Spark Newsletter September 2010

8/8/2019 Spark Newsletter September 2010

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autumn 2010

2010

con

fere

nce

deta

ilsen

clos

ed!

Were listeningYour letters to the Prime Minister

European Year for CombatingPoverty and Social Exclusion

The Budget and public spendingcuts: is it fair?

September newsletter.indd 1 13/09/2010 1


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citizensorganising

togetherto tacklepoverty

and socialexclusion

bridging

the

gap

34 December, Manchester

In difficult times, it is vital that the

poorest and most vulnerable people insociety have a say in the decisions thataffect them. And it is the responsibilityof the church to stand in solidarity withthose people.

Our practical approaches could helpyour church to work with people inpoverty to make a difference. Come andfind out about Schools of Participation,broad-based community organising,participatory budgeting, onlinecampaigning and more.

Together, we have a stronger voice.Together, we can build a fairer society.Together, we can tackle poverty.

Book your place now!Use the flyer in this mailing,visit http://bit.ly/bridgingthegap,or call 0161 236 9321 ext 1.

annualconference

2010

Who Counts?Saturday 29 January Sunday 6 February 2011

In the year of the census...

Who counts in society? Who does the counting?

Who decides who is included and who is excluded?

Who has a voice? Whom do we value and why?

Who counts in Gods eyes?

Run an event with free resourcesPray, act and give with our calendar

www.actionweek.org.uk



3/16

3

Back in May, theGovernment made acommendable com-mitment to fairness,and specifically to

protecting the poorest and mostvulnerable from public spend-ing cuts. Lib Dem Minister SteveWebb outlines some of theirplans for tackling persistentpoverty on page 7. Yet sadly, theEmergency Budget is alreadyhitting families with childrenhardest, and the poorest familiesare set to lose most.

The Public Spending Reviewin October is likely to announcemajor cuts to welfare, and otherpublic services. The consequenc-es will be dire for many. If cutsare needed, they should be tar-

geted at those with the capacityto bear them, rather than thosewho are already struggling.

This is why we are back-ing calls for the Governmentto introduce a Fairness Test, to

assess the impact of proposedtax rises or spending cuts oninequality of income, assets andaccess to services.

Alongside this, we continuethe vital work of ensuring thatthe voices of those affected bypoverty and exclusion are heard.This edition ofSpark features ourgrassroots Listening Campaign(pages 89) and the Dear PrimeMinister letters weve been gath-ering from our supporters (page10). The front cover shows some ofthe striking visual messages peo-ple contributed at the Greenbeltfestival this summer!

But we all have a responsibil-ity to speak out about injustice.Already, over 70 churches andgroups have signed up for our MP

Accountability Network to holdour MPs to account for their owncommitment to fairness and toprotecting the poorest.

You are most welcome to joinus in this task!

is it fair?Church Action on Povertys NationalCoordinator Niall Cooper explains why werecalling for a Fairness Test and how were

listening to people in poverty.

Church Action onPovertyDale House35 Dale StreetManchesterM1 2HFT: 0161 236 9321F: 0161 237 5359E: [email protected]: www.church-poverty.org.ukRegistered Charity no 1079986Company no 3780243

get involved!Become a memberUse the form on page 16Join us on Facebook

http://tinyurl.com/capfacebookFollow us onTwitterhttp://twitter.com/churchpovertyGetemail news updateshttp://bit.ly/cap_enewsJoin theClose the Gape-action networkhttp://bit.ly/closethegap_signup

act now!Call on churches to pay aLiving Wage!See page 6 and use theenclosed postcard.Join the MP AccountabilityNetwork!See page 11

4 News and events

5 Campaigns

Switching off the TV

rip-off; Living Ghosts andLiving Wage updates

7 Feature

Were listening Government plans forpoverty; our listeningcampaigns; your letters tothe Prime Minister

11 Supporters

MP AccountabilityNetwork update

12 In progressAbout our CommunityPride Unit

14 Partners and allies

New Zealand andinequality; poverty inScotland

16 Prayer and worship

A prayer for listening

in this issue



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spark news from Church Action on Poverty autumn 2010

Thrive helps people tomanage their moneyOur Thrive project in Stockton-on-Tees has been exploring howour Sustainable Livelihoodsapproach can help people dealwith financial exclusion anddebt.

Thrive carried out a one-yearresearch project, funded by theFriends Provident Foundationand the Eaga Partnership

Trust. We used our SustainableLivelihoods approach to iden-tify peoples strengths, assetsand needs. We helped them touse social capital their rela-tionships with the communityaround them to deal with debtproblems and manage theirfinances better.

