Church
Viv Randles, Shrewsbury United Reformed Church
Michael Ranyard, St. Martin’s Church
Margaret Raw, Chorlton Central Manchester
Richard Reakes, St Andrew’s, Countesthorpe
Graham Reardon, Church of England, North Hartismere, Suffolk
Joseph Redhead, Alvechurch baptist church
Monika Redman, Urray and Kilchrist Church of Scotland
Andy Rees, Surrey Chapel
Jonathan Regan, St Peter and St Paul
Dave Rendle
Revd Emily Reynolds, St John’s, Pleck and Bescot
Mike Reynolds, St. William of York, Sheffield
Carolyn Rice, St Giles Church Desborough
Philip Rice, St Giles Church Desborough
Jane Richards, St Andrew’s and Holy Cross
Sam Richards, United Reformed Church
John Richardson, St Oswald’s, Guiseley
Bethan Richardson, Llan
Stuart Richardson, Cramond Kirk
Keith Richardson, Christ church methodist congregation nelson
Philip Ritchie, St Mary and St John, Cowley
Margaret Roberts, St Davids with St Michaels Mt Dinham, Exeter
Ishbel Robertson, Dumbarton Riverside
Evelyn Robertson, Springfield Cambridge Church
Andrew Robertson, Duns and District Parish
John Robinshaw, Dearnley Methodist Church
Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception, London
Victor Rones, Church of England Bracknell
Andrew Rooney, Kirkmuirhill Parish Church
Patrick Rooney, St Wilfrids Preston
Andrew Rose, Avenue Methodist Church Newton Abbot
Eileen Ross, Linwood Parish Church of Scotland
Sarah Ross, Moncreiff Parish Church of Scotland
Graeme Ross, Eastern Baptist Association
Kirsten Rosslyn-Smith, St Peters Shared church stoke Hill Guildford
Anne Roussel, Cambridge Rd Methodist Church Birmingham
Rose Rowe, St John the Baptist
Christopher Rowe, Glasgow: Colston Milton
Sharon Rowe, Ponsanooth
Susan Rowe, Methodist church
David Roy, Adelaide Place Baptist Church
Celia Royce, Mull and Iona Quakers
Phil Rudd, Emmanuel
Christopher Rushton, Clayton Gospel Hall
Hilary Russell, Church of England, Chair Feeling Liverpool
Ian Russell, Torphichen Parish Church of Scotland
Judy Russell, The Mint
Ian Rutherford, Methodist Central Hall, Manchester
Michael Ryall, Bridge Community Church
Craig Ryalls, St Paul’s Church, Salisbury
Gary Ryan, Surrey Chapel
Margaret Ryan, Metropolitan Cathedral
Paul Salaman, Probus parish church
Vaughan Salisbury, Eglwys Unedig Seion
Lynda Salmon, St Everilda’s
Philip Saltmarsh, St Aidan with All Saints Speke
Lindsey Sanderson, United Reformed Church
Eileen Sanderson, Methodist Church
Pete Sandford, St Paul’s, Norton Lees, Sheffield
Rob Saner-Haigh, Diocese of Newcastle
Andrew Sarle, Falkirk: Bainsford
Irim Sarwar, St Michael and All Angels, Summertown, Oxford
Howard Satterthwaite, Westminster Chapel
Mary Saunders, St Peter’s
Janet Scott, Barry Parish Church of Scotland
Joanna Seabourne, St George’s Church, Leeds
Kathy Selby, Bury Methodist Circuit
Giles Semper, St Paul’s Lorrimore Square
Norman Shanks, Wellington, Glasgow
Malcolm Shapland, United Reformed Church
Stuart Sharp, Killearn Kirk
Naomi Sharp, Badminton Road and Winterbourne Down Methodist Churches
Jim Sharp, Beverley Toll Gavel United Church
Anita Shaw, Strathclyde Methodist Circuit
Ruth Shaw, St. Paul, Astley Bridge, Bolton
Alison Shaw, Coast and Country Mission Community
Matt Sheard, Bede Methodist Circuit
Anne Shearer, Alva Parish Church
