Gavin Aitchison, Author at Church Action on Poverty

Throughout 2022, we are telling the stories from the Dignity, Agency, Power calendar. May’s page features Your Local Pantry, so we caught up with James Henderson, who became network development coordinator for Your Local Pantry at the end of last year.

Hi James… Can you start by telling us how the Pantry network is doing?

It’s going really well. We were delighted to recently launch the first Pantry in Northern Ireland, which means we now have Pantries in all four nations of the UK, and we are still getting lots of interest.

We’ve also recently had our second Pantry open in Portsmouth, and other new ones opening in Leicester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sandwell, St Helen’s, Peterborough, Epsom and Sefton. We are on 68 pantries now, and it’s been really exciting to see the growth and development, and knowing what a difference Pantries are making to communities.

What do you think is driving that growth?

It feels like Pantries are a really current solution to the whole set of circumstances we are seeing just now. People are being squeezed from all sides, particularly with the cost of living. We all want to people and communities to have as much dignity as possible, and they are seeing that the Pantry model works.

Something we are developing, and really keen to further develop, is the idea of the Pantry as a wider community hub, providing what members want beyond just shopping. Can other people and services come in to give the Pantries even more value?

James, you've been in post for almost 6 months now. How are you finding it?

I am really loving it! It’s a really dynamic team to work with, and we work well together, with a nice mix of skills. I really enjoy getting out and visiting Pantries. It’s one thing reading or hearing about things, but to go and meet members and volunteers and coordinators is fantastic.

I love hearing stories from members about the impact Pantries are having on their lives, whether that’s helping them save for something important to them, or easing the difficult choices people are having to make, or meeting new people.

I love seeing the compassion of volunteers and coordinators, and seeing how much they really do care for the members. Pantries are really embedded in communities, and when you go in there is such a buzz, such a nice atmosphere. It’s lovely to see.

People reading this might want to get involved, or support Pantries. What can people do?

There are a few things people can do. If people want to join a Pantry, you can find your nearest one on the website. If there’s not one where you live, and you want to start one, there’s a Q&A on the website too, or you can email us for information.

Pantries are all hosted by local organisations, such as community centres, charities, churches or councils, so you might want to find a local organisation that you think could be a host.

If you want to support the network, the Friends Of Your Local Pantry scheme is a great way to get involved. This enables you to support your nearest pantry and others in the network.

Also, just spreading the word is useful, and if you are a Christian then keep praying for the members, volunteers and coordinators. Half of the Pantries are linked to churches, and I know those

Pantry teams really appreciate people’s prayers. Some members are in very difficult situations and volunteers are increasing hours, and some Pantries have waiting lists because there is so much demand, so all support is appreciated.

Lastly, do follow us on social media. It’s a lovely way to see what different Pantries are doing, and to hear from volunteers and members and coordinators all over the country.

Be part of a movement that’s reclaiming dignity, agency and power

Resources

SPARK newsletter winter 2023-24

Download the winter 2023-24 newsletter for supporters of Church Action on Poverty

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Telling your own story for a good purpose is like having a superpower, says Ellis.

Every month, our Dignity, Agency, Power series tells of inspiring people and groups who are tackling poverty in the UK.

Some stories are of people taking action right now, and others look at great pieces of work in the recent past. All of them, we hope, might bring renewed hope, ideas and confidence for all of us in the movement to end UK poverty.

The stories run alongside the photos in the 2022 Dignity, Agency, Power photo calendar.

Our March story feature Ellis Howard, who spoke to us last year about his work to ensure people’s struggles are not only heard, but also drawn on to help improve the future.

If you missed it then, here’s what Ellis had to say:

My name is Ellis Howard. I am a Scouse actor-writer. With Church Action on Poverty, I ran a series of workshops all about how we can use our lived experiences and transform them to activism; how we can own our stories of struggle, of food shortages, to empower us and to help shape future policy and future lives.

Transforming lived experience into activism

Celebrating unheard stories

For so long these stories, these experiences, these lives have been completely undocumented. They haven’t been celebrated in a glorious nuanced way.

Harness your superpower

Get in touch with all of those things that make you unique, and absolutely harness them, because that’s where your superpower lies.

Be part of a movement that’s reclaiming dignity, agency and power

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Church Action on Poverty in Sheffield: annual report 2023-24

God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. ———— Revd Dr Martin Luther King ———— …

The 2022 Dignity, Agency, Power calendar include stories from today and from previous inspiring campaigns in the movement to end poverty. Here, we look at the Tax Justice Tour.

In 2012, Church Action on Poverty and Christian Aid took a double-decker Tax Justice Bus around the UK on a 53-day tour,
visiting 109 towns and cities.

Campaigners spoke to politicians, campaign groups, church leaders and the media, inspiring people to speak up and mobilising support.

This campaign and others paid off in summer 2021, when the G7 leaders agreed that multinational companies must pay at least 15% tax on profits in countries where they operate – a big step towards tax justice.

The tour generated nearly 500 pieces of media coverage, and dozens of MPs boarded the bus when it reached their constituency, to learn more about the issues.

At the end of the tour, a petition with 10,000 signatures was presented to Prime Minister David Cameron.

In 2021, the campaign and similar ones paid off, when finance ministers from G7 countries reached a deal to ensure multinational companies pay at least 15% tax on profits in the countries where they operate.

Be part of a movement that’s reclaiming dignity, agency and power

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Stoke voices: We want opportunity and hope

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Merseyside Pantries reach big milestone

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In 2022, as we enter our 40th anniversary year, our vision remains the same: A UK free from poverty. We remain unrepentant in believing this should be the goal in one of the richest countries on the planet.