You can download the sum-mary report from the work athttp://bit.ly/livelihoodsreport or call 0161 236 9321 ext 1 andrequest a copy.

shared the widespread concernthat these measures will makelife harder for many vulnerablepeople, and stigmatise everybodywho claims benefits. One ChurchAction on Poverty supporterwho is on benefits commented:The constant message fromboth media and politicians thatsomeone on benefits is probablyjust a lazy scrounger feeds intopeoples reactions in real life... [I

feel] I have no right to my ownlife but am regarded as publicproperty.

Many groups have pointedout that the Coalitions policiesare penalising people in povertymuch more than the wealthy.Some researchers estimate thatthe impact of cuts on people inpoverty will be 10 times higherthan on high earners. For a fullarticle exploring these issues,see www.church-poverty.org.uk/news/allinthistogether.

A recent meetingof the ThriveProject

Responsible Credit UKConvention19 October, LondonA major conference for peopleinterested in debt, financialexclusion and affordable credit.Covering: lessons of the crisis forcredit regulation, tackling over-indebtedness and dealing withdebt; financial education; andcrediting local communities.Find out more atwww.responsible-credit.org.uk/events.

10 Years On: ParticipatoryBudgeting and the BigSociety9 November, London

A one-day conference hostedby our Participatory Budgeting(PB) Unit. We will celebrate thesuccesses of PB in the UK overthe past 10 years, and look to thefuture to explore how PB caninvolve people in difficult spend-ing decisions.

Call 0161 236 9321 ext 2 or seehttp://bit.ly/pbconference2010for more information.

Bridging the Gap34 December, ManchesterChurch Action on Povertysannual conference, combinedwith a regional assembly to report

on our work for the EuropeanYear to Combat Poverty andSocial Exclusion, and the annualassembly of our ManchesterChangeMakers project.

Use the enclosed flyer or call0161 236 9321 ext 1 to book yourplace today.

Welfare and tax: who arethe real cheats?Over the summer, the CoalitionGovernment announced a seriesof welfare reforms and initia-tives, focusing on hunting downbenefit cheats and withdrawingor reducing the benefits paidto particular groups of peo-ple. Church Action on Poverty

events

news



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campaigns 5

Our Thrive project in

Stockton-on-Teesrecently success-fully targeted anotorious com-

pany that charges low-incomehouseholds more for householdappliances and furniture. Thestory shows how we used manyof Church Action on Povertysdistinctive approaches to ensurepeople experiencing povertyare at the forefront of winningchanges.

For over a year, local people

on Teesside did some in-depthhousehold interviews abouthow people survive, usingthe Sustainable Livelihoodsapproach. This frameworkunearths the grassroots real-ity of poverty that many otherresearch studies dont get to.

We found that a quarter ofthe people we talked with werepaying a lot to a company calledBuy As You View for furnitureand appliances by puttingcoins in a slot on the side of their

TV. Our ChangeMakers pro-gramme, which uses communityorganising techniques, provideda great way to work out how toengage with the company and itsboss, Graham Clarke. We got over1,000 of our supporters and otherconcerned people to watch ashort funny film (www.ripofftv.net) that clearly identified the

issues, and followed them with a

quick action to email the compa-nys Chief Executive. Hundredsof people contacted him, and heagreed to meet with us. At firsthe was reluctant to talk withsome of his 100,000 customers,so we asked supporters to ringhim on the day he was due to bemeeting us. This was enough toget him up to Stockton with hisexecutives for the meeting.

He has turned out to be veryreceptive and respectful to ourconcerns and the ideas we put

forward. He admitted he hadsome of the same concerns andmade promises to progress onsome on key issues. Our mem-bers felt very satisfied at the endof the meeting and we are nowin a really constructive dialoguewith him. In fact they say theyare keen to work with us totalk to the government aboutextortionate and irresponsiblelending.

Thank you for all your excel-lent backing real change can be

achieved with the right pressure.

switching off the TVrip-offWe have achieved an exciting campaign success by bringing together one of ourgrassroots projects with our nationwide network of passionate supporters in

churches. Greg Brown, the worker at our Thrive project, reports on progress sofar.

