Third Scottish Assembly for Tackling Poverty

THE third Scottish Assembly for Tackling Poverty will take place on 15 and 16 March 2012, at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, it has been announced. 

The Poverty Alliance explains on its website: "Over the two day conference, we will be focusing on inequality and alternative ways of working during a time of economic austerity."

Confirmed speakers so far include: Owen Jones, author of Chavs; Anna Coote, New Economics Foundation; Philip Blond, ResPublica, and many more.

PA continues: "We will hear from inspiring community projects from across Scotland on how they are affected by these issues and what they are doing to combat them. This year we will be focusing on the themes of child poverty, fuel poverty, sustainable communities, welfare reform and alternative economic models."

The event will bring together community groups, national organizations and political representatives at a Scottish and UK level.

Ghazala Hakeem, commissioner of the Poverty Truth Commission, will be among the speakers at the event.

Please click here to see the full two day agenda for the Assembly. Please click here to see the evidence session descriptions. To register for the Assembly, please click here.

People changing people

"IT'S people that change people, not concepts; and this was real purpose of what we have been doing. 

"Of course the problem is not poverty, it's wealth. As long as we live in, and even applaud, a culture in which money is the bottom line, the top line and the front line, there will always be people having to live below the poverty line.

"The Poverty Truth Commission is teaching us a new way to listen, and relate to one another, and make critical decisions; and its legacy will change how we think."

David Lunan, Poverty Truth Commissioner and former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

Scots MPs lobbied on Welfare Reform Bill

LEADING charities, faith groups and trade unions have written to Scottish MPs urging them to vote to uphold a series of amendments to the controversial Welfare Reform Bill.

The Westminster government has been defeated six times by the House of Lords, but is so far refusing to listen to the deep concerns of people living with poverty, disability, sickness and multiple disadvantages.

The Scottish Campaign on Welfare Reform, an umbrella body of more than 60 organisations, has called on MPs to ratify the six amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill in the Commons on 1st February 2012.

The SCWR, with members including the Scottish Trades’ Union Congress, Oxfam, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland and the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council, warned a reversal of the amendments would have dire consequences for more than half a million people.

Disabled activists have played a major role in highlighting a range of cuts and injustices in the current WRB proposals, and are demanding a genuine say in decisions directly impacting their lives.

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

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?

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.

A continuing challenge

"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.

Listening to children on poverty

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.

BBC Scotland debate on poverty issues

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.