EY2010 working-age poverty: list of local listening campaigns

• ATD, London, 21-23 May: a group of 18-30-year-olds will look at issues around working-age poverty, policy and myths during a weekend meeting. Contact Brendan Coyne(02077033231 or coyneb@atd-uk.org)
• New Routes/ Interface, Norwich, May - June: one-to-one interviews with 40 unemployed BME clients, to identify the barriers encountered and find the combinations of solutions needed to break through to employment.  Contact Dee Robinson (01603 632816 or newroutes@interfacelearning.org.uk)      
  
• North Derbyshire Carers Forum, Derbyshire, 26 May, 16 June, 30 June: self-help support group of mental health carers will arrange listening events targeting 10-15% of their 300 members. Contact Rob Hanlon (01298 78360 or 07950 764 929 or Robhanlol2002@yahoo.co.uk)
• Women Connect First, Cardiff, 18 and 25 June: two discussion groups to uncover barriers and policy issues around work and employment, and to identify some of the myths about poverty and tackle them, which hinder BME women from improving their skills, securing paid work and realising their full potential and making a positive contribution in the Welsh economy.    Contcta Soad Hamdi (02920 34315 or WCF@womenconnectfirst.fsnet.co.uk)      
  
• African Community Centre,Swansea, 7 July: wWorkshop with refugees and asylum-seekers focusing on some of the barriers faced in the area of accessing work and employment by these individuals especially as an outcome of certain policies. Contact Ayo Thompson (01792 470 298 or Ayo.thompson@africancommunitycentre.org.uk)
  
• Clean Slate, Bristol, June (tbc): an event to review the themes and messages around barriers people of working age and in poverty face, policies they would change and myths they (or we) want to put straight.  This will be run in parallel with another event to look at routes out of poverty. Contact Jeff (07957 141085 or jeff@cleanslateltd.co.uk)
• Ealing CVS, London, July 2010 (tbc): an event and discussion groups with people experiencing poverty and the groups which advocate their plight.  The events will  focus on working-age poverty / social exclusion – people experiencing a benefit trap and those who are able to work but still find themselves in poverty.  Contact Margaret Giwa (020 8280 2238 or Margaret@ealingcvs.org.uk)
• Fairbridge, Wales, date tbc: engaging young people in an open discussion to work together to come up with three myths and policy issues surrounding poverty. We will work with two groups of young people aged  17-25. Contact Lizzie Vine (029 2104 0065 or Lizzie.Vine@fairbridge.org.uk)  
  
• South West Birmingham Community Association, Birmingham, 7 July: a community lunch event involving local community groups and volunteers in the community who work at the very front-line with people who are experiencing poverty.  Contact Carol Lowe (0121 459 6963 or carole.lowe@yahoo.co.uk)     
  
• Refugee Diversity, Wrexham, 14-18 June: Listening events & consultation with refugees and asylum-seekers on poverty and the barriers to employment and each will be asked if they could change one policy and explode one myth what it would be. Contact Gillian Lewis (01978 367890/367895 or gillian.lewis@welshrefugeecouncil.org)
• South Riverside Community Development Centre, Cardiff, date tbc: two Listening Events - one event to be focused on men, mainly Bangladeshi; one event to be focused on different BME women. Contact Allan Herbert (029 20250557 or AllanHerbert@srcdc.org.uk)
• Community Cross Link, Gamesley, Glossop SK13 0LU, Derbyshire, 30 June: two listening events, working with local community leaders, church workers and people who are low-skilled, low-waged or unemployed - Workshop 1 looking at barriers unemployed people face; workshop 2 focusing on people working in the 'informal economy'. Contact Pat Javanaud (pat.javanaud@derbyshire.gov.uk or 01457 858035)
• Derbyshire unemployed Workers Centres, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, 16 July: a Chesterfield listening meeting giving a voice to those experiencing poverty both in and out of work. Aims to raise the policy issues that the participants raise at the meeting and carry them forward in their campaigns.  They also would like to encourage participants to keep a diary concerning the problems of living on an inadequate income to add to the European Minimum Income campaign. Contact Colin Hampton (colin.hampton@duwc.org.uk or 01246 231441)      
  
• High Peak CVS, Peak District, date tbc: workshops for those experiencing social exclusion in the Peak District and organisations working with them, looking in particular at the impact of living in a rural area. Four workshops are being planned,  one looking at working-age disability, one on teenage/single mothers, ones on financial exclusion and possibly aspects of mental health to be confirmed.  Contact Carol Evans (carol.evans@phonecoop.coop or 01663 750765)  
  
• Community Voluntary Partners (CVP) and Bolsover Financial Inclusion Project, Shirebrook, Notts, 30 June and mid-July: two participatory workshops. These will be open events. We will also conduct one-to-one interviews with beneficiaries of the Bolsover Financial Inclusion Project. Contact Jon O’Neill (jon@bolsovercvp.org.uk or 01623 747147)
  
• Oasis, Cardiff, date tbc: a two-hour workshop looking at issues of poverty for asylum-seekers.  The myths they may wish to discuss are: asylum-seekers have excellent support and do nothing all day, most asylum-seekers are here for a better life, and asylum-seekers do not integrate into the local community. The areas of myths will be discussed with the opening one 'no one in the UK ever goes hungry'.  The group will then agree on three myths and discuss what they mean to them and how to change the perception of these myths  in the local community and wider area. Contact Reynette Roberts (Reynette@oasiscardiff.org or 07966305334)     
  

We are awaiting confirmation of further possible listening campaigns in:

• Plymouth
• Norwich
• Glasgow
• West Midlands

Watch this space!