Sheila, one of the BAYV customers who took partin the action, said:

He [Graham Clarke, the CEO!] wrote back to uswithin a week or so. He also checked that I wasntcharged any warranty... He phoned me up ... Ivegot your account in front of me ... and told meYoure not paying 56 pound, youre paying 40.I said, Dont get me wrong: Im fighting for peo-ple whove been with you for years and years andyears (as opposed to those who are new and aretaking the mick out of the company). Mr Clarkesaid. I truly understand that. As I said, as long asit helps other people.Basically, I thought, well with a large company likethat ... youre pissing against the wind, whereasyouve been forceful we can get the TV involved.I think you did a good job.The way [Buy As You View] went into it theyreall over [the country], so to be able to do that [geta result], at the end of the day, youve got to putyour hands up ... it took a handful of people to getthem to fly in from wherever they came from.

Rip-off TV: a scene from our comedy TV advert

Find out about Thrive atwww.thrive-stockton.org.uk



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Monday 10 May 17.10Ive rationed out all my food for the next weekand organised every meal/snack HEHE at themoment I feel excited and mature about it letssee how long that lasts!!! Ive just realised that Ihave several food for thought revision classes after

school, so Ill have to do three hours of solid work tocome home to rice and kidney beans YAY

Tuesday 11 May 20:03OMG!!! Break was a disaster I nearly chuckedwhen I ate the carrot (yes singular I couldnt eveneat one!) It was disgusting and Ive been hungry allday! ... I cant wait for proper food.

Friday 14 May 19:27Ive finished!!! At 3:15 today, I was set free from myfood stash and rewarded with Jaffa Cakes and dairymilk at RS revision class It was heaven! Yum yum.Im so glad Ive finished and although there weresome good times, overall it was disgusting!

OverallThe most important thing I have gained from theexperience is the understanding of how hard itmust be for those being sent back home. It wastough enough for me to live off a boxful of food,but to be under the stress of government alwayswatching you and knowing youre returning to awar-torn/terrible country is really unimaginable!

students live as refugees!Kate Dziubinska, member of a Youth St Vincent De Paul group at St Marys schoolin Blackpool, took our Endurance Challenge: for five days, she lived on the foodand money available to people seeking asylum. Here are some excerpts from

the Food Diary she used to record her experiences during the week:

I learnedhow hard

it must befor peoplebeingsent backhome

This summer the MethodistConference agreed to require allMethodist churches and projectsto pay the Living Wage by theend of the financial year, exceptin exceptional circumstances.

This has lifted a significantnumber of lay workers out of in-work poverty.

Not far behind, the Baptists,the United Reformed Church,the Church of Scotland, andthe Society of Friends are allpublicly committed to theprinciple. However, the twolargest denominations RomanCatholic and Church of England

still have not made serious steps towards respect-ing their low-paid workers with a Living Wage.

methodists lead the wayOur Campaigns Officer Alan Thornton explains how you can help make sure

that all of our churches pay a Living Wage.

act now!Weve enclosed a postcard youcan send to the bishop in yourdiocese, asking them to make surechurch workers are paid the Living

Wage.You can check who the bishopsare in your area at www.crock-ford.org.uk/68 for Anglicans, orhttp://bit.ly/catholicbishops forCatholics.If youre not an Anglicanor Catholic, please passthe postcard on tosomeone who is!

about the living wageEvery summer, Loughborough UniversitysCentre for Research in Social Policy works out the

Minimum Income Standard using thorough andrigorous research. They base the figure on whata typical couple working full-time, with two chil-dren in paid childcare, need to earn in order notto fall below a minimum living standard.

As of summer 2010, they both need to be paidat least 7.60 per hour.

For more information on how the Living Wageis calculated, read our briefing: download it atwww.church-poverty.org.uk/campaigns/living-wage or call 0161 236 9321 and ask for a copy.



7/16

7feature: were listening

Too many people in our society face

poverty not as a temporary phenom-enon but as permanent feature of theirdaily lives. Latest estimates from theGovernment suggest that more than

one in 10 people live in what is defined as persist-ent poverty, and tackling this is a key challenge forthe new Coalition Government.

Tackling poverty is made all the more diffi-cult by a structural budget deficit independentlyconfirmed as being 12 billion worse than was pre-viously thought. But despite this we have alreadybeen able to take some important steps forward.

A first priority was to relink the basic state pen-sion to earnings. For more than 30 years the value

of the pension was allowed to decline. But fromApril 2011 the basic state pension will be uprated bythe highest of earnings, prices, or 2.5%.

And to ensure that those who need it mostare supported, most of the poorest pensionerson Pension Credit will benefit from the full cashincrease in their basic state pension next year.