By Niall Cooper, Church Action on Poverty director

19 January 2022

Whilst our vision remains the same, our goal for the coming year is to enable people and communities to be more resilient in the face of an impending cost of living catastrophe (see The Year of the Squeeze, Resolution Foundation).

In this blog, I will look at the economic context and challenges, then show why we can be optimistic, particularly if we work in partnership in communities. Finally, to show this is not wishful thinking, I set out six examples that can give us all grounds for confidence and hope.

Context: The coming cost of living catastrophe

The latest research from Joseph Rowntree Foundation published this week, shows that households on low incomes will be spending on average 18% of their income after housing costs on energy bills after April. For single adult households on low incomes this rises to a shocking 54%. (see Rising energy bills devastate poorest families, JRF). Lest we forget, this is on top of the ongoing impacts of the pandemic itself, and a decade of austerity, stagnant incomes and destitution (as documented by Coventry University’s Life on the Breadline research project we partnered with from 2018-2021).

Left to their own devices, individuals and families will struggle to cope. Neither the traditional welfare safety net nor increasingly threadbare local public services are likely to be able to offer much respite, beyond the most immediate crisis support – or a foodbank voucher. (see Leave No Family Behind Welfare Assistance during Covid-19).

Moving beyond traditional approaches to tackling poverty

Responses which focus on either securing significant increases in benefit levels from Government, or on ‘rescuing’ individuals and families from poverty are unlikely to deliver significant results, and arguably even less so in the current economic and political climate.

In fact, traditional approaches to tackling poverty, which effectively deny any agency or power to people and communities struggling against poverty themselves, may exacerbate the way in which people are ‘othered’ and seen only as part of a problem to be fixed (see ‘To count for nothing’: Poverty beyond the statistics).

Deep-seated and institutionalised prejudice on the basis of race, gender, disability and class is also frequently masked by ‘one-sized fits all’ approaches to tackling poverty.

The churches and the anti-poverty sector (within which we must also include Church Action on Poverty) need to recognise and actively re-dress our own biases, and take seriously the challenge of intersectionality if we wish to be seen as part of the solution rather than part of the problem in future. (see Intersectionality: revealing the realities of poverty and inequality in Scotland).

Signs of hope: radical thinking and resilient communities

In the face of this, radical voices are calling for a new social revolution, rekinding democracy or a shift towards a wellbeing economy, or circular economy.

All of these, in their different ways, are seeking to place local people and communities back at the centre of how to rebuild a society fit for the 21st century, in which people, rather than profit and growth, matter most

As we also know afresh from the past 18 months, local communities are huge reservoirs of resilience, mutual support and goodwill (see Resilient communities). Faith communities, whilst not being the sole repository of resilience, are at the heart of this, holding precious assets of committed volunteers, community buildings, social networks and public trust (see Movement for recovery).

The task ahead: Reclaiming dignity agency and power together

In this context, Church Action on Poverty’s task for the next year and beyond is to focus on working with a wide array of partners to promote initiatives in which local people and communities struggling against poverty can come together, and take collective action to reclaim their own dignity, agency and power, in order to mitigate the impact of a further economic squeeze.

Here are six examples of what that looks like in action:

1: Your Local Pantry

Local Pantries are ideally positioned at the forefront of a resilient community response.

The 70+ members of the Your Local Pantry network across the UK are a form of mutual aid. Each Pantry member can save up to £780 from their household bills each year – roughly balancing out the impact of the fuel price rise and tax increases slated for April on low income households.

In this way, joining Your Local Pantry is a preventative act – to stop household finances slipping further into the red over the coming months. On the positive side of the equation, Local Pantries also serve to boost a broad range of other household assets, including health, mental health, social connection, self-esteem, dignity and choice – and more broadly provide a locus for hope and optimism at neighbourhood level.

2: Self-Reliant Groups

More modestly, we will continue to grow the Self-Reliant Groups movement with new or existing partners (including piloting SRGs within Local Pantries), as a way of promoting women’s empowerment and gender justice (80% of SRG members are women from low income, marginalised communities).

Joining a Self-Reliant Group is a highly effective way for highly excluded groups of people to build their self-confidence, social solidarity, dignity as well as the agency that comes from collectively earning even relatively modest sums of money.

3: Poverty Truth Commissions

Identifying partners in one or two areas who are keen to develop proposals for local Poverty Truth Commissions, in conjunction with the Poverty Truth Network, will enable people struggling against poverty to constructively engage with key leaders in public and private institutions that continue to wield significant power at local level.

These powerholders regularly make critical decisions over the allocation of large public and private budgets (frequently running to hundreds of millions of pounds), workforces and services that impact the lives of local populations. Even ‘marginal gains’ or seemingly ‘small scale’ changes inspired by grassroots members of Poverty Truth Commissions can have significant and tangible benefits for large numbers of people struggling against poverty at town or city-wide level.

4: Speaking Truth To Power

Speaking truth to power will continue to be a vital task, to ensure the voices, stories, ideas and opinions of people struggling with poverty are heard and understood by decision makers, including those in the faith and voluntary sectors as well as politicians, public bodies, opinion formers, the media and ultimately the general public.

To this end, our new Speaking Truth to Power programme will be a key priority, drawing on proven methods developed over the past decades. This work will support a new generation of activists – including critically people struggling against poverty themselves – to have the skills and confidence to speak their own truth to power on the issues that matter most to them and their communities.

We will pilot this with work in a number of local areas, including where there is a critical mass of Pantries and Pantry members, as a means of exploring the potential for Your Local Pantry to become a broader member-led movement for broader social change at local and ultimately national level.

