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78 pics: Pantry members get creative to end poverty

From mosaics to murals, pots to paintings, Pantry members have been creating stunning art pieces this year

Dozens of people around the UK have been taking part in creative arts projects, alongside the Let’s End Poverty campaign.

Earlier this year, grants were provided to ten Your Local Pantries, to enable them to organise projects that would bring members together and amplify their voice.

Several of the projects have now been completed. The variety and creativity have been spectacular! We’ve seen crochet and cards; pots and portraits, mosaics, murals and more.

Check out the photos below, via the Your Local Pantry facebook page:

Let's End Poverty art projects

Creations have included:

Members designed a mural for the shutters of Greenhouse Pantry in Edinburgh
In Reading, members crocheted a woollen Christmas tree, which was then fitted to a wooden frame and illuminated outside the Pantry.
In Birmingham, members have been learning pottery, and creating their own pots and vases decorated with their personal stories.
Members in Macclesfield have been working on a mosaic, and eight accompanying pieces of art.
In Kingston, London, members produced personal portraits exploring life’s challenges and their hopes, and also made Christmas cards.
In Kilcooley in Northern Ireland, members took part in community workshops and came up with the idea of a mural of bears, representing the strength and resilience of the community.

What members said

“When I first joined, I felt excited and curious to learn something new, and I loved the warm, welcoming atmosphere of the sessions. I feel that these workshops have truly helped me express myself through art and given me a space to connect with others who share the same interest. It’s made me feel like I have a clearer voice and presence.”

……

“It felt creative and it was lovely to get out of the house for a couple of hours without worrying how I would afford it…. I jumped at the chance to socialise and not be just “mum” for a night. I feel that more hobbies should be available to all on low incomes. It gives you something to look forward to when things are getting on top.”

……

“The soul searching was a surprise, I wasn’t prepared for the emotional work. But in the end it was an amazing experience. It was out of my comfort zone, but I loved it.”

……

“My pot represents a mandala pattern: some nature and trees, and my house. I want to have every part of my culture, my village and my city on the pot.”

……

“I am so proud of our cards. I can’t believe I have designed a card that will be sold!”

……

“It was an opportunity for introspection and thinking about our pasts and future – sometimes uncomfortable but best not left totally unscrutinised… I’ve never been so proud of something I’ve created before.”

……

“I’m proud and delighted to be able to help facilitate the group. It gives great pleasure to use creativity to build confidence and hope in humanity. ‘Altrusim’ (a key point summed up so well by one of our young members) of the whole team, means we can appreciate the smooth running of the Pantry each week. The mosaic helps foster appreciation for not only the wealth of food and daily items so needed but that we are all together and dependent on one another for support. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do something creative in such a meaningful way. Thankyou!”

……

“I shop regularly at the Pantry. It’s an absolute lifeline to me. Being part of the mural project was such a rewarding experience. The idea of using bears to symbolise the weight of the cost-of-living crisis and the fact it’s a family of bears really got me, cause they’re strong and resilient, just like us trying to get by.

“Every time I see the mural, it brightens my day and reminds me of the strength of the community. It was lovely to watch the kids helping to paint – it was adorable seeing their little creative contributions come to life. It gave the project such a family vibe, which is exactly what this place feels like: a Pantry family.”

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“The PTC is one of the best things that’s ever happened to us”

York Poverty Truth Commission brought people together and is inspiring change

What if people living in poverty could work with civic leaders to tackle it?

That question is at the heart of the Poverty Truth Commission (PTC) movement, which continues to grow.

York PTC recently held a celebration and next steps event, and we caught up with some of the participants.

Here’s what they had to say:

John

“I think it’s one of the best things that has ever happened to us. It’s the icing on the cake for all the other things I do round the city. It’s been really good. I think people are listening now. The civic commissioners do listen to us.

“Everyone thought that money would end up top of the agenda, but it’s not. It’s about being treated with respect, kindness and being listened to. We have become like family, and we look out for each other.”

Kate

“I joined later than the others, but everyone was so lovely. It’s better than I expected. There are so many times we have been in tears because people have said things that moved us, and then to see that it has moved the people who have power to make decisions is incredible.

“I had gone to an event in York about poverty, and was fascinated that they were asking people to imagine what it was like to be poor. I did not know a life where there was anything else than poverty. Then Ali (one of the PTC facilitators) heard me and we got talking and I never looked back.”

Lynne

“When we first got together as a big group, I felt a bit overwhelmed and out of my depth. But it was worth it, because you get to meet some lovely people and you realise you do fit in somewhere. Regardless of all the bad things that have gone before, you are turning a new chapter now, and doing things to try to make sure that other people get the help they need.”

Karen

“At first, I thought the idea seemed quite negative, but it’s been very much the opposite. People round this table have had some very difficult experiences, but there is no judgment, nobody asking ‘why did you do that?!’.

“There is compassion here. When we had the launch event, it was so clear how much the civics really did care.”

Vicky

“Some of the civic commissioners were crying, and hugging us. People were exchanging telephone numbers. I never thought any of that would happen. Individually, we have made life-long friends and I think we have started doing something that will get bigger.”

Jamie

“I joined the PTC by chance, but I have made friends. Before we would all have walked past one another but now we have got to know each other. Some of it has tested our boundaries, but I became me when I spoke in the hall at an event. I became me through this group. Before that, I was just following along.”

Flashback: This video shows the launch of the PTC in 2023

York Poverty Truth Commission's story

PTCs are made up of equal numbers of community commissioners (local residents with personal experience of poverty) and civic commissioners (people whose professional position enables them to help make change happen). Church Action on Poverty helped in the early work to establish the York PTC, along with local organisations.

At its celebration event, the PTC launched a charter for organisational standards. Community commissioners had said their priority was to be treated with dignity and respect by the organisations they deal with. The civic commissioners publicly pledged to adopt and integrate the charter into their employers’ working practices, and challenged others to do the same.

Community commissioners have also spoken at a GP staff training event, and are speaking at council meetings, and engaging in other local decision-making processes. Through the work of the PTC, the city council is now reviewing the letters it sends to people in arrears.

