Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission

Call for formal inquiry into kinship care

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

CARERS and charities have called for a formal inquiry to be launched into kinship care in Scotland, following growing concern about neglected children.

Voluntary sector groups and carers gave evidence recently to the Scottish parliament's education committee and are determined to continue pressing their case, as we have reported extensively here.

Lindsay Isaacs of the Kinship Care Service was among those calling for an inquiry as the best way of tackling multiple concerns arising from the financial and social constraints experienced by children and carers alike.

These include:

* the performance of local authorities in discharging their responsibilities
* benefits
* housing support
* information support
* access to counselling services
* the definition of looked-after children
* early intervention strategies

More about these developments here.

Supporting Families debate

2012-01-26T05:58:00.000-08:00

JACKIE Baillie MSP has put forward a Supporting Families resolution in the Scottish Parliament today, and Aileen Campbell has been seeking to amend it. The issue in debate is what has - and has not - been done to support carers, and by whom.

The resolution (S4M-01828 ) reads: That the Parliament recognises the crucial role that kinship carers play in supporting the most vulnerable children and believes that they should be supported financially at an equivalent level to foster carers; notes the commitment given by the First Minister on 27 September 2007 to fast-track £10 million to fund this; further notes commitments made by successive ministers for Education and Lifelong Learning and Children and Early Years that this promise would be met via the concordat with local government by 2011 at the latest; regrets that these promises to kinship carers and the people they care for have been broken, and calls on the Scottish Government to ensure that local authorities are provided with the funds to ensure that kinship carers are properly supported and that this promise is finally met.

The amendment wishes to: leave out from first “notes” to end and insert “welcomes that substantial resources have been provided to local authorities to allow them to provide financial support to kinship carers; recognises that, unlike its predecessors, the 2007-11 Scottish administration acted to introduce regulations to allow financial support to be provided to kinship carers; supports wider efforts to empower families, including the development of a national parenting strategy, the Play, Talk, Read campaign and the roll-out of the Family Nurse Partnership; condemns the UK benefits system as not being fit for purpose as it penalises kinship carers and other vulnerable groups, and calls on the UK Government to fairly support kinship carers.

Poverty Truth Commission lecture at Cairns

2012-01-26T05:15:00.000-08:00

DONNA Barrowcliffe, Anne Marie Peffer and Martin Johnstone are giving the Roy Paterson Memorial Lecture at Cairns Church of Scotland parish, Milngavie, tonight (26 January 2012).

They are taking the "Nothing about us without us is for us" slogan as a starting point to look at the of the Poverty Truth Commission and how it offers a fresh way of tackling key public and political issues.

The key, of course, is that poverty can never be adequately addressed unless those at the sharp end are fully involved in finding and implementing solutions, rather than having policy 'done to them' from on high.

In practical terms, the agenda and approach of PTC is becoming evermore urgent in a context in which poverty has continued to grow across Britain, and at a time when recession and austerity are making life tougher for vulnerable communities.

As for the man the lecture is honouring. Roy Paterson was minister of Cairns for 29 years. Those close to him say: "Roy's ministry was considered the very embodiment of the New Testament idea of Christian living, clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Sadly, Roy died five years after retirement."

Full details here (**.PDF Adobe Acrobat file).

Kids in Scotland and 'Social Apartheid'

2012-01-26T03:49:00.000-08:00

CHILDREN in Scotland who have been taken away from their parents and cared for by relatives rather than by foster carers face being raised in poverty.

Tommy McFall, of Glasgow's New Fossils Grandparent Support Group, has told MSPs that the kids were victims of "social apartheid", reports Tristan Stewart-Robertson in The Glaswegian.

The Scottish Parliament's Education Committee has heard of youngsters being bitten and burned with cigarettes by their parents, and a growing number of children born to substance abusers, we writes.

But they face a life of poverty if taken in by grandparents or other relatives because many "kinship carers" do not receive the same financial support as foster carers.

The full story can be read here.

The New Fossils Grandparent Support Group can be contacted c/o Community Work Team, Newlands Centre, Glasgow G31 4 HZ. Their submission to the Scottish Executive National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy can be read here in full.

The Poverty Truth Commission has had a particular concern for kinship care, and its report recommendations are outlined here (*PDF Adobe Acrobat).

Disabled people to take to the streets

2012-01-25T22:22:00.000-08:00

DISABLED and sick people angry at government cuts and changes that will hit thousands of vulnerable people across Britain are taking to the streets this weekend.

They are to calling on the Westminster parliament to think again about its Welfare Reform Bill, Work Capability Assessment (WCA), and the abolition of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and its replacement by vaguely specified Personal Independence Payments.

The protests, backed by UK Uncut, Disabled People Against Cuts and by the lobbying group 38 Degrees, cover concerns widely shared in Scotland, though determined by reserved powers in Westminster. The government has now suffered six defeats in the House of Lords over welfare issues.

The key role in awakening public and political opinion has been the work of disabled people themselves in publishing the Spartacus Report on DLA. They are demanding full inclusion in policy determination and shaping processes, in line with the ethos and values of the Poverty Truth Commission.

Scottish Health Secretary and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has commented after the first three Lords amendments passed 11 January on that "pleased to hear about Lords votes tonight. The Welfare Reform Bill will hurt many vulnerable people."

Kinship Carers are still paid less than Foster Carers

2012-01-05T02:33:00.000-08:00

In today's Scotsman it is revealed that two thirds of Kinship Carers are still paid less than foster carers by local authorities, despite promises from the Scottish Government that progress would be made.

The article, published on 5th January 2012, reports 'Alex Salmond has been accused of one of the SNP’s “most serious betrayals” by breaking a promise to ensure that the carers of thousands of children being looked after by grandparents or family friends are paid the same as foster carers' and includes comment from Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's Health spokeswoman, and a Scottish Government Spokesman.

The Poverty Truth Commission, which included Kinship Carers, has been challenging the Scottish Government, UK Government, Local Authorities, Health Boards and Kinship Carers to work together in order to improve life for for this highly vulnerable group of children and young people. The Commission believes that governments should involve directly those Kinship Carers who struggle against poverty in designing, implementing and evaluating solutions for their families.

The Poverty Truth Commission also believes it is important for decision makers to be reminded of the reality of life for Kinship Children and their Carers by hearing the stories of their lives.

Moira, a Kinship Carer, is 66 and lives in East Glasgow. When she first took her granddaughter into her care 18 years ago she had no bed for her and very few baby clothes. She gave up her job to care for her full time and life was a real struggle. She now cares for four grandchildren. Two of them receive £40 per week kinship allowance from Glasgow council but the other two have never received an allowance, as lack of social work input when they were taken into her care means they are not recognised as officially under kinship care.

Commissioner's involvement in recent Human Rights Conference

2011-12-19T02:38:00.000-08:00

Back in October a few of the Commissioners from the Poverty Truth Commission took part in the Law Society's Human Right symposium on Realising Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the UK.
The audio from that conference is now available to listen to on the Just Fair website.

The Poverty Truth Commission and the Church of Scotland's Economics Commission challenge the Scottish Governments spending plans

2011-12-09T01:56:00.000-08:00

Last month the Church of Scotland's Commission on the Purposes of Economic Activity met with Alex Neil, the Cabinet Minister for Capitol Investment. In a similar way to The Poverty Truth Commission they challenged the Government's anti poverty policies.

Kirsty Connell, on blog Better Nation, recently wrote about the meeting, and the role of the Church and the Poverty Truth Commission in challenging the Government's spending plans. Read the article on her blog.

Kinship Care Group meet with MSP's

2011-12-08T04:46:00.000-08:00

On 28th October the Poverty Truth Commission's Kinship Care working group met with Duncan McNeil MSP and Drew Smith MSP, with last minute apologies from Johann Lamont MSP, Jackie Baillie MSP and Dr Richard Simpson MSP.

This group of Labour MSPs are keen to support the campaigns of Kinship Carers for the vulnerable children in their care to receive adequate allowances and services to enable their survival and give them an equal chance to children in foster and accomodated care.

Actions from the meeting included looking into setting up a cross party group on Kinship Care in recognition of that fact that Kinship Care is not currently addressed as part of Carers or Addiction strategies and need special attention.

Commissioner's take part in Human Rights Conference

2011-12-02T05:54:00.000-08:00

On 21st and 22nd October Commissioners Blair Green, Carol Turner and Anne Marie Peffer presented testimonies of poverty and promoted the collaborative working model of the Poverty Truth Commission at the Law Society's Human Right symposium on Realising Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the UK in Chancery Lane, London.

150 delegates including lawyers, politicians and third sector groups saw animations on the degrading experience of going to the job centre, and on domestic violence. They also heard a story of in work poverty and debt due to the 'poverty premium' where life can actually be more expensive for those living in poverty. Most importantly they were challenged to include those in poverty whenever they make policies and projects about poverty.

The Commissioners were overwhelmingly well received and also gave a workshop on the method behind the process. As a result of the conference a number of delegates will look at introducing more participation in their organisations. These include Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, Manchester, who will be holding a series of poverty hearings in collaboration with colleagues, borrowing extensively from the PTC's model.

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

2011-11-24T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-24T03:49:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

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.

People with learning difficulties speak out

2011-10-03T01:39:00.000-07:00

PEOPLE FIRST is the name of the independent self-advocacy and collective advocacy organisation of people with learning difficulties in Scotland.

It is run by and for people with learning difficulties, and declares its purpose as being to bring about change by:

1. The way people with learning difficulties see themselves – most of us have grown up believing that we are not much use; that we have nothing useful to say and that we can do nothing for ourselves or anyone else.

2. The way the world sees and thinks about people with learning difficulties – most people in our communities believe that, at best, we are “poor souls” and, at worst, that we are a nuisance and a drain on society.

3. The law and policy as it affects people with learning difficulties – our lives are often ruled and directed by laws and policies that we have had no say in. One of our mottos is “nothing about us without us” and we’re pleased to say that, these days, Government and local government usually tries hard to listen to our points of view.

Government to be assessed on homelessness

2011-09-28T04:41:00.000-07:00

HOUSING activists will be among those speaking when the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council and Scottish Churches Housing Action host a meeting at the City Chambers in Edinburgh on Friday 30 September 2011.

Scottish church leaders have teamed up with the housing charity to assess the progress made by the Scottish Government to eradicate homelessness.

Scottish Churches Housing Action helps churches and others make practical responses to homelessness in Scotland by encouraging the development of affordable housing from redundant or underused church buildings

The meeting is to discuss if the Scottish Government is on course to meet its pledge of providing a home for almost every unintentionally homeless person in Scotland by 2012. More here.

A template for action

2011-09-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

"I believe the Poverty Truth Commission provides a template for the consideration of social policy formulation by government at all levels. The recommendations made on the areas studied deserves serious consideration by the public bodies concerned." - Lord Provost of Glasgow - Bob Winter, Commissioner

Economics as if poverty mattered?

2011-09-26T04:27:00.000-07:00

FORMER Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling has given evidence to the Church of Scotland’s economics commission.

Mr Darling was one of a number of experts to give evidence to the Special Commission on the Purpose of Economic Activity - alongside those who have direct experience of poverty, in accordance with the recommendations of the Poverty Truth Commission.

After giving evidence to the commission Mr Darling took part in a question and answer session with journalists.

The Church of Scotland set up the commission following the credit crunch in 2008. The 13-strong commission chaired by Professor Charles Munn will report to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May 2012. Commission members come from a range of backgrounds and bring specific skills and interests to the group.

'You can't do as much'...

2011-09-20T01:17:00.000-07:00

GROWING up in families affected by poverty has a significant detrimental impact on children’s quality of life and well-being and has limiting effects on a child’s opportunities and future life chances.

Here are two examples from people living at the edge:

“You can’t do as much, and I don’t like my clothes and that, so I don’t really get to do much or do stuff like my friends are doing...I am worried about what people think of me, like they think I am sad or something.” - Nicole, 13-year-old.

“I feel bad because my kids can’t have what other kids have... it’s not their fault... and I sit and worry about things like that which gets me depressed too.” - Jane, parent

Social disadvantage has an impact on every area of life, from health and well-being, to education and employment. Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission remains committed to hearing the voices of those impacted directly by poverty in policy making and public debate.

Will the last be first?

2011-09-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

THERE is currently a consensus that levels of inequality in Britain are too high. But how does this inequality and its related poverty impact on children and young people and what do the churches and faith have to contribute to making society more just?

That is the theme of a consultation commissioned by the Church Relations Department of the Children's Society. It will take place from 20-21 September 2011 at St George's House in Windsor. This blog will carry updates and information relevant to those working in partnership with Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission.

STV appeal raises over £1.2 million

2011-09-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

This year's STV Appeal has raised £1,229,497 for children affected by poverty in Scotland - and the final total is expected to be even higher as the cash continues to pour in.

An hour-long TV special anchored by Lorraine Kelly and broadcast from STV's studios around the country was the culmination of a week-long campaign and fund-raising, with all the money raised going to children and young people in Scotland.

Those answering the phones during the live show on Friday evening included First Minister Alex Salmond, businessman Sir Tom Hunter and TV presenter Michelle Watt.

By the time the programme went off air some £614,748 had been pledged - a figure that will be doubled with cash from the Scottish Government.

The government has pledged to match the first £1.5m raised from donations to the appeal, which is in its first year.

STV will announce the final total raised later in the year.

Household energy bills soar in Scotland

2011-09-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

HOUSEHOLD energy bills have soared in the last five years, Scottish Government figures show - hitting the poorest hardest once more.

The latest statistics indicate that the average household spent about 14% of income on gas and electricity in 2009, compared with a low of 8% in 2004.

Jamie Hepburn MSP, who obtained the figures, says that families are already feeling the pressure at a time when the big energy companies are announcing large price increases. He declared: "This is a scandalous rise in energy bills showing even more homeowners struggling. These hikes are hitting already under pressure households - many households have already reached the limit of what they can afford. People are really feeling the pressure from power companies and price rises. The UK government needs to re-evaluate the energy market and start helping those in fuel poverty."

Averages have fluctuated between 4% and 7% since 1999 for gas and electricity. In 2009, 7% of income was spent on gas and 7% on electricity, showing a steady rise from five years earlier. The proportion of income spent on fuel had earlier increased from 11% in 1996 to 13% in 2003-4.

Richard Baker MSP added: "Soaring fuel prices affect every Scot, but they have a disproportionate impact on those who are on the lowest incomes. It is our duty to help the poorest and most vulnerable, who will be hit hardest by price hikes, through these tough times."

Childcare costs pushing parents out of work

2011-09-14T03:36:00.000-07:00

SCOTTISH families on low-incomes are being forced to leave work and turn down jobs because they cannot afford to pay for childcare, a new survey shows.

The research has ben carried out by Save the Children and Daycare Trust. Despite many parents cutting back on their spending, a third of those living in the worst poverty (defined as a yearly income of less than £12,000) have ended up in debt as a result.