5: Challenge Poverty Week

We will continue to invest and grow Challenge Poverty Week as a key ‘mobilising moment’ for partners across the country to celebrate the positive work being undertaken within local communities and amplify the voices of people in poverty, whilst reminding power holders and the wider public of the need for a broader commitment to challenge poverty in the difficult years ahead.

6: Churches as agents of social transformation

Churches are ideally placed to play a key role within this work, but to do so requires an institutional, theological and cultural shift away from models of ‘service provision’. These models see people primarily through the lens of helplessness, haplessness, vulnerability or victimhood, triggering thoughts of rescue or saving. We need to move towards models in which churches are open to the possibility of people struggling against poverty exercising agency and leadership, as equal partners alongside clergy and (other) church members, (eg through the model of member-run Local Pantries).

It will also require investing in models of mission, leadership and discipleship which affirm the importance of social engagement and transformation (the missionary goal of transforming the unjust structures of society).

This is exemplified by the Church of Scotland’s Priority Areas programme and Faith in Community Scotland. Through our existing church partnerships and Church on the Margins programme, Church Action on Poverty can play a modest role in advocating for these new ways of working, and in challenging the institutional churches to invest in what the Church of Scotland recognised more than a decade ago to be ‘the Gospel priority.’

Building a social movement, a social revolution and a wellbeing society

Through all of this, Church Action on Poverty can play a catalytic role, working with partners to grow a radical social movement in which people and communities struggling against poverty are able to reclaim their dignity, agency and power.

In doing so, we can enable communities who are too often written off as ‘left behind’ to play a key role in a wider social revolution and transition towards a society focussed on the wellbeing of all its members.

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Don't try to 'give a voice' - listen to the voices that have been drowned out

Every month, our Dignity, Agency, Power series tells of inspiring people and groups who are tackling poverty in the UK.

The stories run alongside the photos in our annual Dignity, Agency, Power photo calendars. This was one of the first stories:

Meet Jayne & Shaun in Salford

Jayne and Shaun are two tenacious and inspirational activists.

They have taken part in many community initiatives to help tackle the root causes of poverty, locally and nationally, and have spoken up about the way people in poverty are represented, particularly in the media.

Over to Jayne:

“One of the things that happens with people in poverty is that their confidence and self-esteem are affected so it’s really important that people are encouraged to use their voice, even if they do not feel they have got one.

“I get annoyed when organisations say they are ‘empowering’ people, because that says ‘they’ have power and ‘we’ do not. I like when organisations like Church Action on Poverty talk about the person’s own agency, and through agency comes dignity.

Real voices & real experience really matter

“Charities and organisations shouldn’t say “we give people a voice”. People have a voice, but often nobody listens. I like when organisations and people acknowledge the voices that are already there, and use their abilities to find and amplify voices that are already there.

“That’s what Church Action on Poverty does. I have enjoyed my whole time working alongside them, destigmatising issues and finding real voices with real experience. That is what really matters.

A new outlook, thanks to Poverty Truth

“I am very passionate about Self Reliant Groups. Shaun and I have both been involved in that movement, and have seen how wonderful they are for people, forging community and creativity and independence. I’ve also enjoyed the media guide projects we’ve worked on, to improve how poverty is covered in the media, and the food research work, and also the creative work during the pandemic, like the Same Boat poetry anthology.

“I have enjoyed everything… but if I had to pick one stand-out thing, it would have to be the Salford Poverty Truth Commission. It changed the way I thought about myself and the issues. I realised that it is important to use the voice you have and use it un-self-consciously, because hearing people’s real stories matters. The only thing that happens if you don’t share, is that other people remain unaware.

“All my life, I had been self-conscious about speaking publicly or in groups. But then, coming out of the Poverty Truth Commission, I was sometimes asked to speak on a stage or to strangers and to people who had more power than me in society.

“Instead of feeling nervous, it felt very much like that my role was to communicate the truth, and I wanted to do that well. I cared not about how people saw me, but about the stories being heard. The Poverty Truth experience ended the idea of “them and us” for me. It brought home the human-ness of everyone.

“For the photos in the calendar, Shaun and I chose to be pictured at Salford Museum and Art Gallery. It’s a place that tries really hard to keep the community involved, and which hasn’t changed or been destroyed over the years by the growth of harsh capitalism.”

Actions: 3 things you could do now...

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The 2022 Dignity, Agency, Power photo calendar is packed with inspiring and uplifting people helping to loosen poverty's grip.

Copies are being sent to Church Action on Poverty’s supporters. If you’re not on our mailing list and would like to order copies, email us.

Here’s is a preview, showing the 12 featured stories. For each one, we also suggest a simple immediate step you can take, to help propel the movement to end poverty.

1. Meet Jayne & Shaun

Jayne Gosnall and Shaun Kelly have inspired many others by
sharing their stories, poetry and creativity, including in the Same Boat? anthology and through the Self-Reliant Group movement.

Jayne was also part of Salford Poverty Truth Commission and has spoken up in the media about poverty.

She says: “One of the best things that has happened to me is getting involved in projects through Church Action on Poverty. It’s a great organisation and what I like is that they always try to get normal voices in there, which is really good.

“One of the things that happens with people in poverty is that their confidence and self-esteem are affected so it’s really important that people are encouraged to use their voice, even if they do not feel they have got one.”

Photo by Madeleine Penfold

2. All aboard for tax justice

In 2012, Church Action on Poverty and Christian Aid took a double-decker Tax Justice Bus around the UK on a 53-day tour,
visiting 109 towns and cities.

Campaigners spoke to politicians, campaign groups, church leaders and the media, inspiring people to speak up and mobilising support.

Photo by The Press newspaper in York.

3. A love letter to brave souls

To challenge poverty, it’s vital that people with direct experience are heard.

