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Young Catholics call on MPs to Get Fair
The Young Christian Workers (YCW) have called on all Members of Parliament to turn their attention from the expenses scandal to the scandal of UK poverty.
The postcards highlight the injustices faced by young people in the UK today
YCW, a member of the Get Fair coalition alongside CAP, launched a photo-driven campaign depicting everyday young people in situations of poverty and isolation. They sent every MP five postcards, illustrating the reality of UK youth poverty. The photos include a young sofa-surfer, a low-waged worker and a young adult overwhelmed by the expense of the retail and leisure industry.
The postcard campaign was timed to coincide with the national Get Fair Constituency Lobby, which saw campaigners meet with over 100 MPs over the weekend of 26-28 June.
Speaking about the initiative, YCW President Danny Curtin said “In the wake of the expenses scandal, we hope this is a chance for MPs to show that they are committed to their young constituents. In the midst of every community you can find the crippling effects of poverty which strips people of their self-worth and sense of dignity. As the world’s fifth richest nation, this is simply wrong. It’s time to get fair”.
The postcard campaign asks each MP to commit to help eradicate poverty, by supporting policies that promote the dignity and value of every young person in the UK.
Curtin continued “Our society has all the resources we need to do something about poverty. There is no justifiable reason why UK poverty should be allowed to exist.”
YCW’s main concern is that, by the government’s own measure, 28% of 16-24-year-olds live in poverty in the UK. Furthermore, over a third of young full-time workers do not earn a living wage, and one in five cannot afford the leisure activities that most people would take for granted. As such, the leisure industry is pricing the poorest in society out of the market. Worse still, housing costs are forcing people into overcrowded accommodation, now numbering 300,000 young people, 60,000 becoming ‘sofa-surfers’, travelling from one sofa to another.
YCW is using the postcards to seek support from young people to lobby their own MPs directly, and recruit local leaders, church leaders and their friends and colleagues to join the Get Fair campaign, aiming to eradicate all UK poverty by 2020.
Postcards and information are available by emailing YCW.
