One Year On - Hopes for the Future: Social Media

EARLIER this month we shared our hopes for the future work of the Poverty Truth Commission with people living in poverty and organisations that would like to work in a similar way to us. In our 'One year on' report we have also set out our plans for our future work using Social Media to get people's stories and voices to a wider audience. To read the report, and other reports and articles about the Poverty Truth Commission, please visit our website.

In the past the Poverty Truth Commission have used video as a way of helping people to share their stories. You can view these videos on our website.

Over the next few years the commission will develop this area of work by using Social Media to get people’s stories and voices to a wider audience. As well as this blog we also have a presence on Facebook and Youtube page. Currently we use these to share our latest news and also to share more films and audio recordings made by people involved in the Commission and we hope to develop this further. At the same time, we will continue to work with the mainstream media to ensure our stories are heard there.

 

Kat Watts, Administrator for the Poverty Truth Commission and the person leading on this area of work commented 'Social Media is a part of everyday life for many people in our society and is a great tool to share information about the Commission and it's way of working. It also gives us the chance to provide a place for people to share their experiences of poverty which we feel need to be heard.

One area which the Poverty Truth Commission highlighted as an important issue to be explored is the stereotyping and negative reporting by traditional media about people and communities in  poverty. Social media gives people a chance to share their experiences in their own words and in turn gives others the chance to hear of the situations which many find themselves in. These stories are full of hope, expectation and resolve to improve situations. It is only in sharing and listening to each other's stories that we will be able work together to make a lasting change in our society.'

ATD Fourth World are 'giving people a voice'

ATD FOURTH WORLD, an organisation which has in the past worked with the Poverty Truth Commission, recently lauched a new project called 'Giving Poverty a Voice'. Through the project they will strive to support people experiencing poverty and inequality in London to engage and participate in their communities and have their say on the decisions that affect their lives.

ATD Fourth World is a human rights-based, anti-poverty organisation with more than 40 years' experience of engaging with individuals and institutions to find solutions to eradicate extreme poverty in the UK. Working in partnership with people affected by poverty, ATD Fourth World has, since 1968, concentrated its efforts on supporting families and influencing policy through work at Frimhurst Family House in Surrey and our National Centre in London.

Their aim is for Giving Poverty a Voice to empower and encourage people to stand up and be heard by using issue-based discussion forums, capacity-building workshops and examinations of the different opportunities and avenues to participate in the democratic process.

Throughout the project, they hope to build a network with grass roots and community organisations across London to strengthen the links between diverse experiences and perceptions of poverty as well as planning meetings with local and regional policy and decision makers.

The Poverty Truth Commission continues to call for the involvement of people living in poverty in shaping and delivering anti-poverty policy and challenge people who are struggling to overcome poverty to share their struggle and to come together with others to work for lasting change and look forward to seeing the development of ATD Fourth World's project in London.

Pioneering cancer support scheme

SCOTTISH patients who have survived cancer will be equipped to help other sufferers fighting the disease through a groundbreaking new scheme funded and backed by cancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support. 

Volunteers who have themselves struggled against cancer will advise patients on how to cope with the distressing effects of the disease and its gruelling treatments, reports The Scotsman newspaper.

The scheme in the first project of its kind in Scotland. The formal training course has been developed by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.

The The £500,000 project will see dozens of cancer survivors – to be called Macmillan Supporters – go through the training to support patients embarking on treatment.

In a pilot project, they will offer help with nutrition and diet, and eventually they will give guidance on undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as navigating the benefits system.

Poverty? What's that?

"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.

The work goes on

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."