Ellis Howard, an actor-writer from Liverpool, ran workshops
with Church Action on Poverty in 2020, showing how people can
use their lived experiences and transform them into activism, using stories of struggle, hunger or poverty to build power and shape the future.

Ellis’ contribution to our Same Boat? poetry anthology on
poverty and lockdown was “a love letter to those brave souls who history continually tries to undermine, but we don’t let it.”

He says: “For so long these stories, these experiences, these lives have been completely undocumented. They haven’t been celebrated in a glorious nuanced way.”

Photo by Madeleine Penfold

4. A bold vision to end hunger

The End Hunger UK campaign, coordinated by Church Action
on Poverty from 2016 to 2020, brought together faith groups,
campaigners and charities, united by a bold vision of a country
where everyone has access to good food.

One of the brightest events was when the Food Glorious Food choir, formed in a Sheffield food bank, sang at the city’s Cathedral as part of a day of action.

There is a long way to go, but campaigning has helped ensure that the Government now properly monitors food poverty, and is funding a programme of food and activities which goes some way to tackling the growing problem of holiday hunger.

Photo by Alexandra Wallace

5. Food with dignity

The Your Local Pantry network safeguards food access without compromising on dignity.

The number of Pantries supported by Church Action on Poverty
has more than trebled in the past two years. Over 11,000 households are now members.

Pantries reduce costs, strengthen community, combat isolation and improve health and wellbeing. They are bustling triumphs of community, and can be the cornerstone for future progress.

Pictured are volunteers Christine Hoy and Karen Paterson, at the Fresh Start Pantry in Edinburgh.

Photo by Christopher Cook.

6. Tackling Debt on our Doorstep

For many years, ‘doorstep lenders’ and ‘rent-to-own’ companies
were a scourge on poor communities, charging exorbitant rates
to people who had nowhere else to turn.

We knew it would take a broad effort to bring change, so the Debt On Our Doorstep campaign brought together churches, credit unions, experts on debt and credit, and most importantly, people with personal experience of debt and high-cost lending.

This picture shows our ‘loan sharks’ demonstration outside Parliament. Campaigning paid off… Government regulators finally took action, introducing a cap on the cost of credit and other regulations which ultimately led to Wonga, Provident Financial and other lenders having to cease their exploitative practices.

Photo from Church Action on Poverty archives.

7. July

Stef Benstead knew first-hand how badly the UK was treating disabled people, and wasn’t willing to stay silent. Her book, Second Class Citizens, charted the way that disabled people’s rights had been breached and set out a vision for a better way.

Stef, a Church Action on Poverty trustee, was also part of Manchester Poverty Truth Commission, which has brought people in poverty and decision-makers together, to find solutions through their shared wisdom.

8. August

In August 1999, The Pilgrimage Against Poverty began on the Scottish island of Iona. Nine weeks later, with hundreds of walkers having taken part, it reached Westminster, where some of the Pilgrims met the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, setting out proposals to tackle poverty.

The Pilgrimage, organised by Church Action on Poverty, shone a light on poverty in the UK and pressed for change, mobilising and energising supporters as never before.

9. September

Monica Gregory, who works with homeless people in Oxford, has been speaking out as part of Church Action on Poverty and Sustain’s Food Power programme, and also took part in a Food Experiences panel work to understand food insecurity in the context of covid.

Monica found confidence through the work to speak up about poverty in Oxford, which is often hidden.

She says: “It doesn’t matter what people think of you, you know, as long as you believe in yourself and you love yourself. Just look in the mirror and tell yourself that you know that you love yourself and that you are worthy. Don’t ever give up.”

10. October

All over the UK, there are people whose experience of poverty has given them powerful insights into what could make a difference. Challenge Poverty Week each October amplifies voices that are too often drowned out and focuses on solutions.

If we harness our collective kindness, determination and wisdom, we can build the compassionate and just society that we all crave.

You can sign up below to find out what’s happening in 2022, or to take part. challengepoverty.net in Scotland or challengepoverty.co.uk in England and Wales.

11. November

Great things can happen when people come together. Self-Reliant Groups are proof of that. Each group is run by and for its members, creating new freedom in their lives and alleviating many aspects of poverty such as marginalisation and a lack of power. Groups meet regularly, save together, make collective decisions and learn new skills together, with the potential to become a business.

Church Action on Poverty leads the growth of groups in the North West of England.

12. December

Local people know best what their community needs, so it is right that they should decide how money is spent in their town or city.

That idea ought not to sound radical, but in the early 2000s it was. The concept of participatory budgeting began in Brazil in the 1990s, and when a group from Salford visited ten years later, they brought the idea back to the UK, involving thousands of people in more than 200 areas.

Phil Teece, who led the work for Church Action on Poverty, says: “Citizens are as capable, or more capable, of making the decisions that will affect them most. That’s a very powerful message. It’s not about alleviating poverty per se, but it’s transferring power and giving people the confidence to engage. It makes a big difference to people who felt they had no power whatsoever.”

Opinion and insight

Reflecting together, 28 May: Whom are we serving in our services?

Resources and notes from our online gathering of 28 May, reflecting on what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic,

News

You can’t eat the view

Andrew Howell of End Hunger Cornwall shares a report from their conference, and an update on the situation during the pandemic.

Opinion and insight

Reflecting together, 21 May: inhabiting the public realm in the midst of lockdown

Notes and video from our online gathering of 21 May, reflecting on what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

Opinion and insight

Book review: Bread of Life in Broken Britain

Nick Waterfield, who manages a food bank in Sheffield, reviews this new book by Charles Roding Pemberton.