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Sheffield MP speaks at Pilgrimage event about tackling poverty

Sheffield Central Labour MP Abtisam Mohamed has urged the Government to find ways to reduce inequality by increasing financial support for low-income households and restoring support for children in their early years.

Ms Mohamed was speaking during the annual Urban Poverty Pilgrimage, staged by our local group Church Action on Poverty in Sheffield.

She told participants: “Campaigning against poverty is a very important issue for me – it is the very reason I got involved in politics.”

Ms Mohamed urged the Government to row back on sanctions which reduce sums paid to those who fall foul of benefit rules.

“The last thing we should be doing is adopting the culture of sanctions where people are being forced into work when they are not ready or when they need support to get back into work.

“Whilst I’m pleased that the Government has said we are going to review benefits and Universal Credit, I will be pressing, alongside many of my colleagues, to make sure that this review goes in the right direction so social security provides a real safety net for the people who need it the most.”

Abtisam Mohamed said she hoped the Government would restore the Sure Start programme, introduced by the last Labour government, and end the two-child limit.

“Sure Start was the main programme that benefited so many young people. It was one of the biggest travesties of the last 14 years that we lost Sure Start centres.”

Ms Mohamed welcomed the launch of Sheffield’s Poverty Truth Commission, which is bringing together people with lived experience of poverty and people from civic and business sectors who make decisions that impact upon people’s lives within the city.

She said she hopes to link the Commission with the National Child Poverty Task Force, established by the new Labour Government to develop strategies to reduce child poverty.

Sheffield Church Action on Poverty’s Urban Poverty Pilgrimage was the 15th to be staged in the city by thelocal group. The event is designed to raise awareness and understanding of how poverty is affecting people in Sheffield and the initiatives being taken by groups spanning different faiths.

This year’s pilgrimage visited the Broomhall, Broomhill, Crookes and Hillsborough areas of the city. Those attending the Pilgrimage heard from a number of people actively involved in trying to alleviate poverty.

Jillian Creasey, chair of the trustees of the Broomhall Centre, told pilgrims that energy poverty had become a major issue for people in the area and the Centre had successfully bid for £50,000 to fund Citizens Advice outreach workers and energy advice sessions for local people.

Revd Beth Keith, vicar designate of St Mark’s Church in neighbouring Broomhill, told Pilgrims how the church tries to provide one-to-one support for rough sleepers from the area who often choose its grounds as their first refuge after losing or leaving their home.

Both Broomhall and Broomhill have a higher proportion of students and people seeking sanctuary, and that is reflected in the makeup of those who find themselves homeless.

Revd Keith told pilgrims: “A number of them are victims of sexual assault and abuse – particularly asylum-seekers, who have had violent and traumatic experiences in their own communities.”

Fr Michael Umameh, parish priest at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Hillsborough, emphasised how poverty had grown overall while also spreading beyond what might be considered traditional focus areas of finance, housing, food and energy: “Poverty exists at different levels.”

Some people have the financial means, but they can’t get out because they can’t walk long distances, can’t carry shopping bags and they don’t have any transport. Others are lonely because they have no friends, and yet others have had to flee their countries and can’t speak English well enough to explain their case or fill in forms, but cannot access translators to help them.

“A lack of translators is a form of poverty as well,” said Fr Michael, emphasising the role Hillsborough Churches Together and Sacred Heart’s St Vincent de Paul Society – currently celebrating its centenary – are playing to alleviate some of those problems.

Fr Michael appealed for people to go beyond the simple stereotypes with which some people tried to stereotype people seeking sanctuary and migrants.

“When you simply call someone an immigrant you deny them their identity. Ask them their story. The best way to understand the issues is to ask people about their stories.”

Vicky Romegoux, and Veronica Hardstaff from St Mary’s, Walkley, said an influx of professionals has led to demographic changes in the area. However, Walkley is a “layered community” where there are areas of social deprivation and hidden needs, which members of St Mary’s congregation try to address through activity in a range of community groups.

At Walkley, Pilgrims also heard from Revd Dr Alan Billings, the former South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

Dr Billings told pilgrims churches are not in touch with communities in the same way as they were in the 1980s, when he played a leading role in the Church of England’s Faith in the City Commission.

Asked if today’s church was “afraid of sticking its head above the parapet” in the way it did back in
the 1980s, he said: “When I look back at Faith in the City, I realise that when we were touring the country we were coming across congregations in urban areas who had deep roots in their communities and could tell us their story.

“A lot of that has been lost because we haven’t got the numbers that we had then – but that is true
of a lot of organisations including trade unions and political parties. All groups have weakened, but I do think the churches are not in touch in the same way.”

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Churches urged to open more Pantries

Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith"

Churches across the UK are being urged to consider opening food Pantries, as a way to strengthen their neighbourhoods and build local hope.

The Your Local Pantry network has 121 Pantries across the UK, but knows churches are ideally placed to host more and is inviting church leaders to commit to opening a Pantry in 2025.

Last week, the Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds, visited InterAct Pantry in Meanwood, north Leeds, and talked with members and volunteers about the impact it has locally. The Pantry is run by a charity made up of Anglican, URC, Baptist and Methodist Churches.

Bishop encourages churches to get involved

Bishop Nick said: “What’s really impressive is that we recognise that food isn’t just for eating – we commune around food. So whether people are collecting food or eating food together, it’s a social event. It goes to the heart of the Christian faith as well, this is what we do all the time.

“I would encourage churches to consider how they might be engaged and involved in this. We need to remember, Jesus said we will be judged by whether we visit the sick, feed the hungry, give drink to those who are thirsty and so on. You can!”

Your Local Pantry’s recent Places Of Hope report found that Pantries had saved members £10.5 million in the past two years, and showed that they were bringing a wide range of community benefits, such as improved health, reduced isolation, and enhanced access to other opportunities and services.

Church Pantries reach almost 60,000 people

Church Action on Poverty, which coordinates the network, is now able to provide a breakdown of the figures for church-based Pantries.

Of the 121 Pantries in the network, 73 (60%) are hosted by or supported by churches or Christian charities. The first Pantry in a church opened five years ago this November, in Birmingham, and since then church-backed Pantries have been visited 362,300 times, supporting 59,800 people in 22,700 households. (If all Pantries are counted, church and non-church, those figures rise to 691,700 visits, supporting 121,800 people in 44,100 households).