Whilst the longer-term goal is a decent statepension, I know there are too many people now notclaiming the help they are entitled too. If you knowfriends or family who could beeligible for Pension Credit, encour-age them to apply by ringing thefree Pension Credit hotline on 080099 1234.

For people of working age thereare concerns that a soaring benefitsbill has not made the sort of dent inpoverty that it should. For exam-ple, year after year, the HousingBenefit bill has risen remorselessly,with most of the money ultimatelybenefiting landlords throughhigher rents rather than tenantsthrough better housing.

A cap on housing benefit payments will mean that

those on benefit face the same difficult choices aboutwhere to live and how much rent they can afford thatalready face people who are in lower-paid employ-ment. But if the result of the reforms is that we canrein in the endless rise in rent levels, then this in turnwill make it more possible for people to find jobs thatactually enable them to pay their rent, instead ofbeing priced out of the jobs market altogether. Andwhere the changes will cause particular hardship, wewill be tripling the budget for Discretionary HousingPayments to 60 million a year so that local authori-ties can help those most in need.

Where people are helping, often behind thescenes, that effort should be recognised. Thats why

I am so keen to ensure that the army of hiddencarers who look after a sick or elderly relative for 20hours or more a week can benefit from the CarersCredit, introduced this April, which can help thembuild up a state pension.

In the longer term, a key goal of the CoalitionGovernment is to reform the benefits and taxcredits system to make sure that work pays andthat people who do make the leap from benefitsand into work can be confident that they will be

better off as a result. Too often, thesystem can trap people on benefit or abandon them on it, in thecase of many long-term recipientsof incapacity benefit.

Trying to shake things upwill cause disruption and will bedoubly difficult against a tightfinancial backdrop. But I believethat we do no-one any favours ifwe allow the benefits bill to soarwithout ensuring that the systemis helping and rewarding peoplerather than standing in their way.

tackling persistentpovertyThere is a lot of concern about the Coalition Governments planned publicspending cuts, and their likely impact on people in poverty (see page 4). We

asked Steve Webb MP, the Liberal Democrat Minister for Pensions, to outlinehow the Coalition Government intends to protect the poorest from the effectsof cuts.

In summer 2009,Church Actionon Poverty

in Sheffieldpersuaded NickClegg MP tosign our Get FairPoverty Pledge.Now that theLiberal Democratsare in power,how does hepropose to keepthat pledge?



8/16


were listening 2010 is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.As part of this, Church Action on Poverty has been running training andlistening events across North West England and Yorkshire & Humber. We

want to hear from the grassroots about the real problems and challengeswhich face people in poverty. Here are reports from just two of the eventsthat have happened so far:

Find out moreWere listening carefully to the

issues uncovered at all the EY2010listening events. Theyll lead tonew campaigning work, trainingfor grassroots organisations, andawareness-raising in the media. Tofind out more, visit www.church-poverty.org.uk/projects/ey2010.Or come along to Bridging theGap on 34 December bookingform with this newsletter!

JohnMay,KUCandKnowsleyMutualCreditUnion

Demanding action for carersDuring the last 12 months, our

Manchester ChangeMakersproject has been workingwith carers whose relativeshave a dual diagnosis thatis, mental health issues together with an alcoholor substance abuse problem. The work resulted ina public hearing on 20 May, attended by over 120people.

Carers were able to put their demands directlyto power-holders medical and social service pro-fessionals. They raised issues including disclosureagreements, risk assessments and awareness-rais-ing. Power-holders agreed to all these demands, andpromised to work closely with carers in future.

The carers experience highlighted the need fordirect citizen participation as opposed to simplybeing invited into the space of the professionals.These carers do not feel that their specific needsare being addressed by existing consultations.The hearing was a powerful way of ensuring theirvoices are heard.

Find out more about this work and otherChangeMakers actions atwww.changemakersmanchester.org.uk

Tough times ahead for people onbenefits

Kirkby Unemployed Centre on Merseyside held alistening event in July. It brought together a rangeof welfare advisers and others from the Knowsleyand Kirkby area, all working closely with peopleon low incomes and familiar with the problemsthey face. In a series of discussions and workshops,people shared stories of the issues they helped theirclients to deal with. By the end of the morning, theyhad identified a number of issues that they want tosee tackled, including:

Work must pay. Too many people are trapped onbenefits because the only jobs available are solow-paid that they would leave people worse offIn some families and communities, there is a

culture of worklessness which may extend backfor two or three generations. This makes it verydifficult for people to see the value of working.For people who are in work, hours are beingreduced, and there is a mounting pressure toborrow, consume and generally live beyond yourmeans.

