Commission's Co-Chair appointed as Chair of the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland

Maureen McGinn, co-chair of the Poverty Truth Commission, was yesterday (23^rd November) appointed Chair of the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland. 


The Commission has benefited hugely from Maureen’s insightful leadership over the last two years and we are delighted at her appointment. We know that she will bring her many experiences of the Commission into her new role. 

Poverty Truth Commission meets with Minister for Public Health

On 6th October six of the PTCs Commissioners met with Michael Matheson, minister for public health at the Scottish Parliament. 

Civil servants from a number of departments were represented and the meeting was very proactive, seriously taking the Poverty Truth Commission's model into account. Following the meeting the Employability and Tackling Poverty Division will be holding a seminar on poverty in their department to include people in poverty and enable learning from the Poverty Truth Commission to be shared. The Health and Equalities division will hold a similar seminar as well as piloting a mentoring scheme for civil servants working in areas relating to poverty, where they will be mentored by someone in poverty over an extended period. We are delighted to have the support of the Public Health minister and others present for what we believe is a very unique and effective model of poverty organising.

Encouraging Glasgow's Health Board to address need for psychological services for Kinship Children

On 3rd October the Poverty Truth Commission's Kinship Care working group met with Ann Hawkins and Mark Feinmann from Glasgow's Health board to address the urgent need for psychological and trauma services for children in Kinship Care who have often been severely damaged by pre-natal and early months experiences. 

The meeting was very positive and it was agreed that there is a lack of trauma services and that statutory services dealing with Kinship Care could do with being better coordinated. As a result the North Glasgow health board will pilot a seminar on Kinship Care which includes a variety of statutory and third sector service providers with Kinship Carers to determine priority needs and encourage increased communication.