With Scots parents paying the highest in the UK for childcare, Save the Children is urging the Scottish government to take action at the earliest opportunity. The charity is calling for an extension of free entitlement to childcare and nursery education for the poorest families in Scotland. More here.

Making child poverty history

2011-09-13T10:41:00.000-07:00

SCOTLAND'S continuing and historic struggle against child poverty was highlighted in a feature as part of the STV Six O'Clock News this evening - connected with the company's high-profile appeal.

Shelter Scotland and the Poverty Truth Commission were among those interviewed, with PTC's Elaine Downie pointing towards the damaging impact of deprivation on children at school, in the family and amongst peers.

Pioneer and visionary Robert Owen's New Lanark Mills social experiment, including the world's first infant school in Scotland, was a key part of the feature - illustrating the long-running effort to work for equality and to change and improve the conditions of ordinary people.

Owen felt education was vital. He built two buildings for the adults and children of New Lanark. They held evening classes, school lessons and social events. There were also bathing machine. Young children went to the nursery while their mothers were at work.

Catch up with STV Appeal programmes

2011-09-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

THE 2011 STV appeal, which focuses on children living in poverty, features a variety of programming from entertainment and news features right through to serious documentaries, like One in Four.

Elaine Downie from Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission is on the Six O'Clock News tonight

If you miss anything, you can catch up with it later at your convenience via the STV Player, available on the internet. Sunday night's programme with Lorraine Kelly is already available in four segments, to make it easier to upload and view.

How benefit cuts hit the poorest

2011-09-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

ALTHOUGH many policies and decisions about welfare in Scotland remain specific to our context and government, UK-wide financial and policy decisions in welfare - fiscal and otherwise - make a huge difference.

The second reading of the Welfare Reform Bill takes place this afternoon in the House of Lords. Christian commentator Savitri Hensman, who works in the care and equalities sector, has written a piece which looks at what is happening to housing support in Britain from the perspective of those at the sharp end - very much in line with the perspective adopted by Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission.

She writes: "Especially in areas where affordable housing is scarce, many of us – even if not about to be displaced ourselves – have friends or relatives who are about to lose their homes, with all that this involves," going on to explain why the government’s programme of draconian cuts is so harmful. The whole article can be viewed here.

Watch out for Elaine

2011-09-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

POVERTY Truth Commissioner Elaine Downie will be on the STV Six O'Clock News tomorrow night (13 September 2011) in connection with the STV appeal, which we reported on recently.

Elaine has a long track record of anti-poverty action. Back in 1999 she told the BBC on behalf of Church Action on Poverty: "Poverty is not an act of God. The existence of poverty in a great city like Glasgow diminishes the lives of everybody, not just the poor."

The week of programmes for the STV Appeal 2011 began this past weekend, and aims to support children affected by poverty across Scotland.

Empty homes contrast with housing need

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

AS THE MEDIA scrutinise the legislative programme put forward by the Scottish Government, attention is returning to the problems of homelessness and lack of affordable housing - issues which many who gave evidence to the Poverty Truth Commission highlighted.

Scotland has some 23,000 empty private homes, while more than 160,000 families, couples and single people are stuck on waiting lists for social housing.

Campaigners and those at the tough end of the national housing crisis say that tackling the problem of vacan properties across the country is important. They want incentives as well as disincentives to change the situation.

The Scottish Government is talking of legislation to allow local authorities to scrap the 50 per cent council tax discount on empty homes.

Proponents say that this could raise an extra £30 million in revenue each year. The money could then be put towards affordable housing schemes, as well as taking away the financial incentive for owners to keep their properties empty.

Kirsten Miller, Shelter Scotland's empty homes co-ordinator, commented: "Councils also have to provide help and advice. A council tax levy is not going to make a huge difference. They need to reach out to the ones that are really stuck and really need help.

She continued: "The ones we are most concerned about are the ones empty for six to 12 months. Usually, something has gone wrong for the owners, or they are afraid of becoming a landlord, or someone has died and there is some uncertainty as to who is to inherit it."

"Empty homes are a disgraceful waste at a time when housing demand outstrips supply. With fewer homes being built, there is no end in sight for the tens of thousands of households in Scotland stuck on housing waiting lists," said Ms Miller

A continuing challenge

2011-09-07T08:16:00.000-07:00

"The Poverty Truth Commission brought together a diverse group including, crucially, people living with poverty.

"All learned from each other, improved their understanding of poverty and developed their communication skills. I believe the Commission provides a template for the consideration of social policy formulation by government at all levels.

"The recommendations made on the three areas studied deserve serious consideration by the public bodies concerned." - Bob Winter, Poverty Truth Commissioner.

STV appeal will focus on child poverty

2011-09-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

A WEEK of programmes will begin this coming weekend for the STV Appeal 2011, which aims to support children affected by poverty across Scotland.

The programming begins on 11 September 2011. It will conclude with a live studio show on 16 September. Though the series will feature popular programming and celebrity hosts, it does not eschew serious issues. On Thursday 15 September the documentary One in Four will be shown at 7.30pm. This examines how 250,000 children are officially living in poverty in Scotland - one in four of the child population.

Elizabeth Partyka, deputy director of channels, commented: “We have a fantastic week of programmes lined up for viewers, mixing pure entertainment with a thought-provoking and often shocking documentary, which I hope will open the public’s eyes to the horrific extent of child poverty right on our doorsteps.”

The 'Big Launch' on Sunday 11 September at 7pm, to be presented by Lorraine Kelly, will highlight the major fundraising opportunities and hear from some of the young people and local projects who will benefit from STV Appeal. The Poverty Truth Commission has consistently argued that the voices of those living at the sharp end should feature in both our understanding and policy-making.

Poverty? What's that?

2011-09-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

"WHAT is poverty? Worry, worry, worry. Everything is going up in price, everything apart from my wages. I feel physically sick with worry, and I'm so cold.

"The housing [people] haven't repaired my radiator for three weeks now. I just sit in the cold and go to bed early. My hair is falling out with the stress. I don't see how things can change for me. I think this is the way it's going to be all the time.

"I'm so sick of the way people treat me. It feels like there's a barrier in front of me the whole time."

Marie McCormack

Poverty Truth Commissioner.

More children in jobless households

2011-09-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

THE number of children being brought up in Scottish households where no adults are working has increased. Under-16s living in homes without adults with paid jobs rose to 145,000 (15.8 per cent of all under-16s) this year from 141,000 (15.3 per cent) last year.

The worsening situation for young people is occurring despite Scotland experiencing a slight decrease in the number of workless households over the past twelve months, according to figures released on 1 September 2011 by the Office of National Statistics.

Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance in Scotland, told the media: "These figures tally with the experiences we have been picking up from the organisations that we are working with. People are getting back into jobs, and that's undoubtedly a good thing. But the rate of decline of worklessness is not as quick as we would like.

He added: "This is a long-standing problem, which is not just caused by the recent recession, so it is going to take a long time to tackle."

Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission has argued that those at the sharp end of poverty need to be involved directly by policy-makers and politicians in arriving at fresh solutions and approaches to the problem.

Welfare and public sector challenges

2011-09-01T03:27:00.000-07:00

PLANNED welfare changes will deliver a £480 million blow to the Scottish economy, according to research earlier this year publicised by the Poverty Alliance in Scotland - a partner in the Poverty Truth Commission.

The Scottish Local believe however that the impact will be a lot higher through knock-on costs and a huge increase in demand for council services. Speaking on behalf of the Scottish Campaign, Matt Lancashire of Citizens Advice Scotland said: “We agree the changes in welfare will have a wider impact on the Scottish economy. But the main concern must be the immediate impact that the welfare changes are having on the people who rely on the welfare state simply to live their lives."

Meanwhile, public sector bodies in Scotland may struggle to make the required savings to their budgets this year, risking the future delivery of effective services, auditors are warning. An Audit Scotland report, Scotland’s public finances – addressing the challenges, finds that Scotland’s public sector budget in 2011/12 will be £27.5 billion. This is a drop of 6% or £1.7 billion in real terms on the previous year’s budget.

Community Engagement is Essential to help Frustrated Communities

2011-08-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, in his blog and on website Ekklesia, Niall Cooper, the National Coordinator of Church Action on Poverty, reflected on last week’s riots in England asking the question ‘so what is to be done?’

He commented “Now more than ever, there is a need to move beyond the blame game; to engage with those who feel at the margins and who feel they have no stake. There is a need to find ways to hear their anger (for to suppress anger is to invite further bouts of rage), to view the world through their eyes, and to challenge others to do likewise. Now is not a time to presume that we have the answer to their problems (and far less that they are the problem); but that through conversation and dialogue, through supporting and engaging with the ‘disenchanted and the disengaged’ in the local communities affected we can at least start to understand what hope does – or could look like – and what is be needed to build some sense of a possible future.”

This idea is echoed by the Poverty Truth Commission’s Overcoming Violence group who recognise that ‘solutions to violence work best if they are created and owned by local people or those affected by it. Empowerment of communities is essential.’ In the Commission’s findings the group challenged the local government and police to ‘move beyond the process of consultation and community engagement and to devolve real power (including budgets) to local neighbourhoods.’

Lord Wallace of Tankerness, former Depute First Minister of Scotland, Advocate General for Scotland and a Commissioner comments “Through the Commission I have become convinced that we are more likely to identify solutions to some deep-seated problems if politicians and officials involve those who experience the reality of poverty in their daily lives. That is the challenge to policy makers and those who deliver public services at every level of government.”

New report shows extent of kinship care

2011-06-16T04:01:00.000-07:00

FOR the first time the number of children in the UK being brought up by a relative instead of their parents has been revealed in a major study by Buttle UK and the University of Bristol.

The study, ‘Spotlight on Kinship Care’ is the first of its kind to state how many children are being looked after family members. Using data from the 2001 Census it shows that around 173,200 children were being raised by family members.

For the last two years the Poverty Truth Commission, which included Kinship Carers from some of Glasgow’s most disadvantaged areas, has been challenging the Scottish and UK Governments, Local Authorities, Health Boards and Kinship Carers to work together to improve the quality of life for this highly vulnerable group of children and young people. The Commission has worked hard to pass on the message that Kinship Carers should be around the table at the heart of the process, keeping it relevant and grounded in reality.

In the Herald on 16th June, 2011, the Poverty Truth Commission’s Secretary, Martin Johnstone, commented “This is seen as an ever-growing issue and I would expect the actual figure will be considerably larger when the 2011 census is taken into account. One of the really worrying things is that although the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the local authorities have all tried to do things to address the issues, not enough has been done collaboratively.”

Listening to children on poverty

2011-06-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

AS a society, we have stigmatised poverty to a point where nobody likes to admit they're poor - so says the man behind the BBC TV documentary programme Poor Kids, which has stirred up a debate about the subject across Scotland.

In his blog on the BBC website, Jezza Neumann writes:

By making 'Poor Kids' through the eyes of the children, we could uncover a tough subject through a section of society who rarely gets their say.

Before we even set about finding children, we drew up an extensive protocol on how we would operate with the children's best interests in mind.

I guess the true test of how well we succeeded was when the children watched the film and whether they saw it as an accurate representation of their lives, and they seemed to.

All too often in life children aren't given a voice or the chance to be heard. And all too often adults listen, but they don't really. I'm a dad, so I know, as I'm just as guilty.

Once we'd settled on which children to follow, it was a fascinating journey.

The most important part of the filming process was to gain a bond with the children. After a while children often open up to us because we are a grown-up figure who listens but never judges.

Read more here.

Concerns rise over fuel poverty

2011-06-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

CENTRAL Scotland MSP John Wilson is concerned that more families will be forced into fuel poverty as a result of Scottish Power’s decision to increase gas and electricity prices.

Mr Wilson, who is Deputy Convener of the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, says that the estimated 19 per cent increase in gas and 10 per cent increase in electricity prices will hit poorest families the hardest and drive more Scots into fuel poverty.

The most recent Scottish Government figures, published in 2009, suggest that over three-quarters-of-a-million homes are in fuel poverty – where more than 10 per cent of the household income is used to heat the home. This figure has increase by around 50 per cent since 2002. More here. (Source: STV)

The Kirk's Church and Society Council first submitted a paper (*PDF Adobe Acrobat file) to the Scottish Fuel Poverty Forum in 2008, stating the concerns of the Church of Scotland.

Politicians also debated fuel efficiency and support for low-income families in the run up to the recent Scottish Parliamentary Elections. Video footage of the discussions can be seen here.

(Picture: Friends of the Earth)

What kids feel about growing up poor

2011-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

A NEW documentary called 'Poor Kids' is being shown on BBC One on 7 June at 22.35 BST. It can also be viewed for a while after then on the BBC iPlayer service.

More than 3.5 million children live below the poverty line across Britain. This is one of the worst child poverty rates in the rich, industrialised world.

The programme looks behind the statistics towards the lives, voices and experiences of children and their families. It is powerful and moving, say those who have seen advance tapes. You can find out more here and reda some of the comments the kids are making.

Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission and its partners are committed to ensuring that people with influence and decision-making power hear directly from those living at the sharp end of poverty - and include them in the process of making change. That certainly has to include 'poor kids'.

Praise for Commission at 2011 Kirk Assembly

2011-06-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

THE General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, meeting in Edinburgh last week, warmly welcomed a report on the work of the Poverty Truth Commission, commending its practical and people-oriented approach.

Dr Alison Eliot, who was the Kirk's first woman moderator in 2004, and also a commissioner, has commented: "I’ve long been aware of the extra financial hurdles we place in the way of people in poverty – unknown to the comfortably off, with their easy access to credit. What the Poverty Truth Commission has brought home to me are the emotional hurdles people in poverty have to clear and the strength that can come from enabling good relationships to flourish."

BBC Scotland debate on poverty issues

2011-05-31T03:29:00.000-07:00

THE BBC Scotland documentary series, The Scheme, has sparked a wide range of comment since the first two episodes were aired last year.

The Scheme is an observational documentary series following "the dramatic and often emotional highs and lows of daily life for six families living in a large housing scheme in Kilmarnock." It can also be viewed on BBC iPlayer.

Following the transmission this month of all four original episodes plus an update programme, BBC Scotland is hosting a debate to focus on the social issues which the series raised.

Among those taking part are Poverty Truth Commission members John Carnochran (on the panel) and also Blair Green and Donna Barrowcliffe (in the audience).

The programme airs on Tuesday 31 May 2011 at 22:35 on BBC One (Scotland only).

Although the programme focussed on families and groups of residents on two estates in one particular area, the themes which came under the spotlight resonate in communities all across Scotland, says the BBC.

Glenn Campbell hosts the debate from BBC Scotland's centre in Glasgow and it will feature the views of front-line people who work in similar communities facing economic and social challenges from across Scotland.