Peter Shears, St. Anne’s Lewes
Lorraine Shorten, Hall Green United Community Church
Lorraine Shorten, Leominster Moravian Church
Bryan Shutt, Covenant Life Church Leicester
Daniel Sibthorpe, Living Waters Church Clevedon
Robert Silver, Croftfoot parish
Andrew Simpson, St Orans and Dunbeg
Diane Simpson, Killamarsh Methodist Church
Nick Sissons, The Methodist Church
Jack Skett, Dewsbury Elim Church
Stephen Skuce, Methodist Church in Ireland
David Sleet, Haxby & Wigginton Methodist Church
Joe Smith, St Oswald’s, Bidston
Fiona Smith, Ness Bank Church Inverness
Norman Smith, Granton Parish Church
Pamela Smith, Abbots Road URC, Leicester
Mary Smith, Seedfield Methodist Church
Susan Smith, St Marys
Josie Smith, Chorlton Central Church
Valerie Smith, St Margaret’s Ilkley
Lesley Smith, Congleton Parish
Timothy Smith, Gainsborough Methodist Church
Roger Smith, Guiseley Methodist Church
Melanie Smith, Enfield United Reformed Churches
Janet Smith, St Johns Methodist church Llandudno
Janet Smith, Grove Lane Baptist
Jeffrey Smith, Easington Methodist
Patricia Smith, St James
Lillian Smith, Grove Lane Baptist
John Smith, St Bridgets West Kirby
Ann Smith, Muswell Hill Methodist Church
Sarah Smith, Stonehaven Carronside Parish Church
Dean Snuggs, C3 Cheltenham
Derek Softley, Prenton Methodist
Martine Somerville, St Michael-le-Belfrey
David Somerville, Seedfield Methodist Church
Alan Sorensen, Wellpark Mid Kirk
Margaret Sparkes, Buchlyvie Church of Scotland
Lynne Sparkes, St Mary’s Pickersleigh
David Speed, Methodist Church
Elisabeth Spence, Hopefield
Jenny Spouge, South Bedfordshire Methodist Circuit
Roy Squires, New Life Church @ The Mission
Ian Stackhouse, Millmead, Guildford Baptist Church
David Stanfield, First Presbyterian Church Bangor
Lin Stanton, Wisbech Baptist Church
William Habib Steele, New Life Christian Reformed Church, Guenph, ON, Canada
John Steele, Wigginton
Lindsey Steele, New Earswick Quakers
Basil Stephens, St Agnes West Kirby
Martin Stephens, Macclesfield Team Ministry
Rob Stevens, Bookham Baptist Church
Alistair Stewart, Sandbach Baptist Church
Gill Still, Stoke Gabriel Parish Church
Patricia Stoat, St Barbabas Cathedral Nottingham and Chair of Justice & Peace Commission,
Diocese of Nottingham
Brian Stocks, Methodist Curch
Kenneth Stokes, Cholton Methodist Church
Kenneth Stokes, Manley Park Methodist Church
Deacon Bob Stoner, Strathclyde Methodist Churches
Christine Stones, Victoria Methodist Church Bristol
Anne Stott, Perth Riverside, Bertha Park
Kenneth Stott, Perth North
Debra Stoute, Rayners Lane Baptist Church
Mark Strange, Scottish Episcopal Church
Neil Stubbens, The Methodist Church
Roger Sturrock, Wellington Church of Scotland
Frank Sudlow, Our Lady of Lourdes
Matt Summerfield, Zeo Church
Robb Sutherland, Holy Nativity Church Mixenden and Illingworth
Elsie Sutherland, Forest Hill Methodist church
Susan Sutherland, Aberdeen North Parish Church
Rev’d Jon Swales, Lighthouse West Yorkshire
Alan Swann, Lincoln Methodist Corcuit
Sue Swires, Mottram St Andrew
Katie Symons, Grosvenor Church Bideford
Dave Symons, Grosvenor Church Bideford
Tina Tabrah, All Saints Church
Reverend Margaret Tait, Trinity Methodist/URC MassieStreet Cheadle Cheshire
Adrian Tape, St David’s