Pantries are a perfect fit for pantries

James Henderson, network development coordinator for Church Action on Poverty, says: “Pantries are all about dignity, choice and hope. They are a perfect fit for churches who want to cement their role in their community, and who want to help make change happen.

“Many churches have spaces that lend themself to Pantries, but also an abundance of compassion and potential volunteers. If any church is wondering how to use food as a gateway to hope, we’d love to hear from you.”

Pantries bring vast community benefits

The entire Your Local Pantry network has saved members £5.76m in the past year, and £10.5m in the past two years – but the benefits go far deeper. Research has shown that 83% of Your Local Pantry members say it has been good for their mental health; 74% feel more connected to their local community; 66% have made new friends; and 63% now eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Pantries also have an average of 15-20 volunteers each,

Pantries are also increasingly about ongoing social transformation, with many members this year becoming involved in local democracy, social campaigns, and art projects.

Anyone interested in opening a Your Local Pantry should email info@yourlocalpantry.co.uk

One church’s story

North End Baptist Church in Portsmouth ran a food bank which had supported around 10,000 people in the five years up to 2020, and when the pandemic struck the level of local need soared. Covid changed the way the team worked, but it also prompted some reflection. Was this the right approach, or was there a better way?

Jo Green, one of the Pantry managers, says: “We spoke to schools and other organisations. They were telling us they had families who needed help but who would not go to a food bank because of the stigma. It made us wonder what we could do.

“Our minister, Tracey, knew someone who ran a Pantry and we looked at a couple, and decided that becoming a Pantry was the way forward. We closed our food bank at the start of April 2021, and three weeks later we opened as a Pantry. The stigma has certainly reduced. We have a lot of families now and we are finding that people really value it more because they are paying towards it.

“We want to reach people in the area and build relationships. With a Pantry, people come back every week and start opening up and you hear how much it means to people. We are a church so we can direct people in the church to the Pantry, and also let Pantry members know about other things like the toddler groups.”

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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 an immediate response.

The Dear Prime Minister project was part of the Let’s End Poverty campaign, and involved 15 people writing to Sir Keir Starmer about their own experiences, insights and hopes.

Getting a grassroots message to the heart of Government is no easy feat, so initiatives like this often require patience. But remarkably, these letters generated an almost instant response… that evening, they were the lead story on BBC London TV news, and then the very next day they were discussed at Prime Minister’s Question Time, in a packed House of Commons.

Watch below, as Sir Keir Starmer tells MPs: “The letters are honest, powerful and important and I think they hold up a mirror to our country.”

Dear Prime Minister letters

Sir Keir Starmer was responding to a question from Cat Smith MP, who had hosted a Parliamentary event for the Dear Prime Minister letter writers and supporters.

Several contributors read out their own letters, and there was a discussion about what it would mean to truly involve people with direct experience of poverty, when policies and systems are written and designed.

Together we can build a poverty-free nation

The foreword to the publication says:

“The new Government is aiming for a decade of national renewal. The people who need that the most – the authors of these letters and the millions who share similar experiences – must be invited to be partners in that change.

“We invite the Prime Minister to meet with the authors of these letters, to hear in person the wisdom and insights they bring, and to find ways to bring the expertise and insights derived from lived experience into the heart of policy making. Together, we can build a poverty-free nation, and we are eager to play our part”.

Some contributors, such as Karen & Andy in Morecambe Bay, wrote about the positive impact that localised projects like Poverty Truth Commissions have had, and called for similar approaches nationally.

They said: “We have worked on many initiatives together and are seeing real change. It’s an approach that could make politics more effective, locally and nationally.”

Others talked of the importance of meaningful support, and others outlined the need for hope for a brighter future.

One contributor, Steve from west London, talked about attending his local food bank, and then becoming a volunteer. He said he had seen why we desperately need to end poverty, and what could be done differently, and added: “By ending poverty, people will be freed to make a difference in their life and in their community.”

“Listening to people who know what it’s like to live in poverty is not just the right thing to do, it’s the best way to create solutions that really work for the long term.”

Hannah Fremont-Brown

Let's End Poverty coordinator

One of the letters: Dear Prime Minister, from Carrie

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you as a mum of two children, who is working hard to support them in the best way possible. I want to share with you how I believe that truly listening to people with experience of poverty can make a real difference.

Things aren’t easy. I am a lone parent without family support due to bereavements. I struggle every day due to my ill health, and the side effects from my cancer treatment.

Both of my children have special educational needs. I feel that many people don’t want to truly understand our struggles. Some of the schools they have been part of are not understanding of our situation. They don’t follow plans made with early help, or really listen to what we need to support us as a family. I do not receive disability living allowance benefits for my girls as I struggle to fill in the forms.

I feel let down by the whole system at the moment. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place, having to make difficult decisions about how to care for my children and get the income we need. The stress of always having to make tough decisions has a really big impact on us. People in positions of power need to learn to really listen to people’s circumstances and offer support, not restrictions.

Over the last few years, I have been part of the first Poverty Truth Commission in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and it’s changed my life. I think every council should run one. Lived experience voices should be heard in government. A Poverty Truth style programme at a Government level would bring MPs and people of lived experience of poverty into the same circle. MPs should attend Poverty Truth Commission launches and celebrations in their area and take part!

So, Prime Minister, I am writing to ask you to take the first step to really listen to those of us with experience of poverty, and to work with us for change.

From
Carrie, Poole

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Church Action on Poverty in Sheffield: 15th annual Pilgrimage

Saturday 19 October 2024, 9:30am - 3:00pm: hear about local issues and responses to them as we walk and pray together

Gather: 9:00am, St Andrew’s URC Church, Upper Hanover Street for a 9:30am start

Visit: St Mark’s Church Broomhill; St Mary’s Walkley; Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Hillsborough; with pauses for prayer at Sheffield’s central hospitals and women’s rights campaigner Adele Pankhurst’s former home

Meet: People tackling local social challenges.