See some local people sharing their stories on videoat http://bit.ly/kuclistening.

People cant geta jobunless

theyvegotabankaccount,

andthe banks wontgive

themabankaccount

unless theyvegot ajob



9/16

9feature: were listening 9

T

he listening events started in May and have been runningaround the country right through the summer. The organi-sations that have held events include an unemployedworkers centre in Derby, an African community centre inSwansea, a community association in Birmingham and a

group of mental health carers in the Midlands.

Over 25 of these listening events have happened around the UK,bringing together people with direct experience of poverty to uncoversome of the issues and myths around work and poverty in their area.Here is some feedback from some of the events:

... nationwide!As well as our own regional programmes, we are working in partnership withCommunity Links to run a national listening campaign looking at working-age poverty. Gary Blake from Community Links reports on the first stage of

this work: supporting community organisations around the country to holdlistening events.

Find out moreWatch our video with more stories and com-ments at http://bit.ly/workingagepovertyvideo.You can also read more feedback from theselistening events and add your own comments,ideas and suggestions at www.community-links.org/our-national-work/listening-campaigns.

Last week I was meant to go to college but couldnt afford thechildcare. I was asked for 160 deposit, where am I going to findthis?People need a DECENT wage, not one that is made up of benefits,there needs to be an increase in the level of the minimum wage.Asylum-seekers should be allowed to work, they cant surviveon 30 per week. By them working it would help them integratemore and learn English. Asylum-seekers may wait six to seven

years before getting permission to stay, because of this asylum-seekers are forced into working illegally.I have been living here now for 10 years, and me and my childrenhave to rely on money sent to me from my family in Nigeria tosurvive.People at the Job Centres sometimes make you feel that it istheir money and you are made to feel that you are begging.I was told by someone at the Job Centre: you are too old andyouve got something wrong with you, youve got no chance ofgetting a job.You are told to eat five fruit and veg a day, how can you do thison benefits? I only have enough money to buy processed food.Living on benefits causes people to have mental health problems;you cant socialise normally and cant afford to eat well.

Ive been on crisis loans for 15 weeks as my incapacity benefitsstopped without warning, I only knew they had stopped whenI went to withdraw money from a cash machine to pay for myfood shopping. It took more than two months for me to get a let-ter telling me it had been stopped.Create a hub with employment and welfare advice so it is moreeasily accessible for parents. Job Centres should do more out-reach and be more supportive and accommodating. They need tobe proactive, offering tailored support. There should be optionsfor people to chose where they want to go to get help.

AlisteningeventatDerbyshireUnemployed

Centre

Alistening event atBartonHillSettlement inBristol



10/16


Welfare and benefitsAmend the stringent targets benefit advisershave to meet with regard to the work capabilitytest for Employment and Support Allowance.Replace means-tested benefits with a citizens

income.A benefits system that does not penalise recipi-ents (typically some benefit rules result in a 1loss on every 1 of income generated, represent-ing a 100% tax rate!) while being paid benefits,and which has a taper built into it, so that themovement off benefits into paid work does notproduce a sudden loss of income.

Debt and creditSet a legal cap on interest rates so those forcedto resort to doorstep lenders and pay-per-viewcompanies are less likely to be dragged downinto levels of debt that are impossible to clear

just to provide themselves with basic necessi-ties of modern life.To ensure that children from disadvantagedbackgrounds are given every possible help inreceiving personalised help in education so thatthey do not remain at a disadvantage for therest of their lives. They should be given everypossible opportunity to discover their gifts andcapabilities and the education process be moreadaptable to accommodate their needs.

Children and young peopleTargeted funding in schoolsfor children from poorerbackgroundsTo keep Child Tax Credits and

Working Families Tax Creditin place so that families withchildren are able to afford tokeep themselves in a reasonablestandard of living and to extendfree school meals to families onlow incomes even if they workover 15 hours a week.Ensure that childcare is accessi-ble, affordable and safe to enablefamilies to work.

HousingPlease act to put more resources into provid-

ing lower-cost housing, whether for purchaseor rent. As well as benefiting all poorer people,this will be a major contribution to communitycohesion, since jealousy about housing is amajor contributor to group conflict.Affordable housing in all areas of the country.I live in Cambridge where the only way manyworking in health and education and similarvital roles, can take jobs here is to live far out oftown, thus adding to traffic congestion, victimsof rising fuel costs and long journeys to andfrom work.