Poverty creates an 'aspiration gap'

2011-05-21T02:28:00.000-07:00

YOUNG people from the poorest families in Scotland and across Britain fear that they will achieve few or none of their goals in life, according to new research.

The Broke But Not Broken report from the Prince's Trust and the Royal Bank of Scotland has found that many young people living on the edge despair of finding a decent job or buying a house. One-in-four from poor homes said "people like them" did not succeed in life.

According to the report, based on interviews with 2,311 16-to-24-year-olds from across the country, young people growing up in poverty are significantly less likely to imagine themselves buying a nice house or even finding a job in the future.

They are three times as likely to believe they will “end up on benefits for at least part of their life” and almost four times as likely to think they will “end up in a dead-end job” .

More than one in six of those from poor homes (16 per cent) say their family and friends have made fun of them when they talk about finding a good job.

But the despair can be addressed through empowerment, change and getting young people's voices heard - as Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission has argued.

Who decides, then?

2011-05-19T01:57:00.000-07:00

ISSUES of poverty and inequality are much in the headlines at present. But Brian Wren's tough questions about policy, "Who wins? Who loses? and Who decides?" still very much apply.

PCT Commissioner Bob Winter summed up the "key difference" the Commission's way of working can and should make to how these matters are decided. He said:

"The Poverty Truth Commission has brought together a diverse group including, crucially, people living with poverty. All have learned from each other, improved their understanding of poverty and developed their communication skills. I believe the Commission provides a template for the consideration of social policy formulation by government at all levels. The recommendations made on the three areas studied deserve serious consideration by the public bodies concerned."

Child poverty is still a challenge

2011-05-15T23:31:00.000-07:00

A RANGE of groups and commentators concerned with child poverty in Scotland have cautioned against false optimism following the release of Scottish Government statistics indicating a slight reduction in official figures.

Data for 2009-10, published on 12 May 2011, show that child poverty has fallen to 20 per cent. This is technically the lowest level since 1984, but still a remarkable fifth of the child population. In the 1960s and 70s, the figure typically ran at 10-15 per cent, indicating a significant growth over the past forty to fifty years.

Moreover, as the Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission has repeatedly pointed out - it is the lives and experiences of people with direct experience of poverty who should be at the forefront of public understanding and policy, not cold statistics.

“It is great news that child poverty fell during what was a terribly hard year for families and the economy," said Alison Garnham, Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). "But this is only part of the picture, she said.

CPAG also pointed out that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned that child poverty and overall inequality is likely to increase as a result of the government's cuts.

Other concerned groups include Save the Children, which highlighted the link between child poverty and joblessness in February, and Barnados Scotland.

The work goes on

2011-05-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

SCOTLAND's Poverty Truth Commission has reported. Does that mean the work is finished? Far from it!

Commissioner Blair Green describes his experience - and explains why "I'm not stopping until things change."

He says: "People said they were going to eradicate poverty when I was young - but what has changed? I remember when I was about ten when the Salvation Army brought Christmas presents round because we had no money or food. We had to go to my Gran's on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to get fed. It was only one meal a day, but it was absolute heaven, as there was nothing else to eat.

"People are still going to bed hungry in Glasgow today. I have always worked all the hours I could as my family couldn't have survived with me just working a 40 hour week. I work on average 70 hours a week. Friday used to be bad for me.

"Working 9-5 in an office, then 6-12 doing security at the Bowling, and then I would start a cleaning job at the chippy. That is just to survive, and put a bit away for the future. I can't change the past, but as for the future I want to make a difference.

"We're not going to stop after the Poverty Truth Commission. We're on the move. After this I want to say these things in Holyrood and in Westminster. I'm not stopping until things change."

Poverty is about people, not statistics

2011-05-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

RESPONDING to the Scottish government's newly-released Poverty and income inequality in Scotland 2009/10 report, the Church of Scotland's Priority Areas Secretary, the Rev Dr Martin Johnstone, has stressed the need to listen to those at the sharp end of the figures it reveals.

He told Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission blog: "With the Scottish elections over, attention is now beginning to return to the key issues that face our country and its communities - not least poverty and inequality."

"This new data requires careful study and attention. But we should never lose sight of the fact that behind every statistic there are human beings. The lives and voices of those living with poverty on a daily basis need to be at the core of all our attempts to tackle the issues Poverty and income inequality in Scotland 2009/10 highlights.

"That is why the watchword of the Poverty Truth Commission has remained 'nothing about us without us is for us'," said Mr Johnstone, who is also Chief Executive of Faith in Community Scotland.

Poverty and income inequality in Scotland

2011-05-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

SCOTLAND's Chief Statistician has today published Poverty and income inequality in Scotland 2009/10. The publication presents annual estimates of the proportion and number of children, working age adults and pensioners living in low income households in Scotland and the distribution of household income across the nation.

Some of the key indicators are as follows:

* There was little change in overall levels of poverty and income inequality in Scotland between 2008/09 and 2009/10. However, there were some changes in the proportions of different age groups living in poverty.

* The percentage of people in relative poverty (before housing costs) remained at 17 per cent of the population between 2008/09 and 2009/10.

* Over this period slight decreases were recorded in all three of the indicators used to measure child poverty levels.

* In 2009/10 the proportion of working age adults in relative poverty (before housing costs) increased slightly but, after rounding, remained at 16 per cent.

* Between 2008/09 and 2009/10, the proportion of pensioners in relative poverty (before housing costs) increased by 1 percentage point to 17 per cent. This follows a drop in this figure of 5 percentage points between 2007/08 and 2008/09.

* A figure for pensioner material deprivation is included for the first time. 10 per cent of over 65s in Scotland are materially deprived according to the new indicator.

* New figures measuring persistent poverty are included for the first time. Between the periods of 1999-2002 and 2005-2008, the persistent poverty rate (BHC) in Scotland fell by 4 percentage points to 9 per cent.

Source: e-Govmonitor.

'Hardest hit' have their say

2011-05-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

DISABLED and ill people and their families are taking to the streets and initiating online action today (11th May 2011) to highlight the effect on their lives of cuts to the benefits and services they rely on.

People from Scotland and other parts of Britain will be joining the Hardest Hit March in London. Just as the Poverty Truth Commission is showing that poverty will only be addressed when those at the sharp end are at the heart of the process, so those living with disabilities and sickness say that their voices must be at the core of the debate over public services.

Hardest Hit, which is being backed by a range of charities, community organisations and action groups, says: "Many are living in fear of huge cuts to essential benefits including Disability Living Allowance (cut by £2.17 billion) and Employment and Support Allowance (cut by £2 billion). The total cuts will mean an estimated £9 billion loss to families’ incomes over the next four years, on top of cuts to many local care and support services.

"This affects people and families across the UK living with conditions like cancer, dementia, arthritis, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. Their everyday lives depend on facilities under threat from the government’s plans to cut billions from support for disabled people and their families."

The march and online protest can also be followed on social network site Twitter.

A different way of working

2011-05-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

OVER the last two years Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission (PTC) has created a model for working collaboratively which we believe is unique and vital if work on poverty is to succeed.

Just as we have learned from others, so we want others to to be able to learn from us. We have worked with a number of key organisations. But we are always seeking to widen the circle.

The PTC operates from the premiss that poverty will never be truly addressed until those who experience it firsthand are at the heart of the process. We would be very interested in speaking with others who would like to see how they can work in this way.

If you have read about the work of the Commission, are interested in our way of working and would like to discuss how your community group, organisation or government department can be involved, please contact our office.

Developing this blog

2011-05-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

AS part of continuing work around the Poverty Truth Commission's findings, resources and networks, this 'group blog' is being developed as an improved tool for communication.

That means that you may notice one or two visual changes going on as you browse it. Don't be alarmed! The 'new look', facilities and material will - we trust - enhance both its usability and content.

Over time we will also be seeking to draw on more ideas and comment from PTC partners and supporters, of course. 'Watch this space'.

A systemic challenge

2011-05-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

FROM his experience of the issues, and as a commissioner for Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission, Alastair McIntosh says...

"It is crucial that we understand the roots of what poverty is. First, it is structural, being systemic to the distribution of power, resources and educational opportunities in society.

"Second, it is a form of violence that comes from a deficit of empathy between those who have much and those who have little.

"Third, it is intergenerational, with its life-crippling seeds getting passed on in early childhood.

"And fourth, it is sustained by blindness to the full humanity of one another, showing it to be a pathology of the rich and not just a deficit of the poor.

"These four drivers are so fundamental to the human condition that they require not quick fixes but an evolution in human consciousness and in how we see our national identity. To walk this path we must allow ourselves to be challenged by Truth - the truth of where we and our world stand, the truth of where we know we are called to go, and the many truths of how to bridge that gap.

"Truth is an active power for change. Reconciliation is what brings us back together again in our common humanity. Both spring from the sharing of community. Truth and reconciliation are about seeking that which gives life. Life as love made manifest."

Time for the truth

2011-05-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

AMONG the many recent reports of the work of the Poverty Truth Commission in Scotland has been an article in Third Force News, the voice of Scotland's voluntary 'third sector'.

Here are some excerpts:

After two years, the commission has created a report of its discoveries. Mindful that it could be seen as just another talking shop, the recommendations look to build on the evidence it has heard from people living in poverty over the last two years.

Because, it states, despite hundreds of other reports and government strategies, poverty continues to worsen in Scotland.

One recommendation is that civil servants could be sent to stay in some of country’s most deprived neighbourhoods to experience the reality of those living with little money.

The idea is that decision makers would be brought closer to poverty and its effect on communities in a fresh approach to tackling spiralling deprivation and the gap between rich and poor in the form of a new mentoring scheme.

Scottish Government workers would forge a direct relationship with those living at the sharp end of poverty, with hopes that they will spend time on the home turf of their project partners.

Commissioner Donna Barrowcliffe, a community worker from Ruchazie in Glasgow, called the process “revolutionary”.

She said: “We need to keep letting people in power know that it’s worth their while to listen to us – because not only will our ideas on poverty be better than anything they come up with at their desks, but because we need to be recognised as equal human beings.”

The Rev Dr Martin Johnstone, secretary to the commission, said: “One of the ongoing things that people have said over and over again is that the real experts on understanding the issues of poverty are the people who experience it. The rest of us can be incredibly well-intentioned but much better policy will be made if we are drawing on the wisdom of those who are experiencing it.

“In so many walks of life we ask the experts. In this environment, what we say is that the experts are those who live in poverty.”

Read the whole article here.

Poverty meets economics

2011-05-05T05:09:00.001-07:00

ON Sunday 8th May 2011, members of the Poverty Truth Commission are meeting members of the Church of Scotland Economics Commission.

The gathering is being hosted by the Edinburgh Road Group of churches (comprised of Cranhill, High Carntyne and St Enoch's Hogganfield).

The scandal of poverty may not have figured high on party election agendas, but it must be high on the Church's agenda for what it wants to say about how the economy is working. At a recent hustings meeting, candidates from all four parties supported the Poverty Truth Commission principle of "nothing about us without us is for us". This event is a chance for the church to put that into practice, hearing directly from people telling their own stories of 'how it is'.

The meeting is also designed to give local people opportunities to feed their own experience and views into the work of the Economics Commission, and those from other parishes are very welcome. It takes place at 7pm in St Enoch's Church Hall (Smithycroft Road at the junction with Cumbernauld Road).

Poverty Truth Commission closing gathering

2011-04-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

ON Saturday 16th April over 350 people attended the Poverty Truth Commission's Closing Gathering at the City Chambers in Glasgow.

For the last two years, Scotland’s first Poverty Truth Commission has brought together two groups of people: people who exercise power and influence in Scottish society and people who live every day with the struggle against poverty.

At the Closing Gathering both groups of people reported on their findings as one group and shared the message of their motto, 'nothing about us, without us, is for us', through conversation, film, rap, music and spoken word. It proved to be an inspiring and challenging event.

At the event the Commission launched it's findings as a report which can be viewed at the Commission's website, www.povertytruthcommission.org. Videos from the event are being made available.

If you would like more information about the Commission or if you would like us to send you hard copies of the report please contact the office on 0141 248 2905 or by emailing info@povertytruthcommission.org

An invitation to change

2011-03-29T07:33:00.001-07:00

This was the invitation we sent out for our 'grand gathering':

"You are invited to the Closing Gathering of Scotland's first Poverty Truth Commission which will take place in Glasgow City Chambers (George Square, Glasgow) on Saturday 16th April between 2pm and 4pm (doors open at 1.15pm).

"For the last two years, Scotland's first Poverty Truth Commission has brought together two groups of people: people who exercise power and influence in Scottish society and people who love every day with the struggle against poverty.

"On 16th April 2011, members of the Poverty Truth Commission will share what we have learnt together and what we believe needs to happen now.

"It will be an inspiring and challenging afternoon. We will communicate through drama, film, music and the spoken word. We will share what we have learnt from one another. We will present our challenges to all parts of Scottish society.

"To register, please contract the Commission on info@povertytruthcomission.org or 0141 248 2905. Pre-registration is important as places are limited. You can find out more about the Commission and its members at http://www.povertytruthcommission.org/."

Poverty Truth Commission Closing Gathering (16th April 2011)

2011-03-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

‘Nothing about Us without Us is for Us’ You are invited to the Closing Gathering of Scotland’s first Poverty Truth Commission which will take place in Glasgow City Chambers (George Square, Glasgow) on the 16th April from 2 – 4pm (doors open at 1.15pm). For the last two years, Scotland’s first Poverty Truth Commission has brought together two groups of people: people who exercise power and influence in Scottish society and people who live every day with the struggle against poverty. On the 16th April, members of the Poverty Truth Commission will share what we have learnt together and what we believe needs to happen now. It will be an inspiring and challenging afternoon. We will communicate through drama, film, music and the spoken word. We will share what we have learnt from one another. We will present our challenges to all parts of Scottish society. To register, please contact the Commission on info@povertytruthcommission.org or 0141 248 2905. Pre-registration is important as places are limited. You can find out more about the Commission and its members at www.povertytruthcommission.org.

Commissioners invitation to Chancellor to meet with them

2010-12-14T05:43:00.000-08:00

In November the Commission’s secretary Martin Johnstone, along with Ian Galloway, the convenor of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council, wrote to Chancellor George Osborne inviting him to meet with the Poverty Truth Commission, so that he could hear firsthand about the stories and struggles of surviving in poverty.
Now, a number of the Commissioners have also written to Mr Osborne asking him to come and meet with the commission and as well as visiting the communities of some of our members where he might hear the stories wisdom and insight at first hand of those living in poverty.

The sending of these letters has been featured in two articles in today’s Herald (Chancellor is challenged to visit Scotland’s deprived communities and Listen, Mr Osborne).

Chancellor is Challenged to visit Scotland's deprived communities

Poverty campaigners in Scotland have challenged the Chancellor to visit Glasgow to hear first-hand accounts from people living in deprived communities.