Length: 2.8 miles

End: 2:30 – 3:00pm

Join us and learn about:

St Andrew’s support for almost 30 local groups, representing, among others, the Iranian and Iraqi communities.
A range of social action projects provided by St Mark’s Broomhill, including its soup run, lunch club and girls’ group.
The work of St Mary’s Walkley in the local community and supporting local food banks.
How Sacred Heart Hillsborough created and developed its Covenant with the Poor, including support for Sheffield Credit Union.
The challenges facing the community.

Practicalities

This year’s Pilgrimage involves gradients over around 4% up and down, each over distances of around one mile, so please think carefully about your fitness to tackle these gradients.
St Andrew’s is best reached by public transport. Sheffield Supertram’s University stop is closest to the church and Supertram’s Hillsborough Interchange stop is close to the end of the Pilgrimage, for the return journey.
The 51, 52, 52a and 257 buses along Western Bank and buses running along West Street and Glossop Road include the 6 and 120.
Parking is limited close to the start of the Pilgrimage. There is an open-air car park on Broomspring Lane with 20 spaces, limited to four hours.
There is also a mixture of long- and short-stay parking on Fitzwilliam Street, Eldon Street and Wellington Street.
There are covered car parks on Durham Road, opposite the Children’s Hospital and off Rockingham Street, further from the Pilgrimage start.
Please follow stewards’ advice, particularly at road crossings.
Walkers take part at their own risk. Please wear suitable footwear and bring a waterproof. Anyone under 18 must walk with a responsible adult.
The event is not suitable for dogs as we enter premises.
We will stop for lunch at St Mary’s Walkley. Please bring your own packed lunch and drinks.
Several locations we visit have toilet facilities.

Come and be open and be challenged and changed by what you see and hear

For more information or to register to attend, contact Briony Broome on 07801 532 954 or send an email by clicking below.

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From churches to the Government: end this great sibling injustice

More than 170 church leaders from across the UK have urged the Chancellor to scrap the unjust two-child limit in social security systems.

Senior church figures from multiple denominations joined the growing national calls, ahead of the new Government’s first Budget, on 30 October 2024.

They signed an open letter, coordinated by Church Action on Poverty as part of Challenge Poverty Week. The full text and list of signatories appear on the right.

The letter says: “It should be a universal national aspiration that all children in the UK have the best chances our country can provide. This should be a country that creates opportunities, which believes in and pursues progress, and which does all it can to enable children to flourish and pursue their dreams.

“Towards that end, the UK’s shared social security system should be just and effective. Yet, right now, the two-child limit is instead creating a great injustice. It is, in reality, a sibling penalty. It punishes children for the fact that they happen to have more than one brother or sister. Something that should be a joy – sibling companionship – is instead held against children, denying them access to the opportunities, security and basic sustenance that all children deserve and need.”

The Government’s own statistics show that 1.6 million children in 440,000 households are affected by the sibling restriction, with families missing out on up to £3,455 a year. There is widespread consensus that ending this policy would be the single most effective step the Government could take towards ending poverty, immediately freeing 300,000 children from poverty.

A Work and Pensions Committee report as early as 2019 showed that the policy was not achieving its stated aims, but the letter signatories said that above all, the policy was “unjust and unjustifiable”.

The letter says: “No child should be actively held back by the Government, and left worse off than their peers, simply because of how many brothers and sisters they have. We urge you, in this month’s Budget, to end this policy, and in doing so to start laying the road to a future that all families can look forward to with hope.”

There were 175 signatories to Church Action on Poverty’s letter, including representatives from the Church of England, Church of Scotland, Church in Wales, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Quaker and Pentecostal and Episcopal churches. Signatories include the President and Vice-President of the Methodist Conference, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the URC, and the Catholic Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

Niall Cooper, chief executive of Church Action on Poverty, said: “Churches have rightly spoken out against this unjust policy for many years, and it is encouraging that church leaders from a wide range of denominations are doing so again. The UK should be a country that strives to create opportunity, and which enables children to achieve their potential. The two-child limit does the exact opposite, and should be scrapped immediately. The Chancellor should listen to the growing consensus, the strong evidence, and the overwhelming moral imperative on this issue.”

The policy was unprecedented in British social security systems when it was introduced in 2017, and churches have long highlighted the moral injustice it creates. Dozens of Bishops and other faith leaders wrote to the Government on its first anniversary, calling for it to be scrapped, and earlier this year the Archbishop of York joined calls for its removal, saying it was the biggest driver of rising child poverty.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales also renewed its call for it to be ended in September, saying it undermines the financial security of many families, who are often forced onto Universal Credit by the loss of work or the onset of disability.

Dear Chancellor,

We write to you from across the UK, on behalf of our churches of many denominations, to join the calls for you to use your upcoming Budget to end the two-child limit in social security systems.

It should be a universal national aspiration that all children in the UK have the best chances our country can provide. This should be a country that creates opportunities, which believes in and pursues progress, and which does all it can to enable children to flourish and pursue their dreams.

Towards that end, the UK’s shared social security system should be just and effective. Yet, right now, the two-child limit is instead creating a great injustice. It is, in reality, a sibling penalty. It punishes children for the fact that they happen to have more than one brother or sister. Something that should be a joy – sibling companionship – is instead held against children, denying them access to the opportunities, security and basic sustenance that all children deserve and need.

The Government’s own statistics show that 1.6 million children in 440,000 households are affected, with families missing out on up to £3,455 a year. There is widespread consensus that ending this policy would be the single most effective step the Government could take towards ending poverty, immediately freeing 300,000 children from poverty.

The policy has proven futile, failing to achieve even its stated aims from 2017. That was clear in a Work and Pensions Committee report as early as 2019. But above all, the policy is quite simply unjust and unjustifiable. No child should be actively held back by the Government, and left worse off than their peers, simply because of how many brothers and sisters they have. We urge you, in this month’s Budget, to end this policy, and in doing so to start laying the road to a future that all families can look forward to with hope.