Mathew Tapusoa, GoChurch Bradford
Tony Taylor, Bishop Auckland Baptist
Terry Taylor, East Kilbride South Parish Churxh
Steve Taylor, St James, Alperton
Anthony Taylor, Grace Church Thame
Mary Taylor, Wakefield Baptist Church
Simon Taylor, Oakwood Church
Ann Taylor, St James, St Andrews
James Teasdale, Glasgow: Eastwood
John Temple, Desborough Baptist Church
Helen Texidor, Effingham Methodist Chapel
Tim Thomas, St John’s Bowling
Gerwyn Thomas, Peniel Church Glynneath
Sally Thomas, St Paul’s United Reformed Church, Bayswater and Kensington United Reformed
Church
Mark Thomas, Lancaster Methodist Church
Maria Thompson, Holy Infant and St Anthony
David Thompson, Former Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church
John Thompson, Hopsital Chaplain
Stephen Thompson, Antrim Methodist
Sam Thompson, Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church
Nigel Thompson, Bury Christian Fellowship
Lesley Thomson, The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
John Thomson, Bishop of Selby, Diocese of York
Celia Thomson, Gloucester Cathedral
Susan Thorne, Hamsterley Methodist Church
Maggie Thorne, The Benefice of Coity, Nolton and Brackla with Coychurch
Joanne Thorns, North East Churches Acting Together
Rev Sally Thornton, Whitefield Methodist Church
Miriam Thurlow, Christ Church Bridlington Network
Stella Tidmarsh, Shrivenham Methodist
David Tillson, Sacred Heart
Ivor Timson, Ive
Chris Tinker, Cornerstone Church, Brighouse
Steve Tinning, Leigh Road Baptist Church
Kenneth Tomlinson, Greenbrook methodist
Ben Topham, St George’s Chruch, Stamford
Rich Townend, Emmanuel Church, Bridlington
Mark Triggs, Bridgnorth Baptist Church
Margaret Tuck, St Lawrence Church
Wendy Tucker, Gloucestershire Methodist Circuit Cirencester, Fairford and South Cerney
Churches
Adrian Tuckwell, St Anne RC Church
Alyson Tunstall, St Michaels Garston
Tim Turner, Beacon Evangelical Church
Jean Turner, Little neston methodist
Rebecca Turner, Millhouses Methodist Church
Anna Twomlow, Hinde Street Methodist
Rose Uitterdijk, Ellesmere Port Community Ministry
Habte Ukbay, St William of York catholic Church/ Forest Hill
Brenda Veitch, Stansted Free Church
Tim Vellacott, Holland Road Baptist Church
Mike Veric, Serbian Orthodox, Donnington, Telford
Janet Vidler, Community Church Robertsbridge
Mark Visser, Grace Vineyard Purley
Liz Vizard, South Street Baptist Church Exeter
Andy Wadsworth, All Saints Trull
Catherine Wagstaff, River Methodist Church
Stephen Walker, Holland Road Baptist Churchb
Alison Walker, Canton Uniting Church
Sarah Walker, Kerith Community Church
Linda Walker, Newlands South
Joe Walker, St Cuthmans Whitehawk
Alison Walker, Cambridge Methodist Circuit
Jim Wallace (Lord Wallace of Tankerness), Church of Scotland General Assembly
Elaine Walters, Christ Church At Andrews
Philip Ward, Jubilee
Martin Ward, Durham Vineyard
Susan Ward, Portsmouth Anglican Cathedral
Lesley Ward, St Mark’s Methodist Church, Cheltenham
Jane Warhurst, St John the Baptist, Irlam
Rev. Rachael Warnock, Emmanuel group of churches
Deborah Warren, Fountains
Keith Warrender, King’sway Church
Ben Warrender, Coastal Community Church
Nick Waterfield, Share Ministry – Parson Cross Sheffield
Nick Watson, Deanery of Manchester South and Stretford