News Opinion and insight

Staying connected: 3 stories from Sheffield

Charlotte, Carlie and Michelle tell how lockdown is affecting their community

News

Gathering on the Margins – 26 May

During this pandemic, communities have come together to support each other. In this week’s gathering we discussed at coordinated responses to the crisis and mutual …

News Resources

You Can’t Eat the View

New report from End Hunger Cornwall

Opinion and insight

How a few photos from 2008 still undermine attempts to tackle UK poverty

Good journalism is often being undermined by poor picture choice

Opinion and insight

New wine, new wineskins part 3: What needs to change?

Third in a series of blogs exploring how we can build a positive social vision for our life together after the pandemic

News

Gathering on the Margins, 19 May: Building back better?

On 19 May, we gathered online to share our visions of how we can build a better world after the pandemic.

Opinion and insight

New wine, new wineskins part 2: What does our faith tell us?

The second in a series of blogs about how we can build a positive social vision for our life together after the pandemic

News

Reflecting together, 14 May: Power and powerlessness

A report from our 14 May discussions about what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

Opinion and insight

New wine, new wineskins part 1: Journeying into a new world

First in a series of blogs about building a positive social vision for our life together after the pandemic.

Opinion and insight

New wine, new wineskins: introduction

As we live through the pandemic and lockdown, we are on a journey together. Church Action on Poverty invites you to share your thoughts on …

News

Gathering on the Margins – 12 May

This week in Gathering on the Margins, we heard from a number of creative people who told us about how they are using art and …

News

Church on the Margins: resilience

Some reflections from our 7 May online discussions about being church on the margins during the pandemic.

Opinion and insight

Are we in the same boat? Some creative responses

Two creative responses to our question about whether we are all in the same boat during the pandemic.

News

Shopping online? You can raise money to loosen the grip of poverty

Easyfundraising lets you raise free donations for Church Action on Poverty when you shop online.

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Listen up! New podcast to help end poverty

Our new Cast To End Poverty will bring stories and insights from across the UK, from people helping to create a more just and compassionate …

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Church on the Margins in the time of coronavirus

Reflections from our first online discussions on what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

News

Solidarity and sacrifice

Reflections from our 9 April online discussions about what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

News

The prophetic imagination

A report from our 16 April online discussions on what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

News

Where are the margins?

Reflections from our 30 April online discussions of what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

News

Who is my neighbour?

A report from the first week of our online discussions on what it means to be church on the margins during the pandemic.

News

Gathering on the Margins – 5 May

This week in our gathering on the margins we were talking about the media, and the issues around reporting people’s stories fairly and accurately. We …

Resources

Church on the Margins: video reflections

These reflections were shared to open our weekly ‘Church on the Margins’ online discussions.

Opinion and insight

Yellow sticker – a poem

Our Empowerment Programme Officer Ben Pearson wrote this poem as part of one of our weekly creative workshops.

News

Gathering on the Margins – 28th April

We are more reliant than ever on digital connection during the lockdown, but for many people it is very difficult to get the digital access …

Opinion and insight

Kindness, community and rhubarb: my memories of tough times 80 years apart

Sheena, who is 96, reminds us that we can pull through, by pulling together as we’ve done before.

Opinion and insight

Universal Credit – a poem

Our Empowerment Programme Officer Ben Pearson wrote this poem as part of a workshop run by Church Action on Poverty’s poet in digital residence Matt …

Opinion and insight

Nobody saw it coming – a poem

Church Action on Poverty supporter Liz Delafield wrote this poem as part of one of our weekly poetry workshops.

Opinion and insight

Signs – a poem

Matt Sowerby shared this poem in one of his workshops as Church Action on Poverty’s poet in digital residence.

Opinion and insight

Pinkie promise – a poem

Matt Sowerby shared this poem in one of his workshops as our poet in digital residence.

News

Poet in digital residence

Poet Matt Sowerby is our poet in digital residence during the coronavirus pandemic.

Opinion and insight

Media for lockdown – what to read, listen to and watch

Do you have time on your hands during the lockdown? Communications Manager Liam Purcell suggests some books, TV and podcasts that could keep you occupied …

Opinion and insight

Voice: a poem

Penny Walters wrote this poem as part of a poetry workshop run by our poet in digital residence Matt Sowerby.

News

Gathering on the Margins – 21 April

In our gathering this week, we looked at the compelling case for urgent cash payments to support people through the outbreak.

Opinion and insight

Our new urgency to be kind can stand us in good stead

If we pull together, we’ll pull through together

News Resources

SPARK newsletter summer 2020 – online edition

Download the summer issue of SPARK, our newsletter for supporters of Church Action on Poverty.

News

Sheffield MP speaks at Pilgrimage event about tackling poverty

Members of the Sheffield Church Action on Poverty 2024 Urban Poverty Pilgrimage prepare to set off. Sheffield Central Labour MP …

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Doing food together: An invitation to all churches

Churches urged to open more Pantries Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith” Churches …

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PM responds to the Let’s End Poverty letters

People with first-hand experience of poverty wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to change the Government’s approach… and received …

Three members of Thrive Teesside, including blog author Tracey Herrington

Thrive Teesside have had a remarkable year. They recount why, in our final calendar story of 2021.

It has certainly been a year like no other. Notwithstanding the continuous challenges facing our community, we have worked tirelessly to seek out opportunities to amplify the many voices that otherwise would have been silenced.

What does listening actually mean?

Taking control of the agenda and speaking out about the issues that have been important to our community has been our driving force.

The areas of work Thrive has embarked upon include:

Meaningfully addressing the digital divide, and
Thinking about the impact debt deductions from benefits are having on below par incomes.

We put our head above the parapet and reached out to non-traditional partners to develop relationships, accepting that, on our own, it would be difficult to effect positive change.

