Unheard no more: Story project brings hope for change
Five people with experience of complex poverty have been speaking up to press for change, as part of an exciting collaboration in York.
Church Action on Poverty worked with the independent media outlet YorkMix and with a local group called Lived Insights, to help tell complicated stories effectively.
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
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.
