Poverty and Homelessness Action Week training events

Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, running from 27 January 2008 to Sunday 3 February 2008, represents a major opportunity to put poverty issues firmly on the agenda of local churches, communities and policy makers across the UK.

Church Action on Poverty, Church Urban Forum, Housing Justice and Scottish Churches Housing Action are aiming to encourage at least 100 poverty hearings or similar events to take place across the country during that week.

We're running Training Events across the country during the autumn, introducing a variety of options for the local events in Jan/Feb 2008. These could include a local poverty hearing, hosted by a church or community project through to a full day town/city hearing organised by several organisations. Some Churches Together groups may wish to take the lead. Each events should find ways to enable people with personal experience of poverty or homelessness the opportunity to tell their stories, though advisers and others may also contribute.

The Training Event will also inform you about CAP’s new Lent Study Programme "Just Church" and the campaign - "Free from Poverty" - which involves a wider coalition of national partner organisations to encourage stronger political concern about poverty in preparation for the anticipated General Election in 2008 or 2009.

Events are taking place at the following dates and venues:

• 22 Sep, 10:00-16:00, LACE, Liverpool
• 2 Oct, 11:00-13:00. Arthur Rank Centre, Warwickshire
• 2 Oct, 18:00-20:00, Church House, Leicester
• 4 Oct, 10:30-14:00, URC Church House, London
• 4 Oct, 19:00-21:00, St Michael's Church Hall, Lichfield
• 6 Oct, 10:00-12:00, Central URC, Sheffield
• 9 Oct, 18:00-20:00, Central Hall, Manchester
• 10 Oct, 19:00-21:00, Cathedral Centre, Lincoln
  
• 13 Oct, 10:00-12:00, Clarence Community Centre, Stockton
• 13 Oct, 14:30-15:30, St Peter's School, Solihull
• 15 Oct, 18:00-20:00, St John's Princes St, Edinburgh
• 17 Oct, 18:00-20:00, Anderston Kelvingrove Parish Church, Glasgow
• 18 Oct, 19:15-21:15, Rubislaw Church, Aberdeen
• 23 Oct, 18:00-20:00, Holywell Lodge, St Albans
• 24 Oct, 18:00-20:00, Hoole United Reformed Church, Chester
• 25 Oct, 10:00-12:00, Gloucester Age Concern, Gloucester
  
• 27 Oct, 10:00-12:00, Cathedral Centre, Plymouth
  
• 27 Oct, 14:00-16:00, The Old Deanery, Exeter
  
• 30 Oct, 14:15-16:00, St John's Church, London (part of Housing Justice AGM)
• 1 Nov, 18:00-20:00, Thornbury Centre, Bradford
• 5 Nov, 12:30-2:30, Trinity House, London
  
• 10 Nov, 10:30-12:30, Assisi Centre, Bristol
• 10 Nov, 11:00-14:00, Von Hugel Institute, Cambridge
• 12 Nov, 19:00-21:00, St John's Discovery Centre, Portsmouth
• 13 Nov, 10:00-12:00, Grassroots Centre, Blackpool
• 14 Nov, 19:30-21:30, St Mary & St Peter's Community Centre, Sunderland
  

You can download a complete list of all the events which includes contact details for the local organisers and full addresses for the venues. You can also download a booking form.

Or contact Liam Purcell at CAP (0161 236 9321 or liamp@church-poverty.org.uk)
to find out more or book a place at your local event.