TaxTax assistance/breaks for those on low incomes.(Particularly pensioners, single parents andcarers.)Please rule out increases in VAT. This is themost regressive tax, because poorer peoplenecessarily spend a higher proportion of theirincome on food, heating, clothing, attractingVAT. As in wartime, so in crisis financial times,one nation demands that those who can affordit should bear the main tax burden.

dear prime minister...Since the General Election, hundreds of Church Action on Povertys friends andsupporters have joined in our special action, and written letters to the CoalitionGovernment. Each one highlighted three things that must be done to tackleUK poverty. Our Communications Manager Liam Purcell presents a few of themessages you sent, under a number of key themes.

what next?

You can read more of the messages that wevereceived on a blog at http://dearpm.wordpress.com.Were collating all the messages, and theyll be deliv-ered to the Government during the autumn. Wellalso consider all these messages alongside the resultsof our grassroots listening campaigns (see pages8 and 9), as we start planning a major new ChurchAction on Poverty campaign. The campaign will belaunched at our conference in December. If you wantto help us make sure that the Coalition Governmentprotects the poorest people from the cuts and thecrisis, book your conference place now! A flyer with abooking form is enclosed.



11/16

11supporters: mp accountability network

Its still not too late if you want to sign upto hold your own MP to account! The key to

this is essentially to find up to half a dozenpeople from different local churches or otherlocal groups (eg Justice & Peace groups,

community projects, advice centres) who want tobe part of a local MP Accountability Network andcommit to meeting with your local MP three or fourtimes a year. We have produced a guide to starting agroup and a model letter to send to local churches, ifyou think that a formal invitation would help.

Issues to raise with your MPWe have now published the first three briefing

papers on issues to raise with MPs (although youare, of course, free to raise local or other issues aswell!) See the boxes on this page for details.

We will be sending out a further set of brief-ings at the end of September to those who haveregistered to be part of the Network, with a viewto holding meetings with MPs during October orNovember. Please sign up now, and help us to holdour politicians accountable!

no power withoutaccountability!Over 70 groups have already signed up to be part of our new MP AccountabilityNetwork and briefing events have now been held in Manchester, London and

Edinburgh. Our Coordinator Niall Cooperreports on our plans for the Network and how you could get involved!

act now!All the briefings, model letters and other docu-ments mentioned on this page can be downloadedfree at www.church-poverty.org.uk/2010election. You can also signup to the Network there. Or callthe office on 0161 236 9321 ext 1,and well sign you up and post youprinted resources.

The Fairness TestThe new Government has madea clear commitment in theCoalition Agreement to protectthose on low incomes fromthe effect of public sector payconstraint and other spendingconstraints. This commitmentis very welcome but warmwords are not enough! Giventhe severity of the proposedcuts to be introduced dur-ing the Spending Review inthe autumn, the Governmentmust be specific about how itproposes to protect those onlow incomes. The Fairness

Test would be one way for theGovernment to do this a clearand transparent assessmentof the impact of tax rises andspending cuts on those on lowincomes.

Responsible lendingThe new Government has madea welcome commitment totackle excessive interest rates oncredit and store cards. However,it is difficult to see the logic oftackling excessive interest rateson credit and store cards butdoing nothing to crack down onthe far higher interest rates beingcharged by doorstep and paydaylenders. Many of our pooresthouseholds currently pay interestrates from 180% to over 1,000%APR to these kind of lenders.Tackling extortionate lending wherever it is found would

put more money back into thepockets of our poorest householdswithout costing the exchequer apenny. It would also contribute tothe regeneration of local econo-mies and relieve the demandon public services. Governmentshould therefore make this apriority.

The Robin Hood TaxThe Robin Hood Tax is a tax onthe financial sector that couldraise up to 250 billion a yearglobally and at least 20 billionin the UK. The money raised couldbe spent helping poor people athome and abroad and tackling cli-mate change. A tax on all financialtransactions of around 0.05% isthe best way to raise the volumeof money needed, but if anotherfinancial sector tax or taxes areproposed that also raise hundredsof billions annually and are linkedto fighting poverty and climatechange, we would be hugely

supportive.



12/16


T

he Community Pride Unit works with marginalised groups of people to increase their confidenceand knowledge, which leads to greater participation in decision-making. We take a needs-ledapproach, which means that our work is very much rooted in the community and targetedwhere it is most needed.