George Watt, Thames North Synod, United Reformed Church
Alan Watt, Church of Scotland
David Watters, St Nicolas Downderry
Gordon Webb, Great Glen Methodist Church
Tim Webber, St Mary’s Hawkshaw
Clare Weiner, St Michael’s Summertown Oxford ex St Margaret’s Oxford
Edmund Weiner, St Michael and All Angels Oxford
Martin Wellings, Barnet & Queensbury Methodist Circuit
Chris West, Rock Methodist
Margaret Westbrook, Manley Park Methodist Church
Helen Whitall, Belmont
John White, Christ Church URC, Clacton -on- Sea
Meryl White, United Reformed Church
Mark White, Our Lady of the Sacred Hear, Herne Bay
Richard White, St Michael & All Angels, Twerton you
Sophia White, Cornerstone Church Bridlington
Simon White, St John the Baptist Tideswell
Anne White, Falkirk Grahamston United
Eileen Whitehorn, Ridgeway Community Church
Ann Whitfield, St Ann’s Deepcar
Joan Whitfield, Silsden Methodist
Diane Whittaker, The Astwell Benefice
John Whittle, Trinity Church Knebworth
Christine Whitworth, The King’s Way. Ossett
Norman Whyte, Ayton and District Churches
Maggie Whyte, Aberdeen St Stephen’s Parish Church
Caroline Wickens, Manchester Circuit, The Methodist Church
Caroline Wickens, Manchester Circuit, The Methodist Church
Carol Wignell, Trinity @ Renishaw Methodist
Hannah Wijetunge, Christchurch Baldock
John Wilkins, Minny Street Chapel, Cardiff
Paul Wilkinson, The Fountain of Life Network Church
Mark Willett, King’s Church Penwortham
Jeniffer Williams, Christ Church Bridlington
Nick Williams, Christ Church Guildford
Jeff Williams, Plough Aberhonddu
Paul Williams, New Life Community Church – Fordingbridge
Virginia Williams, St Thomas’ Stourbridge
Hugh Williams, St Thomas’s Stourbridge
Denise Williamson, Thirsk and Northallerton Methodist Church Circuit.
Katy Willis, Christchurch W4
Anthea Willis, Cobham United Church
Wendy Willoughby-Paul, Hermitage Team
Delyth Wilson, St Lleian’s Church Gorslas
Diane Wilson, St Matthews
Rachael Wilson, The Methodist Church, Upper Thames Circuit
Jane Wilson, Keynsham Methodist Church
Andrew Wilson-Dickson, Canton Uniting Church
David Winstanley, Peasedown St John Methodist Church
David Winwood, Methodist Church
Lesley Wishart, United Church Cobham
Jane Witts, Seaford Life Church
Louise Woodcock, St. James URC, Buckhurst Hill.
Rachel Woodcraft, Kings Church Kingston
Simon Woodman, Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church
Anthony Woods, Durham Quakers
Christine Wooley, Catalyst vineyard ellon
Peter Woolway, South Street Baptist Exeter
Revd Ian Worsfold, The Methodist Church
Paul Worsnop, Windy Nook Methodist Church
Sam Wright, Lisburn Cathedral
Toby Wright, Benefice of Witney
Revd. Fabian Wuyts, St James, Taunton
Dan Yarnell, Redditch Church of Christ
Kate Yates, Trinity URC
James Yeates, St Gabriel’s, Cricklewood
Stephen Yelland, Methodist Church
David Young, Hemel Hempstead Community Church
Vivienne Ruth Young, Billingham Team Parish
Emily Young, Sutton Park Methodist Circuit
Richard Young, Holy Innocents, Fallowfield
David Young, Grove Lane Baptist Church, Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester
Naomi Young-Rodas, Christ Church United Reformed Church, Rayleigh
Agnes Ziebarth, St. Matthew’s
Lucy Zwolinska, Methodist Church