Members of Scotland’s Poverty Truth Commission have written to George Osborne, in a bid to challenge the misinformation they say has characterised the welfare reform debate.

The commission, which includes representatives of the Church of Scotland, the Catholic Church, the police, and the voluntary sector, was set up to bring together community leaders and people living in poverty to find solutions to hardship.

Founding commissioners include three former moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Bishop of Glasgow Mario Conti and Lord Wallace of Tankerness.
Rev Dr Martin Johnstone, commission chairman, said too many statements from Government treated people on benefits as if they were all the same.

“At the spending review, the Chancellor spoke about £6 billion being lost through benefit fraud, when the real figure is £1.8bn and the rest is down to overpayments,” he said.

“You end up blaming a group of people who are not homogenous. It doesn’t do any good – that group of people could be part of the solution, not part of the problem.” Letters have also gone from representatives of poor communities.

Commissioners hope that if he can be persuaded to visit, Mr Osborne may change his perspective on poverty, as his colleague Iain Duncan Smith did after a visit to Easterhouse.

Listen, Mr Osborne

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has been challenged to come to Scotland and meet people living in deprived communities, in a bid to tackle what campaigners say are stereotyped attitudes promoted by the Coalition Government.

Members of Scotland’s Poverty Truth Commission have written a series of personal letters which will be sent to George Osborne this week. The commission was set up to fight for people in some of the country’s poorest communities, and has been meeting regularly since March 2009.
It is backed by the Church of Scotland and Faith in Community Scotland, and includes representatives from the Catholic Church, the police, academia and the House of Lords.
One of Scotland’s most senior ministers, the Rev Ian Galloway, convener of the Kirk’s Church and Society Council, has already written calling for the Chancellor to follow the example of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith, who famously revised his views on poverty after visiting Easterhouse in Glasgow.

Mr Galloway wrote: “Sometimes it is hard to understand something that you have never experienced yourself. This is why we have invited the Chancellor to hear first-hand the stories of struggle and survival.”

Letters will also reach 11 Downing Street this week from two of the Kirk’s former moderators – Dr Alison Elliot, now chair of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, and the Very Rev Dr David Lunan – as well as Poverty Truth Commission chairman the Rev Dr Martin Johnstone. A number of people from communities affected by poverty have also called on the Chancellor to make time to meet with them.

Those behind the initiative say they want to challenge representations of the jobless as feckless and unwilling to work, or as fraudsters.

Another letter due to reach the Chancellor this week, from Anne Marie Peffer of the Frank Buttle Trust, says: “There is a real feeling amongst those living in poverty that their views are not actually sought in the first place, and where there is opportunity to speak those views are ignored.

“There is now alarm and distress that the Government itself is buying into the view that people on benefits are workshy, lazy and happy to cheat their way to a better income. “I would urge you to come to Scotland and attend a meeting of the Commission.”

Dr Lunan has written: “This is not a politically motivated exercise.

“I know you and the Prime Minister want the Government’s policies to be seen in the light of us ‘all being in this together’, and it is in this spirit that this invitation is being made.”

Single mum Ghazala Hakeem, from Govanhill in Glasgow, is among the people who have testified to the Commission about poverty. She has also written a letter to the Chancellor.

She said she was alarmed by some of the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform. “I am not a scrounger,” she says. “I am not too lazy to work. I am not a benefit fraud.”

Instead, she says, she is a single parent who has been a victim of domestic violence – and who cannot find a job that would pay enough to allow her to come off benefits.

She said she would like to explain in person the efforts she had made and the costs involved in being a working parent.

“I would like Mr Osborne to listen to us so he gets the actual feeling of what it is like to be in our situation. People like me feel insignificant, as if we are not part of society. We are not a partner in the discussion – we are viewed as a problem.”

Dr Johnstone said members of the original commission had found that talking to people facing poverty in their own communities had been eye-opening.

“It changed their ideas,” he said. “We know visiting Easterhouse had a very significant impact on Iain Duncan Smith’s attitudes.

“There are some good bits of the welfare reform bill, and they came about as a result of that.
“We believe a movement to tackle poverty will not succeed until it is people in poverty who take the lead.”

Nobody from the Treasury was available to comment.

‘People who are working are living like this’

Blair Green, from Drumchapel in Glasgow, defies the stereotype of a victim of poverty. He doesn’t claim benefits and has always tried to work.

Yet in his letter to Chancellor George Osborne, he says: “I have struggled to survive my whole life.”

Mr Green, pictured left, was brought up by his mother. His family was reliant on clothing grants and charity shops, but he says he was determined to “do better”.

He studied horticulture at college, but had to drop out to work to help his mother.

He bought a flat, moved into it with his partner Diane, and started a family. He was working and getting by – until he took on a bad finance deal to buy a car.

The family lost their house and ended up living next to drug dealers in a decrepit council house.
Now he is back on his feet, but still works an average 70-hour week to make ends meet.

“I would ask you to meet either with myself or with the Poverty Truth Commission, to hopefully change the way you see people who have to work hard to feed themselves and their kids on benefits,” he wrote to Mr Osborne. “People who are working are also living in poverty.

“Policies like welfare reform can be very destructive if they are created by people who have no idea what the situation is like on the ground.”

Poverty Truth Commission send an invitation to George Osborne

2010-12-03T04:24:00.000-08:00

Last month Martin Johnstone, the secretary of the Poverty Truth Commission, and Ian Galloway, the convenor of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland, wrote to the Chancellor, George Osborne, to challenge him to come to Scotland and to and talk to members of the Commission in order to hear first hand their stories of struggle and survival in poverty. To read an article about the letter, go to www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/13589 or visit The Convenor's Blog at http://churchsociety.blogspot.com/2010/11/poor-are-major-stakeholders-in-welfare.html

Kinship Carers Hit Holyrood

2010-10-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

On 28th October - UK Grandparents day, the Poverty Truth Commission and commissioner Johann Lamont MSP will co-host a 'kinship carers tea party' in the Scottish Parliament. MSPs and other officials have been invited to join thirty incredible grandparent carers to drink tea and hear their stories and plight before they return to the chamber to debate the Carers Strategy.
At the same time 120 grannies and the children they care for will gather in Westminster for a campaign day organised by Grandparents Plus (www.grandparentsplus.org.uk). A demonstration will take place outside council buildings in Glasgow, and call outs for support and recognition will also come from Dundee and Edinburgh carers.

The Poverty Truth Commission has campaigned alongside kinship carers since its inception. We have highlighted the important role of this hidden army of carers who are giving at least 13,400 of Scotland's most vulnerable children the best possible chance in life, while saving governments £536 million per year in care costs. But kinship carers are struggling massively to do this job for society without adequate support from central or Scottish government and local authorities.

Citizens Advice Scotland's recent report 'Relative Value' claimed that kinship carers are being let down by the system as 'too often, the modest level of assistance that can make all the difference to a kinship care household is either missing or the route to accessing it is long and tortuous.'

Watch this space for more details, photos and a full report of the day's events.

Citizens Advice Scotland's advice service for kinship carers can be reached through their website (www.cas.org.uk), at a local CAB office or by calling the CAB service’s confidential Kinship Care Helpline on 0808 800 0006.

Please sign kinship care petition to Scottish government!! See details below. takes less than a minute!

2010-09-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

Dear kinship care supporters,

Since the Poverty Truth Commission was formed in March 2009 it has campaigned alongside kinship carers for the support they desperately need to give the children in their loving care an equal and decent chance in life.

In the next month we will accelerate this effort in a huge push for cooperation between the UK and Scottish government and local authorities to work alongside kinship carers towards providing adequate services and financial support for their children.

One of the elements of this campaign is a petition to the Scottish parliament, which will be discussed by the Scottish Parliament Petitions Committee after October 12th.
I am writing to ask for your support in signing this petition before October 12th. The process takes less than a minute! The more signatures we can collect the more seriously our urgent calls will be taken by the committee, who are then mandated to address it with the Scottish Parliament.

The petition can be signed online at:

http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/view_petition.asp?PetitionID=410

It would also be great if you could post a comment by clicking on 'join the discussion' or going directly to:

http://epetitions.scottish.parliament.uk/discuss_petition.asp?PetitionID=410

It would also be deeply appreciated if you could circulate this email widely to your networks - friends and colleagues etc - and encourage them to sign also.

Many thanks for your support, it is deeply appreciated by kinship carers and their children throughout Scotland.

Best regards always,

Miriam Rose

Poverty Truth Commission
Researcher

Poverty Truth Commission article for Church Action on Poverty Newsletter

2010-08-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

Scotland’s Poverty Truth Commission brings together two groups of people: those who know and understand the struggle against poverty in their lives and those who have the power and influence to change Scotland for the better.

On 21st March 2009 in front of an invited audience of 400, people who live with the reality and consequences of poverty on a daily basis testified to their lives. Using dance, drama, poetry, rap, stories and animation, the testifiers vividly told of the struggles they have faced and described their hopes for the future and their resolve to work together to overcome poverty. A clear message was put across, “We are part of the solution, not part of the problem. Nothing about us, without us, is for us.”

At the same event the Commissioners, from politics, the media, academia and faith communities, listened and responded to what they heard, saying that henceforth they would want to work together as a single group in order that policy changes might be informed by the combined wisdom of both groups.

The Commission has been meeting regularly since March 2009, and is specifically looking at the areas of Kinship Carers, Positive Alternatives to Violence and the Media.

Scott MacKinnon is 17 and speaks about his involvement with the Poverty Truth Commission, and how a meeting with Community Police Officers has led to the organising of a football tournament.

“So many people complain. The Police should do this, the government should do that. I’ve said some of these things before too; I now think slightly differently.

Yes, I agree that the police and the government have their duties and responsibilities. I understand that it is their job do to things which everyday people cannot.

But what about our ideas and opinions? Isn’t it even more our duty and responsibility to ensure that we do our part for society rather than depending on and expecting others to do it for us.

Hearing about the Poverty Truth Commission kicked me up the backside and made me re-evaluate. When I got involved I was really happy to be a part of something that changed my views on things. I saw it as my opportunity to help others realise that they too can help society in many ways.

All my life I have been brought up in a environment that has gang fighting all around. All my friends have just the same. People have fights and disputes with each other simply because they live in different areas.

Currently, through the Poverty Truth Commission myself and others are organising a football tournament which will bring young people together from these different areas. We are working together with the Police, who have supported and encouraged our ideas and the police will also take part in the football tournament.

The idea behind this is to try and break down the barriers not only with people from different areas but also to break the barrier between young people and the Police and to encourage respect on all sides.

I am very happy to be doing this work and I will never stop trying to do things like this that will help the community.

A lot of people say that one person cannot make a big difference and to a certain extent they are right but a lot of those people could make a team and a team can make a big difference. Even if every single person done only one thing to help society, that is a lot of help and it would make a difference.”

Stories behind the Manifesto

2010-07-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

We recognise that where you live has a huge impact on how long you live (by as much as 20 years) and what opportunities are available to you. We will actively work against this postcode lottery for living, jobs, benefits, loans and services of all kinds that exists for people living in our poorest communities.

We understand that violence is a public health issue linked to the growing levels of inequality in our society. As a result we know that it cannot be adequately dealt with through policing alone. We want communities and the public sector to come together to support initiatives which will help to ensure a long term reduction of all forms of violence.

From a Dramatisation at the Poverty Truth Commission Event, 21/03/09

You will never guess what happened to me on the way home from school - some mad nutter came behind me with a knife! I knew who he wiz anaw! I'm allright but the boy is messed up, you know he’ doesny even live in the real world! He never goes out anymore, except to bully people, ever since he got caught up in the gang fighting and got a beating. That’s is why he takes it out on other people, he stays in his house all the time.

That’s what annoys me about living here. It’s the small minority of people that get caught up in the gang fighting and give the rest of us a bad reputation. I’ve never been in trouble before in my life. All I ever do is go to my dance classes. I’ve stayed on at school and I’m sitting three higher grade exams and I have a part time job. I’m hardly a criminal. But the media like to portray everyone from Ruchazie as mindless thugs.

Aye the media has got a lot to answer for! It sends the image of the perfect person to be stick thin, have the best clothes and cars and that’s one of the reasons most people in Ruchazie have low self esteem. If that’s not hard enough to deal with, trying to get out of poverty with our postcode seems impossible.

I’m worried about my career. When people ask where I’m from I hesitate to tell them because most people will think the worst. If your postcode shows that your from the poorest areas you are less likely to get a good job.

That's if you manage to get to school in the first place. Some of the new first years starting at the secondary school got chased home by a local gang. None of the wee
first years are even involved in gang fighting. One of them got stabbed in the thigh trying to run away.

And then there was when Ruchazie Primary School was closed down. The new school was only 5 minutes away, but there was trouble from the gang members who didn't like seeing the weans walking through their territory and chased 9 and 10 year olds home. The mums got together in their wee gang and walked them to school in big groups, which was good. That got that sorted.
Thank God the church gave us the chance to visit Malawi! It took us away from our lifestyle and showed us to believe in ourselves. It also gave us the strength to change our way of thinking and not to be put down by the media and other outside influences.

I now have a firm belief in myself which I can show in my dancing, even William and Daniel came home and started up their own football team which was very successful. We all even got involved with the poverty truth commission because we just don’t care about ourselves in our own wee world we also care about community. I wish more people were like that.

Jamie-Lee Smart and Donna Barrowcliffe

What a night! The Kinship Carers Notre Dame charity ball. 5th July, 2010

2010-07-12T02:07:00.000-07:00

By Miriam Rose, Poverty Truth Commission Researcher

Those who know the work of the Commission will have heard much about the plight of children in kinship care; How their carers (usually grandparents) often struggle with poverty, lack of financial support and services, difficult family situations and the psychological trauma suffered by the children in their care - and still manage to give these children the unremitting love and support that will give them the best chance possible in life.It is not so often that we have really positive news to report on this key area of the Commission's work; but last Friday's kinship care gala dinner at the Marriott Hotel in Glasgow was a night of pure celebration at the strength and passion of these incredible grannies (and grandads), and how they have organised their own support where the government has so utterly failed them.

The night was devised and brought to fruition by Sally Brisbane, a kinship care and chair of the West Glasgow Grandparents Group, one of the many self organised support groups in Scotland set up by kinship grannies to help each other through the many hardships they face. Sally knew from personal experience that one of the services most essential to kinship children is psychological support, to enable them to move past the traumas of their early childhood, face their immense challenges, and reach their potential. The Notre Dame centre provides this service to vulnerable children and has been deeply committed to kinship care kids over the years. In the face of political failure to provide this support, Sally put over a year of thought and planning into an event that would raise money to keep the centre open, and honor kinship carers in the process. Along the way her charisma and passion attracted the support of businessmen, politicians and banks who donated prizes and paid for aspects of the night. One of these was James Smith, a businessman and a foster carer himself, who was horrified at the abysmal treatment of kinship carers who do the same job as foster carers such as him but receive a fraction of the support or regocnition. He subsequently became a patron of the West Glasgow group, and co-organised much of the night with Sally.