Yours sincerely

Mr John Baker, Trustee, Earl Shilton Methodist
Pastor David Howe, Pastor, Heanor Baptist Church
Mr John M Hoyle, Steward, Nene Valley Methodist
Ms Caroline Wallace
Mr Michael Brueck, Member, Providence New Mills
Mrs H Sills, Member Of The Justice Action Group, Southwell Minster
Dr Joseph Forde, Church Librarian, St Mark’s Church, Broomhill, Sheffield
Reverend Martyn William Jarrett, Retired Bishop, Worksop Priory
Rev Mark Welch, Coordinating Minister, Burton Latimer Baptist Church
Mrs Kerry Haslam, Food Bank And Christmas Gift Appeal Leader, The Salvation Army
Mrs Deborah Panks, Member And Band Member, Harrowby Lane Methodist Church
Mrs Anne Peacey, Chair, National Justice And Peace Network, Our Lady And St Thomas, Meadowhead, Sheffield
Mr Robert Wakeling, Member, Trinity Church Buxton
Dr Graham Bowpitt, Pcc Member, St Nic’s Nottingham
Mrs June Murray, Senior Steward, Great Glen Methodist Church
Chris Bourne, Member, Christ Church, Chilwell
Mrs Hilary Finlay, Lay Person, Goat Shed Retreat
Mrs Sheila Knopp, Elder, Trinity Urc St Albans – Elder
Revd James Ramsay, Pto, All Saints, Briston
Revd John Churcher, Retired Minister, St Albans & Welwyn Circuit
Mrs Beryl Vickery, Churchwarden, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead
Phyll Wood, Lay Minister (Reader), St Leonard, Lexden
Mrs Jean Goodrick
Mrs Susannah Read, Attendee, Holly Lodge
Christina Mccabe, Disciple, Various
Mrs Camille Fidgett, Parishioner, Hemel West Catholic Parish
Revd Ian Gardner, Minister, Brantham
Revd Dr Robert Ely, Retired Minister, Ely Methodist Church
Mrs Ros Hancock, Circuit Pastoral Worker, S Beds Methodist Circuit
Mr Keith Aldred, Member, St Peter’s St Albans
Mr Andmrs Stanley And Dorothy Dean, Retired Elders And Dot Is A Lay Preacher, Maldon Urc
Revd Colin Carr, Lowly, Blackfriars, Cambridge
Revd Dr Ros Hunt, Priest, St Giles
Miss Patricia Barber, Reader, Sacred Heart, Luton
Revd Jonny Bell, Minister, Holot
Julie Minns, Retired Minister, Trinity Methodist
Mrs Deirdre Munro, Pastoral Lay Minister, Christ Church East Sheen
Mr Michael Mcloughlin, Member Ex Parish Council Chair, St Elphege
Mr John Warren, Catechist, St Joseph Bromley
Mr John Murphy, Attending Member, Good Shepherd Downham
Mr Richard Solly, Member, St Thomas More
Mrs Rosa Shea, Regular Attender, Saint Aidan’s Justice And Peace Group
Mrs Carol Woollard, Sacristan, North Lambeth Parish
Mrs Pat James, Retired, St Andrews Thornton Heath
Ms Magdalen Lawler, Religious Sister, Most Holy Trinity, Dockhead
Dr Gemma Wieberg, Parishioner, Christchurch With St Philip’s
Ms Claire Crowley, Ecumenical Officer, Churches Together In South London
Mr Nick Eades, Leadership Team, East Plumstead Baptist
Sister Gabriel Robin, Member Of A Religious Order: Canonesses Of St Augustine, Roman Catholic
Revd S Early, Vicar, Addiscombe Baptist
Mr Tom Harris, Congregation Member, Inspire Saint James Clerkenwell
Ms Samira Mackenzie, N/A, N/A
Revd Peter Cornick, Superintendent Minister, Hinde Street Methodist
Rev’d Timothy Meadows, Moderator Of General Assembly, The United Reformed Church
Mrs Barbara Hungin, Chair Justice And Peace Commission, St Mary’s Cathedral Middlesbrough
Mrs Elizabeth Archibald, Parishioner, St George’s
Mrs Mary Davidson, Elder, St Mark’s United Reformed Church
Mrs Margaret Mcallister, Children And Youth Volunteer, Mrs
Mrs Anne Farrow, None, Centenary Methodist Church Crawcrook
Mr Roger Gordon, Safeguarding Officer, North Shields Methodist Church
Prof Helen Goodman, Member Of Pcc, Cap
Revv Paul Worsnop, Minister, Windy Nook Methodist Church
Mrs June Davis, Member Of Pcc, St Pauls Church
Mrs Bernadette Askins, Trustee And Deputy Chair, Churches Together South Tyneside
Major David Burns, Divisional Commander – North East Division, The Salvation Army
Rt Revd Stephen Wright, Bishop, Diocese Of Hexham And Newcastle
Dr Elspeth Brighton
Mr Edward Egan, Retired Teacher, Brother
Harriet Grimsditch, None, None
Ms Enid Pinch, Clerk Of South Mancheser Local Meeting, Religious Society Of Friends (Quakers)
Ms Melanie Hall, Elder And Worship Leader, Wilbraham St Ninian’s Urc
Sister Philomena Grimley, Pastoral Minister, Parish Of Christ The King And St Kentigern Blackpool
Ms Hilary Thomas, Co-Leader Of J-Club (Sunday Morning Group For Children And Young People); Parochial Church Council Member; Deanery Synod Member, St Thomas’, Pendleton, Salford
Reverend Kate Gray, Minister, The Dandelion Community
Mr Patrick Rooney, Faith And Justice, St Wilfrids Preston
Reverend Colin Harbach, Supernumerary Minister, North Cumbria Methodist Circuit
Mr Liam Purcell, Communications And Supporter Relations Manager, Church Action On Poverty
Revd Mark Nash-Williams, Vicar, Parish Of Alston Moor
Mrs Daphne Hampson, Member, Christ Church Heaton
Mrs Alison Love, Trustee, Lancaster Methodist
Mr Jonathan Murray, Pcc Member, St James Gorton, Manchester
Mr Brian Robbins, Local Preacher, Thornton Methodist
Doctor Margaret Devadason, Parishioner, Brown Knowle Methodist Church
Revd Dr Lesley Husselbee, Member (Retired Urc Minister), Chorlton Central Church, Manchester
Mrs Catriona Roussel, Retired, Chorlton Central Church Barlow Moor Rd Chorlton M21 9fb
Mrs Hazel Scott Bowes, Worship Leader, Langwathby Methodist Church
Mrs Susan Lewis, Junior Church Leader, St Michael With St Thomas Widnes
Revd Anna Jarvis, Minister, Monton Unitarian Church
Mr Nigel James, Licensed Lay Minister, St John The Evangelist, Great Sutton
Ms W Elizabeth Coleman, Member, Eccles Quakers
Dr Raj Patta, Presbyter, United Stockport Circuit
Revd Andrew Edwards, Diocesan Ecumenical Adviser, Christ Church Norris Green
Mr George Carter, Reader, St Paul’s Hatton Hill
Reverend Jeff Radcliffe, Retired, Holy Trinity
Ms Rhoda Martin, Organist, Pcc Member, Parish Church Of St Mary, Penwortham
Mrs Anna Newton, Pcc Sec, At Michael’s Chester
Miss Grace Buckley, Member Of Parish Council, Archdiocesan Justice & Peace Group
Revd Alan Watt, Retired Minister, Church Of Scotland
Mrs Kate Houston, None, St Mayr’s Cathedral
Sister Rosemary Reilly, Parishoner, Catholiç
Ms Kate Mchendry, None, None
Mrs Oriole Hall, N/A, Inverness Quakers
Reverend Bruce Cameron, Retired Bishop, Scottish Episcopal Church
Reverend Edward Andrews, Interim Moderator, Easter Ross Peninsula Church
Sr Gina Cardosi, Parishionee, Daughters Of Wisdom
Stuart Holden, Parishioner, Catholic
Mrs Margaret Sparkes, Churh Elder, Buchlyvie And Gartmore Church Of Scotland
Mr Hugh Mathie, Group Leader, Stirling Baptist
Mrs Jennifer Agricola, Sidesperson, Ctic/Holy Trinity
Mr Philip Hayllar, Parishioner, Sacred Heart & St Peter The Apostle Waterlooville
Mr Terence Brown, Member, St Mary’s Crowborough
Mrs Meg Rew, Volunteer Responsible For Parish Website, Worth Abbey Parish
Mr Graham Ryan, Member, Our Lady Of Lourdes Rc Church, Harpenden