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For the first time, the Government has laid bare the true scale of household food insecurity in the UK.

The Government’s own research conclusively shows that, even prior to the pandemic, one in twelve of all households in the UK were experiencing low or very low levels of food security.

The data was in the Family Resources Survey 2019/20, published by the Department for Work and Pensions on Thursday 25th March.

Most shockingly, it shows that more than four out of ten (43%) households in receipt of Universal Credit experience high or very high levels of household food insecurity. This confirms what people who have to rely on Universal Credit to survive have known for a long time: the level of Universal Credit is simply too low.

It’s worth noting that the survey asked only about people’s experiences in the 30 days before they were interviewed. If people had been asked about the full year, the number of food insecure households would have been far higher still.

It is an indictment of successive Governments that benefit levels across the board have been allowed to drop to such low levels that we have reached this stage.

Millions of families face worrying whether their food will run out before they get money to buy more; can’t afford balanced meals; skip meals or are forced to eat less than they should because there isn’t enough money for food.

The data will be invaluable in enabling the UK to better understand poverty and therefore to address it. That we have this new information is thanks to sustained pressure from End Hunger UK campaigners and others in recent years. Much analysis will come, but there are two conclusions that can immediately be drawn:

Firstly, the Government’s own research makes the case for retaining the £20 a week uplift to Universal Credit after September unanswerable. As this new report clearly demonstrates, to fail to do so would plunge countless families further into hunger.

Secondly, now that it is equipped with this data, it is time for Government to come up with a coherent plan for ending household food insecurity in the UK. That means making sure all incomes are adequate to ensure every family has enough food to eat, and that no parent or child needs to go to bed worrying where the next meal will come from.

Notes from the data

Universal Credit is the single highest contributory factor by some considerable way – in driving levels of household food insecurity in the UK [See table 9.7].
Over 4 in 10 households in receipt of Universal Credit (43%) experience low or very low food security – over five times the national average of 8% across all households.
Over a quarter of households on Universal Credit (26%) are ranked as having ‘very low’ food security – more than six times the national average of 4% for all households.
Households in receipt of state benefits in general terms experience far higher levels of household food insecurity than the general population [See table 9.7]
One in four households on any income-related benefit experience low or very low levels of food security, including: Income Support (36%); Jobseekers Allowance (37%); Employment Support Allowance (31%).
One in four households in receipt of carers allowance and more than one in five households in receipt of personal independence payments are food insecure.
Specific groups experiencing particularly high levels of household food insecurity:
- 31% of working age households living in social housing experience food insecurity compared to just 3% of owner occupiers [See table 9.8]
- 29% of single parent households [See table 9.2]
- 25% of households with one or more unemployed adults under state pension age
- 19% of households with one or more disabled adults under state pension age.
- 19% of black households, compared to 8% for the general population [See table 9.6]

Author: Niall Cooper, director of Church Action on Poverty

26th March 2021

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Press release: Thousands join Your Local Pantry in response to pandemic

5 February 2021

Neighbourhood food pantries can be at the heart of Britain’s pandemic recovery, strengthening communities, improving health, and loosening the grip of poverty.

The Your Local Pantry network today [Friday 5 Feb] launches its 2021 impact report, charting the difference its pantries are making to members and their communities.

In the past year, the number of pantries has risen from 14 to 42. More than 6,800 UK households, including almost 12,000 adults and 8,000 children are now members.