In the past 18 months alone, Community Pride has worked intensively, face to face, with

almost 600 people. As a direct result of our work, people gain new skills and confidence. They feel more ableto influence local decision-making, and they can understand and overcome the barriers to their participa-tion. We are often able to persuade statutory agencies to change their practices and remove these barriers.

We have pioneered a range of approaches to empowering excluded communities. Principle amongstthese has been the development of a process called Schools of Participation, based on the work of the LatinAmerican community educator, Paulo Freire. These Schools encourage self-advocacy by disadvantaged peo-ple, empowering them to participate actively in society.

The reports and quotes on these pages come from a few of the Schools we have run. We have also workedwith Gypsies and Travellers, together with community representatives and workers.

schools for the excludedCommunity Pride has been seeking out solutions to poverty andinequality in Manchester and Salford since 1999. Last year, it becamea unit within Church Action on Poverty. We asked Ocia Koranteng, theunit Coordinator, to tell us about their work.

DeafBlind communityWorking closely with DeafBlind people in

Salford, we have enabled this very excludedgroup to have huge influence. They have suc-cessfully campaigned for the provision of aGuide Communication Service, and producedguidance for service-providers. DeafBlindrepresentatives felt that the Independent LivingAdvisory Board was showing a lack of respectfor their community, and not enforcing its ownCode of Conduct. As a result of their stand, theseissues were addressed.

Ithoughtthisisagreatopportunity

forrefugeesandasylum-seekersto

raisetheirconcernsandtoshare

theirexperienceswithothers

Refugees and people seeking asylumWorking with this marginalised group, we have tackledissues of hate crime and the standard of accommodation in

the private sector. Refugees and people seeking asylum havenow influenced the proceduresfor reporting hate crime withinSalford, and private housingproviders have agreed to improvetheir communications and otherprocedures. Members of the groupnow have places on public bodiessuch as the Police IndependentAdvisory Group and the Multi-Agency Forum for Asylum Seekersin Salford.



13/16

13in progress: community pride unit

Act now!Does your church or project work with excludedpeople? Schools of Participation and our otherapproaches might be useful for you. To find out more,or invite us to train your staff, contact us:

0161 236 9321 ext 3

Ocia: [email protected]

Sarah: [email protected]

www.takepartsalford.org.uk

Asian womenMany Asian women in Salford

felt isolated both from eachother and the wider com-munity. Since working withCommunity Pride, they haveformed a group called Asha,and have opened up a numberof opportunities for otherwomen from ethnic minori-

ties. The group has influenced localdecisions about training and services, so that they are deliv-ered in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways.

Residents and tenantsA Residents & Tenants group in a multi-storeyblock of flats had realised that many new ten-ants were from different countries (includingEastern Europe and Africa). We ran a culturalawareness workshop, and helped them to thinkthrough how they could enable new people tocontribute to important decisions being madeabout the future of their block.

Thegrouphasformedasa

whole,withpeoplewhoare

clearaboutwhattheywanttodoand

asense thatwecan makea change

RaisingmoneyforDeafBlind

peopleinSalfordhasbeena

greatmotivationforme

Supporting Community PrideLocal people in Salford have been so inspiredby Community Pride that they are doing asponsored marathon in Snowdonia to sup-port our work. Visit www.charitygiving.co.uk/wallworkopticians to sponsor the run-ners and support CommunityPride!

TonyMcGrail

NickWallwork



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New Zealanders are rightly proud ofour football team that managed toend the 2010 Football World Cup inSouth Africa as the only unbeatenteam! A more dubious distinction is

the fact that the past 20 years has seen NZ lead theOECD countries in the growth in income inequal-

ity, and it now rests next to the UK among the mostunequal countries in the OECD.The consequences of this rapid and drastic

growth in inequality have been deeply harm-ful to our overall wellbeing as a country, and willcontinue to be for some years to come. RichardWilkinson and Kate Pickett, in their book The SpiritLevel (Penguin, 2009), trace the patterns of inequal-ity across a range of developed countries includingthe UK and NZ, and demonstrate that higher levelsof income inequality translate into lower lifeexpectancy, higher infant mortality and higherimprisonment rates across all of society. In short,greater inequality affects all of us.

In New Zealand, the impacts of this inequal-ity have been felt unevenly. For example, the rateof imprisonment has risen steadily so that NewZealand has the fifth highest rate of imprison-ment in the OECD (195 per 100,000) behind Mexico,Czech Republic, Poland and the USA. Maori NewZealanders have been more hard hit by this increasein imprisonment. They make up 15% of the popu-lation, yet almost half of the prison population isMaori. New Zealanders of Pacific Island ethnic-

ity have higher infant mortality and their lifeexpectancy is well behind that of European NewZealanders.