Mrs Norma Manton, Member, Gosport Methodist Church
Revd Wendy White, Work As Mse, Trinity
Mr John Shaw, Trustee, Wendover Free Church
Mrs Kate Goodacre, Member, St Matthews Church, Ixford
Mrs Lorna Hicks, N/A, Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry
Mrs Susan Jappie, Society Of Friends/ Quakers At Lewes Meeting House
Mrs Mary Williams, Member, St Albans
Revd Terry Hemming, Retired, Andover Parish
Revd Stephen J Peck, Deacon, Methodist
Revd Harvey Richardson, Supernumerary Minister, Canterbury & E Kent Circuit
Mrs Helen Fletcher, Member, Haywards Heath Methodist Church
Mrs Linda Marshall, Member And Representative On The Local Churches Together, Staines Methodist
Dr Timothy Bartel, Member, Cowley St John Parish, Oxford
Mrs Marilyn Mahon, Church Secretary, Trinity Church
Mrs Bridget Flowers, Volunteer, Christchurch
Mrs Emilia Simmons, Justice And Peace Representative, Immaculate Conception Of Our Lady RC Parish Peacehaven
Mrs Jane Perry, Lay Pioneer, St Anne’s Lewes
Mr Don Littlejohn, Worship Leader, Mosaic Church
Mr Victor Rones, None, Methodist
Revd Geoff Pearson, Member Of Prayer Ministry Team, Canterbury Vineyard
Mrs Alison Maxwell, Member, Blue Idol Quaker Meeting
Revd Kate Cambridge, Minister, St Andrews And Bishopstoke Methodist Churches
Mrs Vicky Scott, Hospitality Lead, Pcc Secretary, St Pauls
Dr David Chapman, Chair Of The Social Justice Group, Christ The Cornerstone, Milton Keynes
Margaret Bamford, Member, Methodist Central Hall Westminster
Mr John Hopkinson, Member, St Paul’s, Rusthall
Revd Canon Dr Richard Truss, Associate Priest, St Mary Putney
Revd Ernesto Lozada-Uzuriaga, Incumbent, Christ The Cornerstone
Revd David Lockwood, Minister, Beulah Baptist
Revd Eric Renouf, Supernumerary Minister, Romsey Methodist Church
Cheryl Montgomery, Chair Of Trustees, The Church Of Christ The Cornerstone
Mrs Pamela Mullin, Steward, Shrivenham Methodist Church
Revd Siobhan Antoniou, Minister, North Downs
Mr Tim Parsons, Pcc Member, St Augustines, Gillingham
Mr Geoffrey Cleave, Elder, United Church Bradford On Avon
Mrs Rosey Sanders, Operations Assistant, Diocese Of Truro & Church Member At All Saints Highertown Church, Truro, Church Of England Offices
Reverend Anthony Barnes, Supernumerary Minister, North Wiltshire Circuit, The Methodist Church Of Great Britain
Mr Alan Partridge, Treasurer, Fairplace Church
Revd Margaret Crawshaw, Supernumerary Minister, Somerset Mendip Circuit
Revd Wendy Tucker, Minister, Gloucestershire Methodist Circuit
Mrs Wendy Barritt, Church Warden, St Cubert
Mr Nick Barnard, On The Pcc, St Helens
Ms Liz Vizard, Deacon/Trustee, South Street Baptist Church Exeter
Mr Adrian Tape, Unemployed, St David’s
Revd Sally Spencer, Minister, South Bristol Methodist Church
Mrs Hazel Parsons, Circuit Steward, Halberton Methodist Church
Mrs Vivienne Davies, Member, The Mint Methodist Church Exeter
Mrs Christine Goudie, Steward, West Street Church , Somerton
Mrs Jo Bussell, Supporter, Higher StBudeaux
Revd Andrew Yates, General Synod Memebr, Diocese Of Truro
Dr Hugh Sharp, Pcc Member, St Allen, Truro
Mrs Claire Stonier, Pcc Member, Sml
Revd Peter Brain, Retired Minister, Glenorchy Urc
Ms Gillian Peace, Synod Wales Cymru Leadership Team, At Andrew’s Methodist, Cardiff
Mr Dave Rendle, Not Working, None
Mrs Mary Jones, Steward, St John’s Methodist Church, Llandudno
Reverend Michael Harrison, Moderator (Reverend), Llandudno Cytun / Churches Together
Mr John Meason, Reader, Guilsfield Church
Mrs Valerie Simcock, Lay Member, Ss Peter & Frances
Dr Brian Golding, Member, St Ceitho, Llangeitho
Ms Jane Leach, None, None
Revd Peter Barber, Retired, St Paul’s
Reverend Diana Cullum-Hall, Retired Minister, United Reformed Church
Mrs Rose Tyrrell, Parishioner, St Chads
Mrs Gillian Boot, Trustee, Walsall Community Church
Mrs Creina Hearn, Minister Of Holy Communion, Our Lady Of The Wayside,
Revd Canon Dr David Primrose, Canon Emeritus, Diocese Of Lichfield
Sister Catherine O’neill, Retired Teacher, Presentation Sisters
Mr Andrew Morris, Circuit Treasurer – Birmingham Methodist Circuit, Selly Oak Methodist
Revd Michael Bate, Member Of The Congregation, Church Of The Epiphany, Oxley
Mr Ivor Timson, Retired, Ive
Ms Helen Lloyd, Member Of All Saints Kings Heath
Jean Martin, Member Of Pcc And The Pastoral Care Team, Smethwick Old Church Smethwick
Mrs Merrilyn Cocks, Parishoner, All Saints Kings Heath
Mr Bruce Kirk, Local Preacher, Pleck
Mrs Sheila Himsworth, Rep To Churches Together, Evesham Methodist Church
Anne Roussel, Local Preacher, Cambridge Rd Methodist Church Birmingham
Deacon Angela Allport, Minister, Lozells And Perry Barr Methodist Churches
Brian O Toole, Volunteer, Nuneaton Catholic Church
Mr Ken Down, Group Leader And Volunteer, Rising Brook Community Church
Mrs Maxine Douglas, Trustee, Church Of God Of Prophecy
Mrs Maureen Hazelwood, Retired Teacher, St Francis Of Assisi Kenilworth
Mr Erik Pearse, Parishioner, Ss Peter And Paul, Wolverhampton
Revd Mandy Walker, Incumbent, All Saints
Revd Dr Neil Johnson, Pioneer Minister, Street Banquet
Revd Phillip Jones, Team Rector, Hanley, The Holy Evangelists Team Ministry
Revd Joseph Batt, Retired Priest, St Peter’s Church, Shipley
Mr Bill Burleigh, Deacon, St Mary, High Green
Reverend Louise Dawson, Supernumerary Minister, Barnsley Methodist Circuit
Mr James Norton, Member, St Vincent De Paul Society
Revd Dr John Peet, Permission To Officiate, StAndrew’s Kildwick And Airedale Methoidst Circuit
Mrs Chris Orange, Retired, St Mary Magdalene’s Maltby
Mrs Lydia Groenewald, Member, All Hallows Church, Leeds
Revd John Davies, Vicar, Benefice Of Clapham With Keasden And Austwick With Eldroth
Dr John Atherton, Parishioner, St Patricks Huddersfield
Dr Colin Smith, Attendee, Hillsborough Baptist Church
Revd Heston Groenewald, Vicar, All Hallows Leeds
Venerable Malcolm Chamberlain, Archdeacon Of Sheffield & Rotherham, Diocese Of Sheffield
Revd Michael Stebbing, Priest Monk, Nicolas
Mrs Carolyn Rorke, Parishioner, St Leonard’s And St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church
Mrs Jennifer Carpenter Jennifer Carpenter, Former Vice-President Of The Methodist Conference
Lynda Salmon, Church Warden, St Everilda’s
Mrs Jean Gosling, Steward, Cookridge Methodist Church, Leeds
Mrs Catherine Margham, Member, Harrogate Quaker
Revd Terry Drummond, Licensed Distinctive Deacon, Washburn Mid Wharfe Benifice
Mr Trong Duc Nguyen, Church Goer, New Way Church
Mrs Lisa Howells, Member, St Michaels Church Newton
Revd Helen Cameron, President Of The Methodist Conference
Mrs Carolyn Godfrey, Vice-President Of The Methodist Conference
Revd Richard Andrew, Chair Of Darlington Methodist District, 2025 President Of Methodist Conference
Revd Peter Collins, Joint Public I