Niall Cooper, director of Church Action on Poverty, which runs the network, said:

“The rapid growth of the Your Local Pantry network offers a beacon of hope, demonstrating that communities can be at the forefront of developing practical and sustainable long-term responses to the pandemic. The network has grown exponentially and is rapidly becoming a key component of community-led recovery across the country. It could easily double in size again in the next two years.

“Of course, we need urgent action by Governments and employers to ensure households have access to secure and adequate incomes, free from the grip of poverty. But at the same time as pressing for such action, our goal over the next five to ten years is to help develop a national network of Local Pantries building dignity, choice and hope at all times for thousands more people. They can help drive the rebuilding of neighbourhoods, and ultimately strengthen the voice of communities who are too frequently overlooked, neglected, or stigmatised.”

Gillian Oliver, Your Local Pantry Development Worker, said:

“When people get in touch about starting a Pantry, they usually have experience of charitable food projects of one kind or another. In 2020 many were councils, grappling with food provision in a national emergency and looking for something new: something local people can lead, something that isn’t constantly grant-seeking but which pays its own way. And that’s what a Pantry is – it’s not charity – it’s not a food bank. It’s a food club that helps your money go further. You can join without being referred and remain a member for as long as you wish.”

The impact report, Dignity, Choice, Hope is based on interviews and surveys with 490 members from 19 pantries, and on stock data and volunteer and member stories.

Findings include:

95% of members said being in a Pantry had improved their household finances
70% feel more connected to their local community
69% say their physical health has improved
76% say membership has improved their mental health
57% say they have made new friends
59% say they now eat less processed food
54% say they now eat more fresh fruit & veg

One member at St Andrew’s Pantry in Liverpool said: “The Pantry is helping me a lot financially to make fresh healthy meals, leaving me more able to pay my bills, which was something I was struggling to do. I was eating a lot of frozen food and struggling to put gas and leccy in my meter. Thanks to the Pantry this is no longer an issue.”

Another in Birmingham said: “I feel happy and don’t feel ashamed going in here, or feel like I’m being judged. Everyone is treated the same.”

The report shows that pantries have been instrumental in increasing resilience, building community, saving money, and promoting health and well-being for thousands of people.

The past year’s growth has been fastest in Liverpool, where the St Andrew’s Community Partnership has opened ten new pantries with total membership of more than 2,200, supported by Liverpool City Council and Together Liverpool. There has also been rapid growth in the West Midlands, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London, and pantries have also opened in Lowestoft, Dover, Salisbury and Dorset.

Members join pantries by paying a small weekly subscription (typically around £5), which entitles them to £20 or more a week of groceries, meaning members can save more than £780 a year. Stock comes through FareShare and local suppliers, and a key principle of pantries is that people have access to a good choice of high-quality food. The choice is central to sustaining dignity, but the research shows membership benefits extend far beyond food access and saving money.

The past year has seen a wide range of organisations support the pantry model, including Liverpool City Council, Burgess Hill Town Council in Sussex, Oasis Academy Trust in the West Midlands, Peabody Housing Trust in London, a GP-surgery in Dorset, a local arts centre in north Edinburgh and many smaller neighbourhood organisations and faith groups.

The Your Local Pantry model was pioneered by Stockport Homes in 2013, and developed into a national network by Church Action on Poverty.

Elena Vacca, Community Food Officer at Foundations Stockport (part of Stockport Homes Group), said:

“I’m glad that the model we created has been rolled out across the UK by Church Action Poverty and therefore it’s had the chance to help support more people throughout the pandemic in terms of accessing food but also in tackling social isolation. In Stockport, residents have been grateful to get access to the food they need with dignity, providing a hand up rather than a hand out.”