We were keen to merge our unique area of expertise and this year, as part of Thrive’s national work with Poverty2Solutions, we attended the Conservative Party Conference and stimulated a discussion around what listening to left behind communities actually means and could look like.

Thrive: working on solutions, not slogans

This year we also began our Thriving Women workshops, they were so welcomed after some difficult times and coming out of lockdown, finally we could get together in person. The workshops have definitive aims – to empower those who are powerless and to produce a body of work that reflects their lived experience of that.

We have a diverse group of women, some new to writing and some with a little experience, but all with a passion to have their voice heard on some of the issues faced on a personal level and within their community, we have explored “living in poverty, where we live, community and active citizenship, our right to reply, to whom it may concern, our Manifesto, Levelling up- solutions not slogans, and collective voices.

Thrive: inspirational and transformative

Thrive have continued to be inspirational and transformative, ensuring local people are the driving force behind all that they do.

Thrive Teesside was crowned winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Social Change category at this year’s North East Charity Awards and this was hugely rewarding.

It is often quite difficult to keep motivated when constantly faced with challenges. The Thrive community are deserving of this recognition and it is humbling to witness their tenacity, dedication and determination to effect change.

Thrive member Corrina Eastwood says: “It was amazing to be shortlisted and then win this award. I’m inspired for the opportunities ahead and excited for the future of Thrive.”

As an innovator of change, Thrive is proud to keep Teesside on the map.

Thrive Teesside feature on the December page of Church Action on Poverty’s 2021 Dignity, Agency, Power calendar.

News

MPs praise the Pantry approach – but they must do so much more

Pantry members, volunteers and supporters have always cherished Pantries’ focus on dignity – so we were pleased recently to see its importance being recognised by …

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“We can make a change. That’s why we’re here.”

We hear how Speaking Truth To Power is progressing in Southwark Change happens when people come together and demand it. The exciting new Speaking Truth …

News Opinion and insight

How YOUR church can build community & save people £21 a week

Your Local Pantry began in one neighbourhood but now brings communities together across the UK. How did it grow so far and fast? For Kirsty …

Annual reviews

Annual review 2021-22

Read our annual review and financial statements for the financial year 2021-22.

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Speaking Truth to Power: A Reflection on the Dignity for All Conference

Dr Joseph Forde reflects on the Dignity for All conferences and what was discussed during the Speaking Truth to Power workshop. Dignity for All Conference …

News

Photos & quotes: the energy, hope & resolve of Dignity For All 2023

100 people from across the UK gathered in Leeds for the 2023 Dignity For All event. It was a unique new gathering, bringing together a …

News Press Releases

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. …

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An Introduction to the Joint Public Issues Team

The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) is a partnership between the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church, with …

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Addressing poverty with lived experience: the APLE Collective

Learn more about our partners in this summer’s ‘Dignity for All’ conference’

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Fair fares in the North East, thanks to students!

Great news of a success for a campaign highlighted at a Church Action on Poverty event! Chris Hughes, of our North East group, reports. At …

News

Mary: tackling poverty via radio, art and a newfound resolve

Change comes, not from looking and seeing – but from taking action. And Mary has certainly done lots of that. Mary Passeri, at her art …

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Poems from the Iona Community 2022

The Iona Community wrote several anonymous poems reflecting on dignity and agency. We have captured and transcribed the poems in this blog post.

News

Sheffield MP speaks at Pilgrimage event about tackling poverty

Members of the Sheffield Church Action on Poverty 2024 Urban Poverty Pilgrimage prepare to set off. Sheffield Central Labour MP …

News

Doing food together: An invitation to all churches

Churches urged to open more Pantries Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith” Churches …

News

PM responds to the Let’s End Poverty letters

People with first-hand experience of poverty wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to change the Government’s approach… and received …

Filmmaker Brody Salmon, who has produced powerful films about poverty in his community

Film is a powerful way of accelerating and effecting social change.

Like other artistic forms of storytelling, it can shine a spotlight on unjust systems, and make a compelling and memorable case for change.

One person who knows that well is Brody Salmon, a film-maker in North West England who has highlighted many of the social issues in his communities.

New storytellers from forgotten areas

Church Action on Poverty as worked with Brody twice in recent years, supporting his work on the Edgelands film and then again on the Same Boat? film in 2020, during the pandemic.

Edgelands was made by the young people involved in the Darwen Gets Hangry campaign, and explores the reality of poverty, hunger and welfare on forgotten estates.

Note, this film includes strong language from the start, and addresses issues including drug use and sexual exploitation

Brody says: “Working with CAP over the years has been both challenging and rewarding as a filmmaker. Challenging because of the reality faced by so many in this country, but rewarding because of the effects that we have seen our work have.

“From raising funds to generally raising awareness, it’s a privilege to have been a small part of CAP’s journey so far. By shooting my films on location, and with improvised dialogue from street cast actors, we have worked hard together to ensure our approach is always both accessible and meaningful.”

Same Boat? was written by Ellis Howard and directed by Brody. It was made as a result of creative workshops run by Church Action on Poverty during summer 2020, and launched during the first Challenge Poverty Week England and Wales.

Brody is the November feature in Church Action on Poverty’s 2021 Dignity, Agency, Power calendar.

News Press Releases

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. …

Opinion and insight

There’s huge public desire to end poverty – will politicians now act?

This article is by the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, for Challenge Poverty Week. What do you want for and from your society? That might …

News

What is Let’s End Poverty – and how can you get involved?