The night itself was so special. Over 100 kinship carers, in gorgeous and glamorous frocks, walked proudly down a red carpet in honor of the undervalued and incredible role they hold in Scottish society. Two rippling flames at the entrance marked the burning love and passion in their hearts for the children in their care. The Poverty Truth Commission had a table in the beautifully decorated hall, and heard heartfelt speeches from MSP Bob Doris, kinship carer Tommy McFall, and the Commission's own Darren McGarvey, who spoke about the important role of his grandmother and the Notre Dame centre in his young life, and thanked them for giving him the chance to stand there as a symbol of hope for others today. Thanks was also given to the Commission for its work campaigning for the rights of kinship care children.

Incredible raffle prizes including a holiday in Turkey, a voucher for The Diamond Studios, and a day in a Ferrarri, were given out, and entertainment from dancers, magicians, singers and DJs rolled on into the night, as the kinship carers and their families and supporters smiled and danced. I didn't stop grinning the whole night through either. To see the glowing faces of these loving and passionate women, who struggle against so much, being truly recognised and celebrated for the work they do was very moving, and sadly so very rare. I am in awe of their resilience and feel so honored to know them and work alongside them with the Commission. Darren's story is a testament to the power of the unrelenting love they give, which can rescue children from the harsh realities of poverty, drugs, alcohol and violence they are born into, and turn them, against all odds, towards their inherent and beautiful potential to live happily, and even become the role models and change agents that society so desperately needs.

Thank you to Sally Brisbane, Jessie Harvey, Jean Forrester and all of the kinship carers in Glasgow and greater Scotland for their commitment and love. The world needs you.

Stories behind the Manifesto

2010-06-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

We believe that the deep-set problems and far reaching consequences of poverty will not be truly tackled until those living this reality are seen as part of the solution - not as part of the problem. We believe that people affected must participate in the policy making process from beginning to end. Only by doing this do we believe that real and lasting change is possible.

We understand that violence is a public health issue linked to the growing levels of inequality in our society. As a result we know that it cannot be adequately dealt with through policing alone. We want communities and the public sector to come together to support initiatives which will help to ensure a long term reduction of all forms of violence.

Poverty is an issue that can affect anyone, in anyway, anyplace. When I was approached to be a testifier for the Poverty Truth Commission I wouldn’t have actually classed myself to be one living in poverty. One thinks of poverty and images of starving, naked Africans come to mind. However, when poverty is explored it brings to light the fact that poverty has many different guises. Bringing the issue closer to home, although I wouldn’t like to admit it or want to be associated with it, I am an example of someone living in poverty.

I am a person who fits into many communities. I am a female, Asian, Muslim, single parent, from Govanhill and poverty can affect any of these communities. One of the significant things that has left in this position is my single status. Normally within the Asian community a girl is looked after by her daddy and when she marries she is looked after by her husband. I left my husband in order to survive as I was a victim of domestic abuse. As I don’t have the traditional support of a husband I have to rely on the welfare state. I don’t think one would normally associate domestic abuse with poverty yet it can be a cause.

Poverty affects me. I rely on benefits to survive and ensure my daughter and I are looked after with the basic necessities – a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, clothes on our back. Having to live within the constraints of benefits means that the essentials are naturally a priority but having to worry about when the brown envelope is going to come and will the cost be within the confines of benefit payout.

It is only after the bills have been paid that the fridge-freezer and cupboards are allowed to be stocked and that is to a limit and this requires careful planning – which shop is the cheapest for which product.

Clothing only gets renewed once the water leakage into the shoes is a considerable amount and the trousers that are supposed to be below the ankle are now above the ankle and the full sleeve tops are now ¾ sleeve tops.

Those are examples of poverty that affects my daughter who has just turned 8 years old. This is not fair. My daughter has not done anything to deserve this. She has been unfortunate to be born into poverty. Poverty ensured that my daughter wasn’t able to get a birthday party with all the trimmings in a children’s play area like her peers.

Poverty ensures that I cannot take my daughter on holiday, not even to places which are so common, and cheap to some, such as Benidorm or Majorca. Poverty ensures I cannot buy my daughter the toys she desires or ensure she has the appropriate school uniform with the school logo instead sufficing for a version that is merely the same colour.

One of daughter’s friends didn’t go on a school trip as the mother couldn’t afford the £3.00 fee. This then singled her out as the one who didn’t go on the school trip and didn’t join her friends. I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that point for my daughter but recognising the fact that it very easily could.

People listening could very easily say ‘get a job’. That is not a solution as poverty affects even those that are in employment. Issues that would then concern me would be childcare foremost. As many working parents will be aware childcare is an issue in itself. To initially source childcare, dropping and picking up the child and most importantly paying the childminder. This can work out expensively. The first thing that comes to my mind regarding childcare is the quality time that I would lose with my daughter and this is before the reassurance that my child would be safe and well-looked after. Dinner and bedtime isn’t sufficient to ensure parent and child have a strong, emotionally stable relationship with good communication and assurance for the parent that all is well with the child. So in this case poverty would rob me of time with my only child. I am also aware of the many reports that children whose parents are in employment do not do as well emotionally and at school as those children whose mother or father are able to devote time to them. This shows that poverty affects education and the well being of a child.

To be able to get to work would require money for travelling and this would naturally amount to a great cost over the course of a week. Therefore travel expenses would also play a part in ones road to poverty.

Coming from the Asian community I am able to identify some of the barriers to employment even before childcare and travel expenses would be tackled with. One of those barriers being a lack of confidence and this could be due to language, never been in employment or having less chances compared to our white counterparts which unfortunately does happen. Exclusion based on cultural or religious differences is a fact and this fact leads to poverty too.

A lack of respect from self and others due to ones situation leads to other problems. Hope can be washed away having to accept ones situation. The knock on effect could be that the next generation is compelled to accept that poverty is in their fate too. A vicious circle.

What worries me is that if I went into employment then I would be liable for my own rent, council tax would increase, I would have to pay for regular travel expenses, pay for childcare, and miss out on quality time with my daughter. Being so close to my daughter, as we only have each other, prevents me from gaining employment too. I don’t want to be apart from her.

I am aware of the governments drive to get people off benefits and into employment. This should not be seen as a solution on its own. For many being on benefits have its advantages. Would a salary be able to give the same amount if not more comfort? There are many changes to be made and some of these changes will be highlighted by my fellow testifiers.

Ghazala Hakeem

Stories behind the Manifesto

2010-06-21T07:48:00.000-07:00

We are deeply dismayed by the statutory support provided for children being looked after by kinship carers. We call upon all levels of government – and all political parties – to work together to give these children the support and resources that they deserve.

20 years ago when my son was troubled with addiction his other granny took my grandson into her care. He was 2 years old. Throughout his life he suffered the effects of his parent’s choices and the environment he was exposed to, and at 17 he was the victim of a murder. I feel that if there had been support and recognition for us to intervene earlier in his life this tragic story may not have happened. Kinship carers are doing a free service for the state and they would do nothing less for these children. But they deserve at minimum psychological help, basic allowances and support and recognition to prevent another lost generation.

Many kinship carers don't come forward to jump the hurdles for support that they desperately need, because they would feel like failures in their natural duty to the kids in their care.
When we decided to form a kinship care support group 6 years ago we had no idea that any help was available. We have come a long way with talks and meetings with the relevant people but barriers keep appearing and blame gets passed from pillar to post. Nobody wants responsibility for these children's rights as human beings, and seem to forget that they're the future of the UK.

Through the Poverty Truth Commission kinship carers have now got a strong voice on behalf of the children they love and care for, and also a vision to end the discrimination and stigma that kinship children are suffering through ignorance and inequality. People in power should realise that they are not being accountable to the children's needs. Invest in early intervention and we can look forward to fine upstanding citizens that we can be very proud of in the future.

Jean Forrester

Stories behind the Manifesto

2010-06-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

We understand that violence is a public health issue linked to the growing levels of inequality in our society. As a result we know that it cannot be adequately dealt with through policing alone. We want communities and the public sector to come together to support initiatives which will help to ensure a long term reduction of all forms of violence.

From Ruchazie to Malawi

I can't walk round the corner without going into someone's territory, and if you go into that territory, then you're going to get chased out. Unlike when we got the chance to visit Malawi through the Church, it's totally different there. When you go out there you can walk for miles, and no-one will say anything to you, nothing at all. And if people do see you, they'll come over and shake your hand and be nice to you. And that was a really big shock, and it's really opened my eyes.
In Ruchazie when you walk by, people put their heads down. Whereas in Malawi they came over and shook you by the hand and were dead happy, in Ruchazie they're scared. They put their heads down and try not to look at you. Just ignore each other basically, as if you're not there. There are plenty of places here in Ruchazie where we just can't go. I've got family in Ruchazie, and I can't even walk to where they live because of not so much fear, but common sense. Cause if you walk up there, and it's the wrong crowd, I wouldn't even like to say what would happen. It's quite scary. I mean, people have actually been killed through this, and other people have been injured. It really takes it out of people, really knocks their confidence.
It's not just with boys; it's with girls as well. There’s girl gangs that fight as well. It's bad for everyone. Even grown men, women, grans and grandas fighting.
It's really intimidating when you walk by and they all stop talking and look at you and you've got your head down. It's not a nice place to be.
In Malawi it made me feel really happy and full of confidence when all those people were shaking my hand. But it also made me feel really bad for where I stay cause I was there for a few days and was walking for miles, and I've been living in Glasgow all my life, and can't even walk 500 yards to see my family. It could cost me my life to go and see my family.
The people from Malawi came over to visit us in Ruchazie as well. They really have got nothing and they came over here and made the most of everything. It
really makes me think to myself - why can I not do that? Anything they get they're grateful for.
I want to go and make the most of my life now. I think I've learned more from them than they have from us. Even though, we may have the latest technology and the best education, but they've taught us much more than we taught them. Just shows you that money's not everything. I've realised that life isn't all about money and possessions. They have inspired me to get on with making a difference where I am, and to encourage others to do the same.

William Barrowcliffe

Charity Dinner for West Glasgow Grandparents Support Group

2010-06-03T08:30:00.000-07:00

Our friends from the West Glasgow Grandparents Support Group are holding a Charity Dinner in the Clyde Suite of The Marriott, Glasgow on the evening of Friday 2nd July.

The group will use the funds raised to support Kinship Carers who need specialised help for their vulnerable grandchildren.

Tickets cost £30 per person which includes a buffet meal and entertainment.

For more information please contact Sally Brisbane on 01419548737.

The Stories behind the Manifesto

2010-05-13T04:07:00.000-07:00

Blair, from Drumchapel, shares his experiences of poverty.

We are aware that the debate about the level of the national debt is likely to dominate public debate at this time. However, we are also deeply concerned about the high levels of personal debt particularly for people living in poverty. We will work to outlaw the exorbitant interest rates which people in poverty often have to endure as well as promoting possible and viable alternatives. These will include the extension of credit unions and the development of micro finance.

Blair’s Testimony from Poverty Truth Commission Event, 21/03/09

I'm here today to talk about poverty and the problems it causes to the ordinary people affected by it. About the problems and stigma that come with living in a poverty stricken area.
When you mention poverty people often think about places like Africa. Although countries in Africa certainly need our help, and we should help, poverty remains right here in Scotland.
People said they were going to eradicate poverty when I was young - but what has changed? I would like to share with you some of my story and to talk a bit about the issues of debt and low pay.

When I was growing up it was just my mum looking after us. I can remember me and my two sisters and my mum huddled up under the duvet in one room, cause we could only afford to heat one room. It was old metal windows, and there used to be an inch gap down the side of our front door. There was a howling cold wind through the house constantly. You'd wake up and your feet were numb. This wasn't a tenement flat in the 1960's either, this was a flat in 1990's Glasgow. My mum only got a clothing grant for us once a year, and even then it didn't buy much. I've heard people say that others manage, but they never told you how much they owed loan sharks or Friends Provident. We got most of our clothes out of the charity shop. My shoes used to talk back to me in the morning. Some of the people at my school were bullied for wearing second hand clothes.

I remember one Christmas when I was about 10 when the Salvation Army brought Christmas presents round because we had no money or food. I can also remember how we had to go to my Gran's Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to get fed. It was only one meal a day, but it was absolute heaven, as there was nothing else to eat. This is still happening today. In Glasgow today people are still going to bed hungry. My mum put a lot of drive into me - you want to do better than this son. You don't want to bring up your kids like this.

I went into college when I was 15 to study horticulture. Whenever I could I worked as well, but couldn't do much because I was under 16. That was the first rung in the ladder for me. I had left school without many qualifications mainly because of things like bullying. There is only so much you can take, and when I had started to fight back I was excluded from school time and again. I fell behind.

I've always enjoyed planting things and watching them grow. Doing horticulture was something I enjoyed. The thing is, I had to leave college early because my mum was struggling and I was doing bits and pieces of work as I could, but it wasn't enough. I had to giver her a hand, I had to work. I got a job in MacDonalds. They say you shouldn't have any regrets in your life, but I think that is one of my regrets, that I didn't finish that college course.

I started helping my mum out till she got on her feet and then I started trying to save up enough to get my own flat, my own place. I took up lots of jobs. I got a 98% mortgage and my own wee studio flat in East Kilbride. That's where I met Diane, my partner. We made a little bit of money out of the sale of that flat and then managed to get a one bed roomed flat together in Knightswood. We worked hard to make it our home. We did have a bit of debt, but it was managable, and then the car thing happened and in the space of about 6 months everything turned around.

Is a car a luxury? Most of the jobs I get I need a car, I start very early in the morning,
and I take jobs wherever I can get them - sometimes that means ten miles away. A car is something we needed. So we went to a car finance company. There were a lot of problems with the car right away though. The brake disc colapsed. I managed to stop just in the nick of time, cause I was about to hit a petrol tanker. I went back to the company, and they said that was a wear and tear part and I would have to fix it myself. But I had had the car literally a few weeks. That should all have been checked before they sold it to me. They said I had signed the contract though and it was mine whether I wanted it or not. They were refusing to take it back.

They did in the end, but ever since then they've continued to chase me for the finance.
What these people were saying to us, how they would seize the house, how they were going to sell our furniture. How they would change the locks, throw us out on the street. They were phoning us up constantly during the day, sometimes 10 or 20 times. This was the same company that when I started arguing my rights with them told me that the Consumer Credit Act doesn't exist. The constant phone calls put us under pressure and caused extreme stress. I was out trying to work, so they were phoning Diane, who was heavily pregnant at the time. 7 days a week, morning noon and night they phoned. I was working all the hours I could, so we could try to keep the house.