The growth in inequality has been driven byfaster growth in the middle and high incomes thanthose on lower incomes. Positive poverty reductionpolicies such as significant increases in the mini-

mum wage, income-related rents for social housingand tax credits for working families with childrenhave not been able to counteract the impact oninequality of large growth in the higher incomebrackets and static incomes for people living onwelfare benefits.

The social service agencies of the New Zealandchurches are directly involved on a daily basis inresponding to the impacts of inequality on oursociety. Services such as emergency housing, foodparcels, budget advice and advocacy with govern-ment welfare agencies are more and more needed.They are also part of the responses to the widerimpacts on families, dealing with issues of violence,

abuse and addiction.How can we set about changing this growingsocial malaise of inequality? This is the questionthe umbrella organisation for the social services ofthe churches, the New Zealand Council of ChristianSocial Services (NZCCSS) is asking. Organisationssuch as Church Action on Poverty and the EqualityTrust (set up by the authors ofThe Spirit Level) areinvolved in asking similar questions and one thingsis clear a shared international problem can also beresponded to through sharing experiences in dif-ferent countries that can help reduce the inequalitygap. As the New Zealand church leaders said in

a dubious distinctionPaul Barber of the New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services recently cameto the UK and spent an afternoon at the Church Action on Poverty offices. Weshared ideas for the best ways of campaigning against inequality. Here, Paulshares some of his thoughts.

Act now!Join our Close the Gap network to take part inemail actions tackling inequality in the UK: http://bit.ly/closethegap_signupOneSociety is the UK campaign group set up inresponse to the findings ofThe Sprit Level. Findresources and get involved at www.onesociety.org.ukFind out more about the work of NZCCSSat www.justiceandcompassion.org.nz. Theyhave some interesting videos about pov-erty and inequality in New Zealand in theirResources section.

Together we canWork together as community, governmentand Church organisations to provide sup-port for those ... most affected by the globaleconomic crisisGrow a stronger community more ableto look after one another aroha tetahi kitetahi



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God of questions and opportunityYou listened to a womanwho was determined to save her family;God of RahabCome and listen to us now

God of ancient history and present realityYou listened once to the psalmists cry for the poorand you listen now to all who strive for integrity

and justice:God of this momentCome and listen to us now

Ruth Burgess, July 2010

God of courage and adventureYou listened to a boywho asked for a chance to prove himself;God of DavidCome and listen to us now

God of love and justiceYou listened to a young mumwhose child was thirsty and crying:

God of HagarCome and listen to us now

God of laughter and wisdomYou listened to a manwho decided hed had enough of you;God of JonahCome and listen to us now

prayer and worshipRuth Burgess is a member of the North East Church Action on Poverty group, and writesliturgies for the Wild Goose Resource Group. She wrote this prayer about listening, whichcould be used as a set of responses, or as headings for bidding prayers.

Your detailsName: _____________________________

Church or organisation: _______________

Address: ____________________________

____________________________________

___________________Postcode: ________

Telephone: __________________________

Email: _____________________________

I am a UK tax-payer and would like Church Actionon Poverty to treat this and all future donations

as Gift Aid. (If you tick this box we can claim anextra 2.82 for every 10 you donate. You mustpay income tax or capital gains tax sufficient tocover the amount we reclaim. If your circumstanceschange, please contact the office.)I am donating at least 18 per year (3.50 per yearif unwaged, or 36 per year for a group) and wouldlike to be a member of Church Action on Poverty.(This gives you a say in the election of our Councilof Management, and means that you are liable for1 if we should fail.)

Catch

fireUse thisform to

become asupporterof ChurchAction onPoverty.

Church Actionon Poverty,Third floorDale House,

35 Dale Street,ManchesterM1 2HF

Standing OrderYour name: ____________________________

Your address: __________________________________________________________________

____________________ Postcode: _________

The manager (your bank): ________________

Address: _______________________________

_______________________________________

____________________ Postcode: _________

Sort code: _____________________________

Please pay Church Action on Poverty(charity no 1079986) __________ every monthat National Westminster Bank PLC, 33 Piccadilly,Manchester M1 1LR (sort code 01/06/88, accountno 01125508). Please debit my account number________________ starting on _________________and until further notice.

Signature: ______________________________

[Office use only] Reference: ________________

Documents

Spark Newsletter September 2010