Niall Cooper outlines the new Let’s End Poverty campaign, and how you can get involved. If you are passionate about tackling poverty in the UK …

News

Our partner APLE is looking for new trustees

Could you be a trustee for APLE (Addressing Poverty with Lived Experience)? We’re pleased to share this invitation from the APLE Collective (who work in …

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Nottingham’s first Your Local Pantry opens

We’re helping local partners to reclaim dignity, choice and hope in Nottingham. The first Your Local Pantry in Nottingham has opened to members. Meadows Pantry …

Resources

SPARK newsletter autumn 2023

Download the autumn 2023 issue of our newsletter for supporters.

News

Urban Poverty Pilgrimage: Towards a Theological Practice

Church Action on Poverty in Sheffield embarks on an Urban Poverty Pilgrimage – a journey in search of moral and spiritual significance. Church Action on …

News

MPs praise the Pantry approach – but they must do so much more

Pantry members, volunteers and supporters have always cherished Pantries’ focus on dignity – so we were pleased recently to see its importance being recognised by …

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“We can make a change. That’s why we’re here.”

We hear how Speaking Truth To Power is progressing in Southwark Change happens when people come together and demand it. The exciting new Speaking Truth …

News Opinion and insight

How YOUR church can build community & save people £21 a week

Your Local Pantry began in one neighbourhood but now brings communities together across the UK. How did it grow so far and fast? For Kirsty …

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Annual review 2021-22

Read our annual review and financial statements for the financial year 2021-22.

News

Sheffield MP speaks at Pilgrimage event about tackling poverty

Members of the Sheffield Church Action on Poverty 2024 Urban Poverty Pilgrimage prepare to set off. Sheffield Central Labour MP …

News

Doing food together: An invitation to all churches

Churches urged to open more Pantries Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith” Churches …

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PM responds to the Let’s End Poverty letters

People with first-hand experience of poverty wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to change the Government’s approach… and received …

Attendees at the Greater Manchester Big Poverty Conversation

There were ideas and determination aplenty at the Greater Manchester Big Poverty Conversation

One of the highlights of Challenge Poverty Week England & Wales took place on the opening day of the week, when about 100 people attended the Greater Manchester Big Poverty Conversation.

People with direct of experience shared their insights and expertise with local civic leaders and campaigners, and there was in-depth discussion about what needs to change locally.

If you missed it, here are some photos and highlights.

Here’s what Nadine from Manchester Poverty Truth Commission had to say.

Here’s Sasha Deepwell from Irwell Valley Homes:

Here’s Cllr Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council:

And here’s Ed Seeger from Tameside Poverty Truth Commission:

Message from the Mayor of Greater Manchester

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was unable to attend but recorded a video for the audience, including this message:

Photos from the Greater Manchester Big Poverty Conversation

News

SPARK newsletter, summer 2021

The latest issue of the newsletter for supporters of Church Action on Poverty

Resources

Building Dignity, Agency and Power Together

Read about the vision driving our work in the coming years

News Opinion and insight

Penny: What I’ve learnt as an anti-poverty activist

When dozens of people are talking at once, how can you make yourself heard? When you speak to people in positions of great power, how …

News

Sheffield Church Action on Poverty Update, May 2021

Read the latest newsletter from our local group in Sheffield

News

Listening…

Watching birds in the park helps Self-Reliant Group facilitator, Laura Walton, listen to God. Many Christians hear God speaking to them in an audible voice, …

News Opinion and insight

How should we talk about poverty in the 2020s?

Ruth Lister’s book challenges the UK’s approach to poverty, and highlights the work of several of Church Action on Poverty’s partners. Baroness Ruth Lister is …

News Opinion and insight

What’s the best way to reduce the stigma of food poverty?

How do we safeguard food access without compromising on dignity? Charities and community groups have wrestled with this for years. Firstly, through a decade of …

News Opinion and insight Press Releases

Food insecurity: now we have the data, it’s time to act

Now that we know the extent of food insecurity in the UK, the Government’s obligations are clear. For the first time, the Government has laid …

News

Hold the moment

A surprise hail storm makes Self-Reliant Group facilitator, Laura Walton, consider the uncertainties of life Working up a sweat whilst digging at the allotment this …

News Opinion and insight

Why did I write Second Class Citizens and what can we learn?

In Second Class Citizens, author Stef Benstead shows how the rights of disabled people have been systematically breached in the UK since 2010. The videos …

News

David Goodbourn Lecture 2021 – register now

The lecture ‘Untangling the legacies of slavery: Deconstructing Mission Christianity for our contemporary Kerygma.’ will be given by Anthony Reddie, Director of the Oxford Centre …

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A week that changed everything….

Self-Reliant Group facilitator, Laura Walton, reflects on the story of Holy Week From celebration to despair, then embarrassment and humiliation. Even though the disciples of …

News

‘Life on the Breadline’ announces their End of Project Conference, 24-25th June 2021

Our partners at the ‘Life on the Breadline: Christianity, Poverty and Politics in the 21st Century City’ project at Coventry University invite you to share …

News Opinion and insight

Look up child

Self-Reliant Groups facilitator Laura Walton focuses on the importance of mindfulness in the last few weeks of lockdown Mindfulness is all about appreciating the moment …

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The Final Push

Self-Reliant Group facilitator, Laura Walton, prepares for the final stretch of lockdown As the runners round that final bend, there is always an expectation that …

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Sheffield Church Action on Poverty Update, March 2021

The newsletter of our local group in Sheffield Find out more about Church Action on Poverty Sheffield here. Download resource Annual reviews Annual review 2019–20 …

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International Women’s Day – Sheroes

Self-Reliant Group Facilitator, Laura Walton, gives thanks for all the women who inspire and support us We were blessed this week in Brews on Thursday …

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How do you build dignity & power with people new to the UK?