Our daughter was not far away from being born and we just wanted a wee bit of security. Diane was petrified, she thought we were going to end up homeless. We didn't know what would happen after she had the baby and came out of hospital. We thought that maybe we possibily wouldn't be able to stay together as a familiy unit. It was terrifying. You still have bills to pay, you still have the mortgage to pay, so you start having to skip somebody - we had things to buy for the baby as well. We started to fall behind, and the mortgage was one of those things that we started to fall behind on. We ended up in a situation where we were robbing Peter to pay Paul, and then the mortgage company were threatening to re-possess as well.

With everything else as well, we got a letter through from Glasgow Housing Association saying that they were roughcasting the outside of the building, and because we owned 25% of the building, we would have to pay 25% of the cost. When we went to the meeting to discuss this, they said it's not up to you, as you're in a minority. We were over-ruled, and I said, well how are we going to pay for this cause I knew we couldn't on top of the mortgage and everything else. They wanted an extra £400 a month. They knew our situation and they still went ahead and did it. Their advice was to take out another loan to pay for it. The situation became unbearable.

So we put the house up for sale. It wasn't easy, it really wasn't easy, we loved that house and had put a lot of work into it. We sold it the day before it was due to get re-possessed.

I felt great, I'd lost a lot of money, but I'd cleared off most of the debt apart from the car, and we still owed GHA a bit. If we hadn't owed anybody any money, we would have walked away with about £30 000 from the sale of that flat. We walked away with nothing, but we got all those people off our back. Sometimes it's about more than the money. So we had to try to get a council house. We had a couple of months to get things sorted out before we moved. I was still working constantly on the buses trying to bring money in to pay for everything.

The flat the council offered us was in a right state. Diane went in to see it and was in tears. We had no choice but to accept this offer - we were desperate and had nowhere else. It was damp, it was wet, it was stinking. It was really dark and had been totally neglected. There were big holes in the walls. If you've ever seen the toilets in that film, 'Trainspotting' then you'll know what I'm talking about. The stench of urine when you walked in was powerful. When we came to see the flat, the Housing Officer said, "This is the best house I have seen in a long time - you are lucky to be getting an offer."

We asked him if there was anything they would do, like fill the holes, sort the dampness, you know it was thick with dust, and the people in it before must have been heavy heavy smokers, the place was just brown, it was just disgusting - but what choice did we have. The council weren't prepared to do anything to it. We'd done everything, put our whole heart and soul into our old flat, and then to walk away from that with nothing, to be put in a place where you wouldn't even have a bath, with Olivia our beautiful baby just 3 weeks old. She sat in a bogging kitchen in her wee car seat while we spent all our time trying to decorate the place and do something to it to make it a home.

The week after we moved in we had drug dealers move in next door to us, and then there were needles all over the close. People banging the door at all hours of the night, at the wrong door, looking for drugs. Diane answered the door at 4 one morning in desperation as she was trying to get the baby to sleep. She was dragged out by the hair. I was going out to work not knowing what I was going to come back to, knowing my family didn't feel safe there. It was unbearable. I nearly cracked in two with the stress of it all.

It gets to the stage where you can't eat, you can't sleep, you're just so stressed out. It's constant there's nothing you can do about it. I don't think there was a weekend went by when someone didn't get seriously injured in that close as well. You came out on a Monday morning to go to your work and there would be bits of broken glass, syringes, blood all over the walls. We went round the councillors, doctor, health visitor, trying to get a letter down, a wee bit of support to get us a move. They were really good, so supportive.

The Housing Officer at the time though was just a total nightmare. One of the most arrogant men I have ever met. When he heard that we were trying to get a move, and he got all these letters, he was like, "Why did you not come to me and I would have sorted it out."
We eventually got a move to where we are now, and it's so much nicer and we know and can rely on our neighbours. There's still hassle out, but not like before - we're safe. We were lucky to have a roof over our heads, but at the same time, how much do you have to put up with and be grateful for?

I have always worked all the hours I could as we couldn't have survived with me just working a 40 hour week. I've often had 2 or 3 jobs on the go at once. Friday used to be bad for me. Working 9-5 in an office, then 6-12 doing security at the Bowling, and then I would start a cleaning job at the chippy.

I promise you, I don't have a secret account with millions stashed away in it. This was just to get by. Now I work on average 70 hours a week. Me and my partner are just like two ships passing in the night sometimes. That is just to survive, and put a bit away for the future. I don't know how much longer 'll have a job for - people are losing their jobs left right and centre.
You're constantly working under the pressure that your job might be next, your company might be next. I always like to have options on the back burner in case something happens, but I know that isn't the same for everybody.

The biggest change for me was becoming a Dad. I felt inspired to make a difference in other people's lives and to make the world a better place for my daughter's future. And the past is my motivation to get out of bed in the morning. Through all these experiences now I feel I've managed to create a stable environment (most months) and am trying my best to help others overcome poverty. I volunteer when I can with the 3D Family Project in Drumchapel and am also becoming interested in the Poverty Truth Commission.

I can't change the past, but as for the future I want to make a difference.
We're not going to stop on 21 March. We're on the move. After the Poverty Truth Commission I want to say these things in Holyrood and in Westminster. I'm not stopping until things change.

Blair

The Stories behind the Manifesto

2010-04-29T08:53:00.001-07:00

Last week we posted our Manifesto on the blog. We want to follow this up with a series of stories which are the background of the aims and commitments in the Manifesto.

This week the story is from Scott, a 17 year old from Cranhill.

"We understand that violence is a public health issue which cannot be adequately dealt with through policing alone. We want communities and the public sector to come together to support initiatives which will help to ensure a long term reduction of all forms of violence." (from The Poverty Truth Commission Manifesto, April 2010)

I could imagine why a person may not understand fully the text above. I can see people asking, "how is it a public health issue?" and "how can’t the police alone resolve this matter?". Reason being that if it weren’t for the experiences in life that I have had then, I suppose I may have trouble understanding the sheer truth to it also. However I have, and that’s why I am writing this.

I joined the Poverty Truth Commission in the latter part of 2009. Before joining, I asked myself what difference I could make. Surly one person cant make a big enough difference to change things, and I was right. However by being right it taught me that people joining and working as a team can be much more effective than a single person. Since joining in 2009 I have realised that yes, the police have their duty to protect the community and the government has the responsibility to change things for the better, but that also we as individuals of communities have more responsibility to look after our society as it is us that are effected by it.
So, how is violence a public health issue? People more than often look at the physical side of violence as being the only outcome. People don’t see that its far more complex than a broken nose or a black eye. We only have to look at some cases when violence is the biggest factor in the direction that a persons life progresses. I have seen for real in many cases, that violence has an effect on every aspect of ones life. It has emotional consequences of people feeling hurt, families feeling hurt, friends feeling hurt. It perhaps limits your doors in life for making friends, learning, working and in general living.

I believe that in particular, gang violence is a trap. I believe that people who fall into the mistake of gang fighting for the first time, see the immediate effects of things like feeling an adrenaline rush, showing loyalty to mates by "backing them up", feeling like part of a group (which for many people is enough to persuade them alone) and also having a sense of power. However, when a person is gang fighting they are sucked into a persona of someone tough, hard, brave even popular. By experiencing immediately good things this persona becomes a way life. This may not be who the person really is but they see this change as exciting. After being trapped by this, I have seen that it is very hard to escape this way of life. All your friends do the same
as you and any friends that you had before, in most cases, wont see you in the same light, your education will perhaps lack due to the "persona" that you live by, many people lose respect for you and also don’t forget all the people who now hate you and want to fight with you again because of previous happenings.

What can be done? For education, I believe that people should be far more informed about support that is available to people who need it. There is a massive pool of support available for people wishing to work and learn, however, many people just don’t know enough about it. As for friends, well the people that continue to fight whilst see the route of freedom, perhaps they are not the right friends for you. As for the friends who don’t see you in the same way, it is your job to win back respect. I understand if all this is doubted by many people as it seems exaggerated. However I know it does happen as not only have I seen it myself, a member of my family has found their self in this trap and have described it this way.

There are many reasons why we need the communities to take a bigger role in the fight against violence. Not only does it give an area a bad name, if you are continuously hearing bad stories about violence, but it takes away peoples hope. It makes people give up trying. I say why not express more good, positive stories in the news paper? Why not have even just a small section in the paper for perhaps personal achievements by individuals in areas? Why not tell more of what is happening in schools? Why not start giving communities positive feedback for good things rather than telling of only all the negative incidents? Not only would it give the community hope as a whole, it would perhaps inspire many individuals to change there way of life to match those gaining positive publicity. Also I believe that if communities come closer and act more as a community then many problems can be resolved.

My dad always told me that years ago communities were closer and that they could trust each other to help out with everyday things in life that really made a difference. From what I have seen growing up, I have not experienced this type of living with any of my neighbours. I wish I had a community like that. I believe that it would help with many things like poverty and perhaps even health. I would hope that in time to come, I could have the privilege of living in a community like that.

As the Poverty Truth Commission says, "Nothing without us about us is for us" is very much true. How can people be helped if you do not listen to them and act accordingly to their primary needs. How do you know what to do if you don’t have help understanding what it is you are helping. I myself would not feel this so strongly if it were not for the Poverty Truth Commission. I has made me realise how important it is to tackle problems and not just stand about doing nothing. This is why more people should be given hope that things can be done. To encourage people to not just stand about but to get involved and have their say. Everyone has their opinion and if everyone comes together with ideas then, I believe, many problems in society today can be reduced.

Scott

The Poverty Truth Commission Manifesto is launched

2010-04-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

The Poverty Truth Commission has produced a Manifesto challenging people to sign up to the same commitments the members of the Commission hold about many different forms of poverty in Scotland including Welfare Reform, Positive Alternatives to Violence and Kinship Care. It will be featured in today's Evening Times.

In the run up to the UK General Election, we have made the following commitments and we challenge others to do the same:

We believe that the deep-set problems and far reaching consequences of poverty will not be truly tackled until those living this reality are seen as part of the solution - not as part of the problem. We believe that people affected must participate in the policy making process from beginning to end. Only by doing this do we believe that real and lasting change is possible.

We will not support any initiatives or legislation that have a negative effect on people living in poverty. Instead, we will promote policies and initiatives which address the root causes of poverty and inequality in Scotland.

We recognise that where you live has a huge impact on how long you live (by as much as 20 years) and what opportunities are available to you. We will actively work against this postcode lottery for living, jobs, benefits, loans and services of all kinds that exists for people living in our poorest communities.

We are deeply dismayed by the statutory support provided for children being looked after by kinship carers. We call upon all levels of government – and all political parties – to work together to give these children the support and resources that they deserve.

We understand that violence is a public health issue linked to the growing levels of inequality in our society. As a result we know that it cannot be adequately dealt with through policing alone. We want communities and the public sector to come together to support initiatives which will help to ensure a long term reduction of all forms of violence.

We know the devastating impact which alcohol and drugs can have on people’s lives and that the consequences of these are often most severe for those living in poverty. We will advocate and support initiatives that tackle the root causes of addiction in order to reduce the use of alcohol and drugs by people of every age and economic status.

We are aware that the debate about the level of the national debt is likely to dominate public debate at this time. However, we are also deeply concerned about the high levels of personal debt particularly for people living in poverty. We will work to outlaw the exorbitant interest rates which people in poverty often have to endure as well as promoting possible and viable alternatives. These will include the extension of credit unions and the development of micro finance.

Jim Wallace, Co-chair of the Poverty Truth Commission said, “This Manifesto not only highlights the issues of concern to Scotland’s poorest communities, it demands a new way of working. My engagement with the Poverty Truth Commission has convinced me that we are more likely to identify solutions to some deep-seated problems if politicians and officials involve in the process of policy-making those who experience the reality of poverty in their daily lives. That is a real challenge to the next government, whatever its political complexion.”

Tricia McConalogue, Co-chair of the commission commented “If the future Government is serious about building a better society then it needs to work hard to address all strands of this Manifesto and to break the cycle of poverty in order for everyone to feel part of and engage in society. It is essential that no one is excluded from society.”

For more information about the Manifesto and real life stories behind the policies go to www.povertytruthcommission.org.

A week of debate on poverty in the media

2010-02-01T02:01:00.000-08:00

Last week Martin Johnstone (Secretary for The Poverty Truth Commisison) was invited to contribute a post on a blog looking at how poverty is portrayed in the media which has been organised by Community Link.

He comments:

"Virtually every day of my life I am fortunate to meet some absolutely incredible people. Folks like Jessie, Jean, Blair, Donna, Ghazala, Marie, Carol and countless others.
These are people who despite the poverty that they have to struggle against - the rotten housing, the appalling benefits, the regular threat of violence - are resilient, resourceful and determined that things will be better both for those they love and also for those they don’t know but who share their predicament.
I am sad that other people are less fortunate than I am - that they don’t have the privilege of those conversations, meetings and life-changing encounters. I am particularly sad that their view of people living in poverty is shaped by journalists who, on the whole, don’t have the time (or inclination) to find out what is real.
I don’t want to tar all media with the same brush - just as I don’t want them to pretend that all people living in poverty are bad folk, just because a few of them are. I want to congratulate, for example, Glasgow’s Evening Times for the stories it prints around the city’s community champions.
And I want to encourage some journalists to come and spend some time with the awesome, spectacular and incredible people that I know - and then to tell their readers and viewers about what they have encountered."

You can view his entry on the blog and see the many contributions made from a wide range of people, from award-winning bloggers to young people from Newham.

http://www.community-links.org/linksuk/?p=1410

2010-01-25T01:48:00.000-08:00

About Jesus Christ who walked
around a lot and listened
carefully

Jesus walked around a lot
where people
were

and listened
carefully

to everything they said
because

he thought
they had a lot to say

and so they DID.

They said
There wasn’t any food.

They said
Their kids was sick a lot.

They said
they needed help

and Jesus listened
carefully.

And after he had listened
carefully
He said: if peoples
got together
it wouldn’t be
so hard.

He said
that maybe they could

change the
world

so children wouldn’t starve.

And after
he had finished saying that

he got some food
so they could eat

and then
he walked on down the road

to where
some other peoples lived

and stayed with them
and listened very carefully
again.

That
is what he did.

He told the truth
about the rich

and listened
to the poor.

And then
the people

who ran the country
killed him.

It happens
all the time

--Jane Stembridge, age 19, Mississippi, 1964

VIOLENCE REDUCTION WORK GROUP.

2009-12-10T01:59:00.000-08:00

Drawing from his own experience of alienation and homelessness, Darren ‘Loki’ McGarvey recently reported on Volition, a project that he is initiating together with a group of Scottish youth with whom he has been working for the past several years.

Volition engages 14 to 25 year old youth, many of whom are victims of a society that provides limited opportunities for young people. Meaningful jobs are scarce. Families are often in disarray. Drugs and alcohol are everywhere. Where do young people turn? Where do they release their anger and find new meaning for their lives?