Our use of social media: an update

In recent years, social media networks have become less useful as a way of having conversations, sharing messages and mobilising people to act for change. In August 2024, lies spread on social media played a key role in sparking racist riots across the UK.

Twitter (now known as X) is the platform most involved in spreading hate and disinformation. We have therefore decided we will no longer be posting on Twitter, although our account will remain open.

You can still find us on all the other major social networks:

Or even better, sign up for our regular email updates. Email is the best way to ensure you get all the news from us and can stay connected.

If you’re a partner in our work, please let us know which social media channels you’re still using. We’ll follow you and do what we can to share and boost your messages.

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We’re listening!

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Participants all had experience of issues such as poverty, anxiety, food insecurity, homelessness, drug use, or the criminal justice system.

They spent several months over last winter and the spring exploring and sharing their experiences, and the stories were then published online over this summer, in a series called Unheard York.

Meet Charlotte, Anne, John, David & Tammy

One participant, Charlotte, had been pushed into homelessness because her landlord wanted to sell the house she rented, and soaring rents nearby are unaffordable. She told of what she had learnt from her time navigating York’s homeless system, and suggested changes.
Anne told first-hand about the links between poverty, addiction and deteriorating mental health. She told of the positive impact that compassionate support staff can have, but also told of the rigid and gruelling process of applying for social security support.
John and Dave told of the need for more breadth of support for people who have been homeless, and of the positive impact that accessing NHS support can have for mental health.
And Tammy told of the harm caused to teenagers by drug dealers, and the problems that spiral from there. Tammy told of the years-long wait for the diagnosis that finally opened the door to support.