Notes to editors

The impact report, Dignity, Choice, Hope can be downloaded here. It includes quotes from many pantry members and volunteers.
The report is authored by Dr Naomi Maynard of Rooted Research in Liverpool and Dr Fiona Tweedie of Brendan Research in Edinburgh.
If you have any queries or to arrange interviews with pantries in any particular area, email gavin@church-poverty.org.uk
Your Local Pantry was formed by Stockport Homes Group in 2013, and developed into a national network by Church Action on Poverty. The roll-out is supported by Thrive Together Birmingham, St Andrew’s Community Network Liverpool and Faith in Community Scotland.
Pantries are run along cooperative lines, by and for their members and are run as neighbourhood shops, with uniformed staff, helping to reduce the stigma.
They are open to anyone who lives in the local area, with no need for referral, and there is no time limit on membership.
Members can choose what they want, using a colour-coded system to ensure access to a balance of fresh, packaged and higher-value foods.
Your Local Pantry insists on good quality food, including fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen and chilled food, including meat and dairy products, alongside tins and packets.

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New pantry friendship scheme to avert food shortages for thousands

8 April 2020

Thousands of people could be protected from food shortages during the coronavirus crisis, after the launch of a friendship project was fast-tracked

The Friends of Your Local Pantry scheme will raise cash from individuals and businesses, to ensure food provision for neighbours at risk of severe poverty.

The Your Local Pantry network has 14 member run food clubs around the UK, providing members with regular access to supermarket food at greatly reduced prices. The pantries pre-empt hunger and loosening the grip of poverty, freeing up more income for other costs and essential bills.

In March, the number of visits to the pantries passed 1,000 in a month for the first time, but the coronavirus crisis has threatened supply chains and organisers anticipate increased need over the coming months.

Today, the project is launching its Friends of Your Local Pantry scheme so that through one-off or monthly donations, supporters can prevent pantries from running low on staple foods, ensuring members can stay afloat in tough times.

Pantries offer fresh and chilled food, as well as frozen, long-life and tinned goods. Members can routinely choose what they put in their basket, typically being able to access around £20 of food for just £3 or £4 a week. Nationally, pantries have 1,400 members and provide for 3,600 adults and children, with pantries in Greater Manchester, London, the West Midlands, Cardiff, Preston, Stoke-on-Trent and Liverpool.

Church Action on Poverty runs the national network, following the success of a local scheme developed by Stockport Homes in 2014. Pantries source food from Fareshare and local suppliers, and members pay a weekly subscription, which allows them to access a set number of heavily-discounted items each week.

Gillian Oliver, pantry project worker at Church Action on Poverty, said: “The coronavirus crisis has caused sudden hardship and natural fear for people across the country. We know it will mean many more parents losing work, children potentially going hungry, and people worrying about food security. For that reason, we have brought forward the launch of our friendship scheme, so our supporters and the wider public can act now to prevent hunger.”

Pantries are a proven solution across the country, preventing thousands of people from being swept deeper into poverty. People have already been phoning us asking how they can donate, and the friends scheme allows us to respond to that compassion in the best way. Signing up could not be easier – all the details are at www.yourlocalpantry.co.uk/friend

Some pantries have already adapted since the coronavirus lockdown began. The pantry in Peckham has had to move to another room to enable safe distancing, but has also reduced its fee and the food it can provide, due to supply interruptions. The pantry in Smethwick had to relocate when the library where it was based closed.

Individuals and businesses are being asked to sign up to the friends scheme. They will be able to select a single pantry to receive 75% of their donation, with the rest used equally across the whole network, or they can donate to the central fund.

All donors will be acknowledged in Your Local Pantry communications or events, and the largest business supporters will be supported to include the work in their corporate social responsibility portfolio. Businesses pledging £50 a month of more can attend and contribute to the Your Local Pantry AGM and can request a talk to their business from the leader of their local project.

Notes to editors

Please email gillian@church-poverty.org.uk or gavin@church-poverty.org.uk with any queries.
For more information on Your Local Pantry, visit yourlocalpantry.co.uk and for an impact report demonstrating the success and impact of the project, visit https://www.yourlocalpantry.co.uk/about-us/our-social-impact-report/
Further photos from Your Local Pantries around the country are available on request. email gavin@church-poverty.org.uk

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