While some young people at risk find diversion in football and other sports, significant numbers of youth are still adrift. Loki has found that engaging with hip hop can give new meaning to their lives. When it was first introduced, rap, a form of hip hop, was often violent and homophobic, but it has since changed and has become a universal language among young people.

In Volition youth find an environment where they can freely explore their ideas and express their opinions in a context where others understand. The medium, as well as other forms of hip hop, draw on the creativity of youth, which often has few other outlets. Writing, recording and performing rap enables the participants in Volition to express their anger, their outrage and then move on from there. Hearing and critique one another’s works they find release from their own pent-up anger and can reflect on their own lives and how they can find a place in this world. The participants in Volition are encouraged to aspire and gain a sense of achievement and identity. In community with others, they can develop their literary skills using figurative language and multi syllabic rhyme structure.

Furthermore, Volition is organized in a totally democratic way giving all participants a real sense of ownership. Members are currently engaged in the process of writing the organization’s constitution, coming to understand the importance of clear goals and aims, as well as an effective structure

Volition is in the process of equipping a work space where participants can listen to and assess each other’s work as well as compile CD’s and plan for performances.

The testimony of the participants speaks volumes.

Jamie writes: Before hip hop music was introduced to me, I was into the usual crap music, but I never really felt as though I had a connection with any genre. When I heard hip hop I instantly felt a strong bond with both the lyrics and the beats.

Alie writes: Hip hop to me personally is a way to chill out and listen to other people’s life stories.

Doug writes: I believe that Hip Hop has changed me personally for the better; in a way I have grown up with it; it has kept me from using my spare time from vandalising, etc. Instead I devote most of my spare time to writing for collaboration with others who have the same interests.

Janet writes: The feeling of belonging is something that hip hop has given me, where family and career have failed. Without Hip Hop in my life I would be a lost soul with no aims or direction.

David writes: It’s time to say that hip hop has always received bad press and that is unfair as true hip hop is all about peace, love and unity.

John writes: Hip hop has given me a way to express my feelings; it gives me a chance to give my opinions on different subjects and helps me understand other people’s situations and feelings. I realize now that Hip Hop is a musician’s equivalent of a painting a picture. It is just a different form of art and I am disappointed by the negativity which often surrounds it.

Andrew writes: Writing is a way of expressing feelings that I would not usually talk about with other people, helping me open up to what is really going on in my mind. It helps me understand other people’s; views as well. Putting my anger on paper helps me deal with it. I realize now that words are a more effective release then acting out.

Calum writes: Hip hop has had a massive affect on my life. I started listening when I was 15 and at 16 I started writing. I enjoy this because I am a creative person and use writing as a way to reflect on something. It is also a good way to release stress without being aggressive.

Angela writes: I was bullied as a youth and as a result have confidence issues and social contacts are a struggle for me. But Hip hop has given me an outlet and has upped my confidence. It has also given me an opportunity to meet people who have become good friends. It has helped me in more ways than I can even describe.

Violence Work Group

2009-11-13T01:33:00.000-08:00

The first meeting of the work group on violence met on 19 October. (Sadly the first meeting that was scheduled earlier had to be cancelled because of the memorial service for Daniel Boyle, one of the young men from Ruchazie who had prepared to be a testifier at the Poverty Truth Commission. He died a violent death at the age of 18.)

John Carnochan who is the Detective Chief Superintendent of the Violence Reduction Unit of the Strathclyde Police and a Poverty Truth Commissioner, hosted the meeting. John launched the meeting by describing the work of the Violence Reduction Unit, which is considering the basic causes of the considerable violence in Scottish Society and developing programs that intervene at appropriate points within the life of the society and individuals.

Violence is identified as a public health problem and John used the metaphor of Tuberculosis to explain the practical meaning of this designation. In former days when someone was diagnosed with TB they were sent away to a sanatorium until they healed. Today, there is early intervention that seeks to prevent the onset of TB. Likewise, if the society waits for a violent crime to occur and then sends the perpetrator away to prison, very little is accomplished. Far better to intervene at the earliest possible point in the life of the child to reduce the possibility that violence will mark the life of this child.

This requires examining the entire environment in which the child is nurtured. Violence in the home, in the neighbourhood and in the media can serve to program a child to do violence. Early intervention (parenting classes, alcohol awareness training, diversionary activities, preparation for positive employment) can help prevent a life of violence.

Such preventative measures do not substitute for strict law enforcement today, but are actions to reduce violence in the future.

It is hoped that the testifiers can draw on their own personal experience as victims of violence and as the work group continues to meet to examine ways in which violence can be reduced.

On 21 March at the meeting in City Chambers, one former gang member told the story of the useless and tragic murder of a beloved member of the gang. After the murder the entire neighbourhood sought to understand the causes of this tragedy and is taking steps that would prevent further such violence. The question that is asked is what can be done, street by street to change the culture in which such violence occurs.

Violence affects everyone and everyone needs to be recognize the changes that will lead to its reduction. This includes recognizing that every individual in creation is made in the image of God and society must maximize the opportunities for every person to grow to their full stature and potential and to realize their own role in the continuing creation of the world.. This is a task that requires the efforts of all of us.

Latest Updates

2009-10-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

On 21st March the members of the Poverty Truth Commission came together at City Chambers for the first time. Fourteen “Commissioners”, leaders from Parliament, academia, the religious community and the media came together to hear the stories of a dozen people (“Testifiers”) from some of the poorest communities in Glasgow. These were more than stories of the struggle to survive. Using dance, drama, poetry, rap, dialogue and monologue, the Testifiers demonstrated their creativity and insights and advocated for change that would greatly improve their lives and their communities. Many of the audience of 400 were deeply moved by the testimonies – perhaps the majority having shared some of the same struggles themselves.

After conferring together the Commissioners proposed that the group keep meeting in the days ahead. “We would want a number of testifiers to join us ...as together we tackle the issues which [the testifiers] have so wonderfully and eloquently raised.”

Since that time the whole Commission has met twice with plans to continue meeting for 18 months and to then report back to the public on the progress that has been made. The Commission is co-chaired by Tricia McConalogue (Bridging the Gap, Gorbals) and Jim Wallace (Former Depute First Minister of Scotland).

The commissioners have divided into work groups that meet regularly around the following issues:

KINSHIP CARERS
When the parents are unable to care for their children (because of addiction or disease) a social worker often asks a grandparent to raise the children. But there are no benefits available to help. What can be done so that grandparents caring for their grandchildren receive benefits similar to what foster parents receive?

Caring and supporting children is a heavy burden for grandparents many of whom are themselves struggling to survive. In many cases the children have been traumatized (some are methadone babies) and need counselling. These are children who deserve the best. What can be done so that grandparents caring for their grandchildren receive benefits similar to what foster parents receive?

Reaching a solution is a complex challenge requiring action by the UK, Scottish and Local Governments. The working group on Kinship Carers is striving to cut through the red tape to assure that the grandparents receive adequate financial assistance and children receive the support they require.

YOUTH VIOLENCE
On 21st March, William, Nicola, Loki and Carol all spoke about violence – violence in the home and violence on the streets. A work group is meeting to consider what can be done.

The root causes of violence run deep. These include: an education system that does not adequately equip youth for productive lives; an economy that provides fewer and fewer employment opportunities for young people; and broken and violent homes.

This violence work group, including Detective John Carnochan who leads the Violence Reduction Unit of Strathclyde Police, is looking for fundamental ways to free the neighbourhoods, especially in the poorest places, from the grip of violence.

THE MEDIA
The mass media seems to thrive on stories of failure and violence. Poor neighbourhoods are often described in negative terms. The courage, originality, resilience and generosity of people struggling with poverty doesn’t often make the news, yet there is so much that is positive in these communities.

The Church of Scotland speaks of these neighbourhoods as ‘good places to be.’ What can be done to assure that the media adopts a more balanced approach to its reporting – recognising the quiet heroes and heroic acts that occur on a daily basis in often forgotten neighbourhoods. This is the task of the media working group.

In introducing the Testifiers on 21st March, the Chair of the Poverty Truth Commission, Tricia McConalogue, compared those who know about poverty because they observe it from afar with the real experts who live in it day in and day out.

Despite their expertise, the voices of poverty have often not been heard where policies affecting life in poor communities are made. If no one is going to listen, then those who have a lot to say are not motivated to speak and soon lose their confidence. When we are overlooked and ignored we begin to feel like objects rather than subjects. The Poverty Truth Commission is dedicated to changing this. “Nothing about us without us is for us.”

Kinship Carers

2009-07-08T01:02:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days it has been great to see articles in the Herald (Glasgow-based Scottish newspaper) about kinship carers. Check them out at http://www.theherald.co.uk/. On Monday this included a major interview with Jessie Harvey, one of our Comissioners and a Kinship Carer.
And in today's paper (8th July) we have a letter from Jim Wallace (Lord Wallace of Tankerness) and Tricia McConalogue, the Commission Co-Chairs calling on the government at local, Scottish and UK levels to get together to address the problems. You can read it at: http://www.theherald.co.uk/display.var.2518688.0.0.php?utag=137191.

I'm Tommy and a Kinship Carer

2009-06-30T01:53:00.000-07:00

I’M Tommy and a Kinship Carer

Esteemed friends, guests and fellow kinship carers, can I thank you for the opportunity to address you as to the scandal of children in kinship care.

Can I first of all say that I do not intend to exaggerate, even in the slightest way, do not have to, every kinship carer here and beyond will confirm and testify to what I say nor would I disrespect you by misleading you.

Children in kinship care, or should I call it, “relative foster care” are unique. It is different from all other forms of caring because in the vast majority of cases, the state or local authority have legally intervened and removed the child or children from the family home for reasons of neglect, abuse, bereavement or the child is deemed to be at risk.

Once the local authority has applied to the court for custody, a Children’s Panel is convened and they then apply for a supervision order, Section 10 Children’s Act, they then assume corporate parenthood, they have a responsibility for these children, they cannot wash their hands of them.

Yet for children in kinship care, that’s exactly what they do. There are a number of options they can pursue when a supervision order is granted:
1. Age appropriate, they can place the child in residential care at a cost of £1,000 to £3,000 per week.
2. They can place the child in foster care which can also be expensive with some fees as much as £300 per week plus generous allowances for the needs of the child.
3. Then there is kinship care which has been demonstrated historically through extensive research is the best option. A more loving environment, stability in their lives (as opposed to foster caring where in many cases they are continually being moved on), children in kinship care are healthier, do better at school and their life’s prospect is enhanced. These are the facts

When a child is placed in residential care, he or she has their needs met, no overcrowding, their own room, pocket money, speedy access to special services and as we say in Glasgow “make sure they are well turned out”

Similarly when a child is placed in stranger foster care, every effort is made to ensure they have their own room. There is a start up process where beds, clothes, toys, home and car adaptions are made available. There are weekly allowances to meet thei r needs, currently at £119 to £198 per week. There is extra financial support for birthdays, Christmas and holidays and again fast track access to essential services such as counselling, psychologists etc and rightly so, they are looked after vulnerable children.

But what happens to children in kinship care? The same looked after children with the same legal status.

Can I focus on what is often referred to as Scotland’s greatest city, big hearted Glasgow, my own local authority and to how they treat children in kinship care:
My own experience – not a brown penny in eight years
Moira’s experience – non drinker, non smoker, church goer

This is innocent children we are talking about. Children who have witnessed and experienced things no child should be subjected to. The indifference and discrimination against these children is breath-taking and every kinship carer here can tell their own story.

For years kinship carers across Scotland have campaigned to end this disgrace, to end this discrimination. We have leafleted, lobbied, we have formed numerous support groups across the length and breadth of Scotland, driven by anger as to how we are treated. We have now set up the Scottish Kinship Carers Network – all voluntary. We have also gathered many friends on the way.

It appeared that our efforts had been successful when Adam Ingram, Minister for Children on 5 December 2007 announced to the Scottish media that kinship care children would receive allowances, equivalent to children in foster care at the rate of £119 to £198 per week, age related. There would also be parity of esteem and parity of support to services, an admission you may think, there was previously none. Grandparents and carers were understandably elated, over the moon.

And when the proposals were put to the Scottish Parliament, there was an unprecedented show of unity in support of them, total agreement amongst all parties.

Payments would begin on 1 April 2008, money was being made available to local authorities to introduce them, all kinship children would qualify, the postcode lottery would end. Then fine details were published and it slowly began to unravel – yes the allowances would commence on 1 April 2008 but only for children in foster care. For children in kinship care, they would be phased in over the next three years – it gets worse – only children on a “looked after” supervision order or subject to a new order called “permanence” would qualify.

Excluded would be hundreds, possibly thousands of previously “looked after children” whose grans had gone to courts and taken out “residence orders” often with the encouragement of social workers and often at great expense to themselves.

Also excluded were the many children who had previously been “looked after” but the supervision order was removed because they were thriving with Gran and Grandad. The proposals that were made to Parliament in December 2007 have been so diluted that they are almost meaningless for kinship carers.

There was understandable anger in Parliament with MPs stating that this is not what they voted for and claims that parliament had been misled. Robert Brown MSP with his keen analytical lawyer’s intellect summed it up perfectly when he stated that this was a “cruel deception” that was being perpetrated on Scotland’s most vulnerable children and the elderly carers who look after them.

After intense campaigning by kinship carers, a motion condemning the Government was moved by Rhona Brankin MSP in December 2008 for failing in their promises to kinship children. It was passed overwhelmingly but sadly nothing has changed. It was also pointed out that kinship carers save Scotland in excess of £200 million every year.

It then gets even more insidious. Early this year a new regulation was introduced, it was called a “permanency order” but lo and behold it only applies to foster carers. It was devised on the premise that permanency will offer “looked after children” more stability in life and avoid the trauma of regular children’s hearings. Allowances would continue to be paid under permanency order to foster carers and foster children.
But if kinship carers want the same stability in their children’s life, we have to apply for residence orders and are disqualified for allowances. Kinship carers cannot apply for permanency, you couldn’t make it up if you tried.

This whole legislation has been crafted and designed exclusively for foster carers (the composition of the consultation committee)

Everywhere we turn we are faced with indifference and discrimination, every level we encounter it, we can smell it, it comes wrapped up in patronization and condescension. It is cultural. You know what I mean but nobody says it. THEY ARE JUNKIE’S CHILDREN and yet these are innocent children who have done nothing wrong.

They are stereotyped, this is our experience but wrongly stereotyped.

I am aware of what I am about to say may surprise some of you but the situation facing these children is almost comparable to apartheid
· “apartness”
· They are treated differently
· They are treated inferiorly
· They are grossly discriminated against
· This is Scotland’s real shame

How can we be serious and sincere about eradicating child poverty when we are treating our most vulnerable children like this. You couldn’t treat a prisoner like this they’d sue you. The campaign for justice will continue. We are preparing to challenge the government and local authorities through the courts under the European Convention of Human Rights Article 8 & 14.