Our latest 2021 story takes us to Migrant Support in Manchester. How do we protect and rebuild dignity and power, with people who feel powerless …

Opinion and insight

Right-wing and Left-wing Christian Approaches to Poverty

Nick Jowett, a member of Church on Action on Poverty in Sheffield, writes on differing Christian approaches to tackling poverty. It would be right to …

Opinion and insight

Speaking of poverty, differently

The UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Olivier De Schutter’s video outlines his new mandate on ways of tackling poverty. The UN …

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2021 stories: how friends are striking a chord for justice and unity

The second of our 2021 calendar stories takes us to South Yorkshire Music brings people together and captures people’s attention – and it can be …

Annual reviews Resources

Annual review 2019–20

Read how we made an impact on poverty in 2019–20.

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Easter

Self-Reliant Group facilitator, Laura Walton, shares the joy of Easter All around us there is acute pain and suffering. Collectively around the world there has …

Press Releases

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. …

News

Your Local Pantry: A triumph of community resilience, offering dignity, choice and hope in a time of crisis

In the midst of the dark times, the rapid growth of the Your Local Pantry network across the country, offers a beacon of hope, demonstrating …

Resources

Dignity, Choice, Hope

The 2021 report on the social impact of Your Local Pantry

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Sheffield Church Action on Poverty Update, January 2021

Newsletter of the local Church Action on Poverty group in Sheffield

News

Sheffield MP speaks at Pilgrimage event about tackling poverty

Members of the Sheffield Church Action on Poverty 2024 Urban Poverty Pilgrimage prepare to set off. Sheffield Central Labour MP …

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Doing food together: An invitation to all churches

Churches urged to open more Pantries Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith” Churches …

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PM responds to the Let’s End Poverty letters

People with first-hand experience of poverty wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to change the Government’s approach… and received …

stock cartoon image of two people sitting in adjacent chairs, talking

Tracey Herrington from Poverty2Solutions says why campaigners are heading to Conservative Party Conference this week

It has now been 18 months since the country first went into lockdown. As we begin, slowly and hopefully to move out of the pandemic, it has never been more important to make sure that we really do ‘build back better’ and create a better future for us all.

Doing this properly means politicians and policymakers must start to actually learn from and work with those with the expertise that only comes from lived experiences. As someone who lives in an area too often dismissed as ‘left behind’, working and living alongside people experiencing poverty and the social security system first-hand, I witness and learn from this expertise every day.

The pandemic has been challenging for us all and it has amplified the existing difficulties and challenges faced in low-income communities. But it has also shown us how policymaking too often ignores the expertise of experience; and fails to bring it to bear on decision making. Creating a sustainable road map out to a better future will need us all to come together, to ‘do your duty for equality’; and tackle persistent inequality head on. A just and compassionate society demands this and it really is the only way to ensure that no one is left behind.

It's never been more important to listen

At a time of high economic uncertainty, and with a government commitment to ‘levelling up’, there has never been a more important time for people with direct experiences of poverty to be involved in policy and decision-making, contributing their expertise and ideas for change. As Sue, a member of community group Dole Animators puts it:

‘Too often people are portrayed as numbers on paper, or as stats and percentages. It is very easy for policy makers to dismiss who they represent when they aren’t considered as individuals. Having someone describe their lived experience is not only brave but essential if we want positive and long-lasting change. They can show us our failings, our lack of compassion and humanity. If a policy affects someone why shouldn’t they have the right to be involved in its making?’

What we want to change

Poverty2Solutions, a coalition of three community groups (ATD Fourth World, Dole Animators and Thrive Teesside) led by people with direct experiences of poverty, want the UK government to commit to working with people with lived experiences of socio-economic disadvantage in policymaking processes and decision-making. Doing so would ensure that policies that have a direct impact on those in or at risk of poverty make a positive and effective contribution to stemming the rising tide of poverty and inequality.

Despite the pledges of successive governments, rates of poverty and levels of inequality remain unacceptably high. Covid-19 has hardened and exposed these inequalities, strengthening the case for targeted and effective action.

If Government had listened sooner...

Experiences of the past 18 months show us that harnessing the expertise that comes with experience can lead to more targeted and effective policy responses.

Whilst the government introduced a range of bold and compassionate policies at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, had they engaged with people with lived experiences as the crisis developed, their response would have been better and more effective.

For example, groups with experience very quickly flagged issues tied to digital exclusion and Free School Meal replacements. Had these groups been listened to and learned from, robust and practical responses could have been better developed that would have mitigated, at least in part, negative consequences that we have seen such as a widening educational attainment gap. Working in partnership with groups with lived experiences would have enabled the government to develop targeted policy responses in an efficient and timely manner, as opposed to taking the more knee-jerk and reactive response we’ve witnessed.

At Conservative Party Conference this week

Poverty2Solutions have been working together for almost five years to develop solutions to poverty that are grounded in our own expertise and experiences. We know what would make a difference in the communities that we live in; creating a fairer and more equal society and we want to be part of conversations about how we improve policies for all of us; we want to ‘build back better.’

The re-launch of our report, Do your duty for equality. Making the case for addressing rising levels of inequality in partnership with people with lived experiences of poverty will happen at the Conservative Party Conference. Poverty2Solutions will be partnering with Bright Blue to host a fringe event: “Leaving no-one behind: the people’s voice in levelling up” .

A real chance for transformation

Poverty2Solutions are a bit different from the usual policy wonks, journalists and parliamentarians that you typically find in attendance at the Conservative Party Conference. But we are attending and speaking up because we want to work with politicians to share our expertise and experiences, and to collaborate in exciting and innovative ways to create positive change.

The possibilities that can emerge by working directly with people with direct experiences of poverty and social security is genuinely transformative. I really hope politicians will listen, and grasp the opportunity we’re holding out to draw on the expertise in communities just like mine.

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