Unheard York: what has the impact been?

As a result of the stories, Lived Insights (which is part of the national Speaking Truth To Power programme) has secured meetings with representatives from the city council to discuss possible changes. One issue raised was the complete lack of an established feedback system, for people who had been through the homeless system to share their ideas and insights.

Unheard York: The background to the idea

The work was prompted by a 2020 report, called Telling A Different Story, which noted that the media often tend to over-simplify complex stories, and struggle to convey the complexity of disadvantages in people’s lives. It said the voices of people with multiple disadvantages were often missing, and called for more collaborations between the media, charities, and people with personal experience.

It immediately interested our communications team, who have long worked to amplify people who can bring first-hand insight to discussions around poverty.

Unheard York: reactions

"It's been a great collaborative project bringing together experiences of people into a powerful series which asks the public and change makers to consider reframing how they view circumstances they might have previously judged people on."

Miles Goring

Lived Insights

"The Telling A Different Story report laid out some real challenges, but also showed how charities and the media could work together positively. It’s been really uplifting to hear unheard issues and voices saying what could be done differently, and it’s encouraging to see politicians open to listening.”

Gavin Aitchison

Church Action on Poverty

"Tourists who see the 'chocolate box' image of York are rarely aware that the city has some serious social issues, with many residents afflicted by poverty, homelessness, addiction – often a combination of complex needs... The articles generated a lot of positive comments from readers, who started sharing their own experiences. Ultimately I hope York's leaders will also use Unheard York to shape improvements in support services."

Chris Titley

Editor, YorkMix

Extract from Charlotte's story

“This is the hardest process I’ve ever had to go through, and it’s so hard because I’m not the one managing it. I’m being pushed and pulled by a system. If you don’t pester, then you are just another number on paper…

“There are not enough houses in York for families. When you’re on the waiting list, there isn’t enough social housing to bid on. In York, some houses have been converted to Airbnbs or for student lets as well. There’s just not enough social housing.

“When I spoke to other people, a lot of them were saying the same as me: the council hadn’t been clear with them how long it would take, and people felt there was no compassion. These people are often going through the worst times of their lives, and it should not be like this for them.

“Being able to meet someone face to face would have made a big difference. You could speak to someone there and then and ask your questions.

“I’m saying all this because I want it to be easier for other people who are going through it. We had some support but not everyone does. I feel more compassionate and empathetic now that I have been through this and having spoken to other people who have been through it. I was compassionate before but I understand it more now.”

Charlotte’s recommendations, at a glance:

Within the temporary accommodation block, Charlotte calls for more recognition and support of the emotional struggle that homelessness brings, and for some form of communal space.
Within the council, Charlotte feels strongly there should be face to face interaction, and more clarity about what lies in store when for people becoming homeless.
And, above all that, Charlotte and Lived Insights reiterate that York needs more affordable housing, particularly with many homes being lost to Airbnb and student let accommodation.

Unheard York: What we did, and why

The collaboration was built on trust and a shared set of purposes and principles. Early on, Church Action on Poverty, Lived Insights and YorkMix sat down to discuss what would work from a possible partnership. We agreed the following points:

Purpose

To tell how important systems in York could be improved, to reduce risk of poverty.
To amplify the voices of people with first-hand experience, to this end.
To share storytelling power more widely.
To model dignified, collaborative, purposeful storytelling. We want to change things, but without stigmatising people or speaking for others.

Principles

Every story should primarily be told by the person with first-hand experience of the issue, ideally in the first person.
Every story should include a look at solutions, showing how things could be done differently. We wanted to show that change is possible.
Every story should include some wider context. The storytellers are not isolated examples, but evidence of flawed systems.
Stories should reflect the real complexity of people’s lives. Where there are multiple issues, we shouldn’t reduce these for ease of narrative.

Our partners on this project

News

From mosaics to murals, pots to paintings, Pantry members have been creating stunning art pieces this year

Let's End Poverty art projects

What members said

York Poverty Truth Commission brought people together and is inspiring change

John

Kate

Lynne

Karen

Vicky

Jamie

Flashback: This video shows the launch of the PTC in 2023

York Poverty Truth Commission's story

Churches urged to open more PantriesBishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith"

Bishop encourages churches to get involved

Church Pantries reach almost 60,000 people

Pantries are a perfect fit for pantries

Pantries bring vast community benefits

Anyone interested in opening a Your Local Pantry should email info@yourlocalpantry.co.uk

One church’s story

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

Dear Prime Minister letters

Together we can build a poverty-free nation

One of the letters: Dear Prime Minister, from Carrie

Click on the right to download the latest issue of SPARK, our newsletter for supporters of Church Action on Poverty.

Saturday 19 October 2024, 9:30am - 3:00pm: hear about local issues and responses to them as we walk and pray together

Join us and learn about:

Practicalities

Come and be open and be challenged and changed by what you see and hear

More than 170 church leaders from across the UK have urged the Chancellor to scrap the unjust two-child limit in social security systems.

Five people with experience of complex poverty have been speaking up to press for change, as part of an exciting collaboration in York.

Meet Charlotte, Anne, John, David & Tammy

Unheard York: what has the impact been?

Unheard York: The background to the idea

Unheard York: reactions

Extract from Charlotte's story

“This is the hardest process I’ve ever had to go through, and it’s so hard because I’m not the one managing it. I’m being pushed and pulled by a system. If you don’t pester, then you are just another number on paper…

“There are not enough houses in York for families. When you’re on the waiting list, there isn’t enough social housing to bid on. In York, some houses have been converted to Airbnbs or for student lets as well. There’s just not enough social housing.

“When I spoke to other people, a lot of them were saying the same as me: the council hadn’t been clear with them how long it would take, and people felt there was no compassion. These people are often going through the worst times of their lives, and it should not be like this for them.

“Being able to meet someone face to face would have made a big difference. You could speak to someone there and then and ask your questions.

Churches urged to open more Pantries

Bishop says community food approach “goes to the heart of the Christian faith"