It is equally important that we win the support of bodies such as the Commission, we need you to speak out on our behalf.

Can I once again thank you for the opportunity to address you. I am sure you will be listening to some interesting stories from our kinship carers.

Thank you

Queen's Letter

2009-05-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the opening day of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly. The Church of Scotland is one of the partners behind the Poverty Truth Commission and the Commission was given a special mention in the Queen's Letter to the Assembly. In lots of different places, this work is getting noticed.

"Put Yourself In My Shoes..."

2009-05-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

Poverty Truth Commission
Glasgow City Chambers
21 March 2009

By Paul Chapman, Coordinator

The Poverty Truth Commission was a special event that took place on Saturday afternoon (21 March 2009) at Glasgow’s City Chambers at which time twelve competent people, representing many others, described the harsh realities of living in poverty in this prosperous land. Listening to these stories was an audience of 400 people, including fourteen especially-invited leaders from politics, the media, academia and several faith traditions.

The Poverty Truth Commission is part of a process, with antecedents in the 1996 Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa and since then in twenty other countries – a process that looks at deep and violent divisions within society and takes steps to overcome them.

Violence may seem a strong word for the effects of economic divisions in Scotland; yet, statistics demonstrate that in many ways, poverty destroys human life. As one of the Testifiers said eloquently, “Life expectancy for white men in Calton is 54 years and in Lenzie it is 84 years. In all Scotland it is 74 years. Poverty kills.”

Testifying to the ways in which they were suffering from the effects of poverty required considerable courage for the Testifiers, some of whom had never spoken out publicly before. They described how, again and again, they had been objectified and humiliated by welfare officers and housing officials, that they were constantly treated as objects with little or no regard for their uniqueness or opinions or competence.

It became clear in the afternoon that poverty is not only a question of food, but it is about dignity as well. Beaten down by economic and system failures, the Testifiers affirmed how difficult it is to maintain their confidence.

The Poverty Truth Commission demonstrated clearly that the people who suffer the hardships and indignities of poverty are the real experts. To regard them as objects of charity or regeneration projects will continue to perpetuate the very poverty that the society seeks to eradicate. As one Testifier said before the afternoon began. “This is not Victorian England in which the upper class claims it knows what is best for us.”

And then she referred to one of the constant themes of the people struggling against poverty in South Africa, “Nothing about us without us is for us.”

People from the grass roots must be seen as actors, as principle actors, in the anti-poverty movement. Until they are participants at every stage of the decision-making process these policies will ultimately fail.

On Saturday afternoon, after a word of welcome from Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Bob Winter, and an introduction by David Lunan, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Tricia McConalogue, Chairwoman of the Poverty Truth Commission, set the theme for the day, and outlined the program.

“Poverty is neither inevitable nor is it acceptable. Where do we as a society put our values? Today, in the midst of a recession it can often seem that the more money you earn, the more important you are and the more you will be respected and rewarded. Footballers are a prime example of this, earning phenomenal amounts of money. I was disgusted this weekend to learn that a Scottish football club would be paying £100.000 to each player if they won all three major trophies, whilst at the same time the organization was cutting back on their domestic staff. Where are our values in today’s society?”

THE TESTIMONIES

Jamie-Lee Smart, William Barrowcliffe, Donna Barrowcliffe,

Three people from Ruchazie presented the first of nine testimonies, beginning with a graceful modern dance by 16-year-old Jamie-Lee Smart, demonstrating that life in Ruchazie is not just about struggle, but includes the creativity and joyful expression of life lived to the fullest. No one mentioned that shortly before her compelling performance a young man from Ruchazie had held a knife to her throat because she was walking in “his territory.” The issue of territorialism was spelled out later in a conversation between Darren McGarvey and William Barrowcliffe, who said, “There is a kid I know who wants to go to university and is smart enough, but it’s too dangerous in Ruchazie for him to walk from his house to Smithycroft Secondary to get the preparation he needs. So he stays at home wasting his life because the neighbourhood is so dangerous.” He further said that is was a trip to Malawi, sponsored by ‘Together for a Change’ that opened his eyes. He could freely walk anywhere and wherever he went people greeted him warmly and with head held high, despite their destitution. So different from Ruchazie where people often don’t dare look each other in the eye , and where certain areas are off-limits.

This was followed by Donna Barrowcliffe from Ruchazie, in conversation with Jamie Lee, talking about the immense stress afflicting people in her neighbourhood, often leading to depression and a lack of self-confidence. She strongly objected to people being judged by the postcode they came from rather than by their character and ability. Supporting each other in the struggle gives strength and hope.

Darren ‘Loki’ McGarvey

Loki grew up in a troubled family and found himself as a teenager living on the streets and a prisoner of the drug and alcohol culture, but using music as his inspiration and guide was able to move beyond this life, and is now dedicating his life to helping other young people also find their humanity His rap represents the struggle that many young people face:

Childhood leaves a million minds engulfed in abuse
I'm not an artist on the fine line between fine lines of substance abuse or any other misuse
Far from recluse
Just privately unravelling while others peruse the daily news
And the horrors ensure
I’m trying to see around corners for the unspoken warning I’m assured will ensue
Psychological spew
To many viewed as a nuisance
Too honest for your crew

Ghazala Hakeem

The situation of Muslim women, often immigrants from lands of other languages, was articulated by Ghazala Hakeem of Govanhill. Speaking personally, she talked about the deprivations that she and her 8-year-old daughter must endure because she was born into poverty. “Poverty ensured that my daughter wasn’t able to get a birthday party with all the trimmings in a children’s play area like her peers... Poverty ensures that I cannot take my daughter away on holiday... Poverty ensures I cannot buy my daughter the toys she desires or the appropriate school uniform instead of a version that is merely the same colour... One of her friends didn’t go on a school trip as the mother couldn’t afford the £3.00 fee.”

She referred to the campaign of the government to get people off benefits into paid employment, and the many problems of living on a minimum wage job – child care costs, transportation, the end of benefits, more Council Tax and most important, the loss of quality time with her daughter and time for volunteer work to which she is deeply committed.

Nicola Boland

The testimony of a former gang member came next. Being in a gang was just a way to make friends and have fun until James Thompson, one of the gang members, was murdered – a tragic event for the whole community. And that forced Nicola Boland from Blackhill to reassess the meaning of life and how she would live. “You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back or you can do what James would have wanted, open your eyes, love and go on.”

After each testimony, a slide appeared on the screen with an appeal to the audience, and especially the Commissioners, to work with the Testifiers to make a difference. Nicola’s plea was to call for more effective resources to end the need for gangs, especially for greater resources to support young people – resources that will help young people fulfil their potential, encourage community and develop leaders.

Marie Shankley

Among other issues Marie Shankley who volunteers at Bridging the Gap in the Gorbals, dramatized her search for employment. She wants a job, she has talents that she wants to use to the benefit of society but in this economic climate there are few leads and the job centre is not helping. “They send me off to training courses for skills where there are no jobs. And then they send me off to a job site just to get me out of their system. They know I can’t get this job. And I don’t get the job because I don’t have any experience. And how would I get the experience without a job?... They should look at the pressure they put you under, at what they do to people.”

Jessie Harvey, Jean Forrester

One of the most stirring testimonies came from Jessie Harvey and Jean Forrester, members a network of organizations called Kinship Carers, with branches throughout the city. They came to the platform with thirty other women, some in their 60’s and 70’s, who are raising their weans. These are grannies and other relatives who are looking after the children of parents who are unable to do right by the children because of drugs, other addictions and mental illness. In many cases, the grandmothers are called to take these children by the welfare department, but the grannies are often poor and the government provides no financial support. A lot of these children are damaged by the circumstances of their birth. Some are born addicted. They have behavioural problems and early intervention is badly needed. As Jessie Harvey testified to a mostly sympathetic audience, help us to take care for these kids now when we can make a difference, or you will have to be taking care of them for the rest of their lives. She called for improved support services. “I mean psychologists, GPs, nursery teachers, healthcare and respite workers, Kinship Carers all getting around the table to make the future better for these children.”

Jean Forrester, the founder of Kinship Carers, stressed the need for money. “I am here today to talk about financial struggle. Family members have taken these children on to care because the children are at risk. In many cases the social work department has asked family members to take over the complete care of these children until the parents show signs of recovery... It takes a weight off the social work department to know that these kids have been placed in a safe environment. But there is no financial support.

“It is very hard for carers with kinship children as most are on very low income. To try and buy nappies, milk and eventually school uniforms out of your very low income is a struggle. Some Kinship Carers have had to quit full time jobs in order to raise these children....”

Later in the day the Commissioners agreed with the Carers that finding money for Kinship Carers is immensely important, but a huge bureaucratic tangle must be overcome to succeed. However, it is certainly wrong that the Carers and their grandchildren must suffer because of the bureaucracy, and the Commissioners, vowed to work to cut through the tangle.

Carol McMasters

Carol made an animation to illustrate the autobiographical poem that is printed below. In her introduction to the animation she said, “You have to fight to get yourself out of poverty and sometimes the fight is within yourself.”

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am eight years old.
I am hungry
I go round to my friend’s back door and eat the bread put out for the birds.

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am twelve.
I feel so ashamed of the holes in my old shoes.
It’s a constant worry.
I can feel the grit in between my toes during PE.
I wish I had a pair of nice white sand shoes.

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am a teen ager needing my first bra.
Nobody notices;
I have to steal one from someone else’s drawer.

Put yourself in my shoes.
I am 21 years old.
A young bride, hoping the future will be different,
But he will give me my first black eye three weeks later.

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am 26
With three young children and three more to come.
He has just told me that Myra Hindley would make a better mother than me.

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am 32.
Another wedding, the same man.
Another borrowed dress, no shoes, bare feet.

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am 40.
I have paid a heavy price to break free and am on my own now.
I am reduced to tears by the bullying behaviour of staff at the Benefits Agency.

Put yourself in my shoes...
I am 45.
It’s taken a long time, but
Despite everything, I believe in myself.
I am finally able to buy myself a new pair of shoes.

My name is Carol.
Put yourself in my shoes.

Stephen Lynch

Stephen Lynch of Hamilton told the story of several people who struggle with their budget day by day – not having enough to eat, unable to pay bus fare, even to go to a job interview, unable to open a bank account and having to clothe children with charity shop hand-me-downs.

“Let me tell you about Aggie. When she was a child she was always encouraged to drink her milk because it helped make you grow. It helped your bones, it helped your teeth. Then she had her own children and took all the advice and made sure her boys had plenty of milk to drink. Over the past few months the price of milk has soared. So much so that things in her house have changed. Her sons’ freedom of drinking milk by the glass has been taken away now and is limited. They are now drinking cheap fizzy drinks”.

Blair Green

Blair Green was the final testifier. His was the story of a working dad who is constantly on the edge financially. Growing up extremely poor he vowed to make a better life for himself and his family. But again and again his efforts have been thwarted – beginning with a car that he bought on good faith but began to fall apart at once. And then a house where he was suddenly assessed an extra £400 a month for renovations – payments he could not meet which led eventually to losing the house. He had to move into a decrepit city-funded flat in a building of drug dealers and users. Working up to 70 hours a week he has now managed to find a new flat and stabilize his finances, And now in this uncertain economy, “you’re constantly working under the pressure that your job might be next, your company might be next.”

And despite the stress, he has been concerned about others suffering a similar fate. “I want things to change. I want to make a change for myself and for others. And I’m not stopping until things change.”

COMMISSIONERS

The Testimonies had gone on for an hour and a half. It was time to a break. The Commissioners went off to a City Chambers Committee Room to discuss what they had heard and to prepare their response. While the Jiggery Pokery Ceilidh Band played familiar Scottish tunes, the audience filled out pledge cards that they had received when they arrived, completing the statement, “As a result of what I have heard today, I will___. In a few weeks these cards will be mailed back to folk to remind them of their commitment. Large sheets of chart paper had been placed on tables in adjoining rooms and people were invited to write their impressions of what they had thought and felt during the testimonies.

Typical of the hundred or more comments was this: “We’ve been tellt ! – well and truly – can’t say ‘we didn’t know’ any longer. Feel I’ve been hit really hard – what to do? Thanks for the courage and true humanity of those who ‘told their stories’ – was at one pint reduced to tears ! Hope the testifiers are truly listened to not just by those with the power, ‘the decision makers’ but by all of us becoming decision makers. !! The problem of riches...a live issue even at a time of ‘financial depression.’”

For half an hour the audience wrote, walked about and chatted, reflecting on what they had heard. They were summoned back to their seats when some of the audience started singing freedom songs from America and Africa. “Oh freedom, freedom over me. Before I’ll be a slave I’ll be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free.”

Four Commissioners were chosen by their group to represent them all – Archbishop Mario Conti of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Bob Winter, Chief Detective John Carnochan of the Strathclyde Police’s Violence Reduction Unit, and Janette Harkess, Deputy Editor of The Herald. Each spoke very briefly, voicing appreciation to the Testifiers for being so clear and forthright in representing the issues.

Archbishop Conti described a conference of academics that he had organised several years ago, also held at the City Chambers – an important event that reviewed statistics of poverty in Scotland, at the end of which one conferee remarked on the lack of representation of people from poor communities at the event, saying, “Without these groups bringing forth solutions from within these communities, it would be unlikely that appropriate solutions would emerge.”

Glasgow’s Lord Provost praised the testifiers, calling them competent, capable people with talent and courage, and vowed to work especially to overcome the bureaucratic barriers that prevent Kinship Carers to get governmental help.

Detective John Carnochan said, “We need to make sure that children are nurtured where there is no violence. If you bring children up in a was one you make warriors and that’s what we have...No one is safe until we are all safe.” Then referring to the afternoon’s presentation and discussion he added, “What is happening here today is the right thing to do.”

Janette Harkess said, “These are hard stories to listen to, but not stories of gloom. They re stories of hope.” She ended with reference to the statement of Margaret Thatcher that there is no such thing as society. And added emphatically, “Keep proving her wrong.”

Next, Martin Johnstone, the leader of Faith in Community Scotland that sponsored the afternoon event, reported on the discussion that had taken place when the Commissioners met. They began by acknowledging that they should be meeting with the Testifiers and that they needed to find a way to make that happen. Perhaps the Poverty Truth Commission will become an ongoing organization made up of both the Commissioners and the Testifiers tackling together some of the major issues that the Testifiers raised. The Commissioners fully understood that the full participation of people struggling with poverty is essential to any effective restructuring of society. Top down policies do not work.

This was perhaps the most positive result of the afternoon. Stay tuned.

hello world

2009-05-15T06:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the blog of the Poverty Truth Commission. Over the next 18 months we will be looking at how we can tackle the causes and symptoms of poverty in Scotland today.

The Poverty Truth Commission was launched in Glasgow City Chambers on the 21st March 2009 in front of an audience of 400 people. At its heart lies the beief that in order to overcome the scandal of poverty, people with direct experience of it must be involved.