SHEFFIELD Poverty Update no.

15
The General Election is a great opportunity to ensure that politicians take account of the real issues that affect ordinary people. That, after all, is why we elect them! One of the keys to restoring faith in democracy is ensuring that the MPs we elect at the General Election are held to account for what they do on our behalf in Parliament. Churches can play a key role in this task. Many already organise parliamentary hustings with candidates during the Election campaign but holding MPs to account is not something to be done only once every five years. Go to National CAPs webpage for more details of: Hold your MP to Account Campaign

THE POLITICAL THREAT TO VULNERABLE PEOPLE

In this article, our Chair, David Price, gives personal views on the risks to poor and vulnerable people created by the current need to cut public expenditure.
After the election on 6 May, we expect massive cuts in public expenditure over the next few years. There is a great danger that these cuts will fall disproportionately on the more vulnerable people in our society. Political rhetoric about the great ignored the hard working people in the middle really means favouring middle England and sacrificing those at the bottom of the pile. Claims of scope for tens of billions of pounds of efficiency savings are fictitious and will lead to a scramble for alternative cuts, particularly at the expense of those who are less likely to kick up a fuss. We can see already examples of policies which may damage vulnerable people. In order both to reduce welfare spending and to help disabled people back to work, the present Government has introduced tests for benefits which may set too high a threshold. David Harker, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, says that the new Employment and Support Allowance incorrectly assesses seriously ill and disabled people as fit for work (Guardian 7 April 2010). At our recent Civic Breakfast, Jimmy Atkinson of Turning Point argued that people with mental health problems are becoming more marginalised owing to this policy. While the underlying concepts are sound, they may be implemented in a way which is damaging for disabled people. Another more local example is the way in which Sheffield City Council has abandoned its grant to OFFER, our local empowerment network. For the last few years, OFFER has helped people from the voluntary, community and faith sector often from poor and marginalised communities - to get involved in the strategic direction of the City through Sheffield First. The Council blame the loss of some grant funding from Government and have promised a review of voluntary sector infrastructure support. We wait to see what will emerge. A third example is the cut made in the meagre benefit afforded to refused asylum seekers from countries like Eritrea or Zimbabwe who cannot be sent home because even the Home Office acknowledges that this would be too dangerous. Last autumn, despite vigorous protests from refugee organisations, the benefit for single people was reduced to 5 a day. These examples show that, even before the full magnitude of cuts is felt, politicians have been willing to reduce support to vulnerable people. How much greater will be the temptation to do this when cuts bigger than those under Mrs Thatcher have to be introduced. As a Christian campaigning organisation we will need to be vigilant and ready to carry out high profile campaigns to prevent vulnerable people from being victimised.

Another world is possible: inspiring hope and organising for change in an unequal world This was the optimistic title for the talk given by Niall Cooper, National Co-ordinator of CAP on March 15 2010 to Sheffield CAP. Niall maintained that change is possible, but did outline some of the problems facing us. One major problem is economic. The past ten years of growth and prosperity has been built on credit, with the UK one of the worst offenders. This is true both of individuals and countries. It is unsustainable. Also unsustainable is the concept that the current recession can be resolved by growing our way out of trouble. Niall then referred to Richard Wilkinsons work. Wilkinson argues that the UK is one of the most unequal of the developed societies in the world, and the boom over the past forty years has led to greater inequality. The well-being of all is affected in such unequal societies Bishop Steven Croft of the Diocese of Sheffield addressed the Sheffield Churches Homelessness Service during Poverty and Homelessness week, an extract from his sermon follows. The Bishop opened his sermon for the service by likening the problems of homelessness to the many-headed Hydra that Hercules had to do battle with. Like the Hydra, homelessness is a many-headed problem. He said that there were different causes, including a lack of affordable housing, poverty and debt, domestic violence, disability and illness and many others. So there cannot be one single solution to homelessness from direct action to alleviate specific problems, to the broader battles against poverty and inequality. There were many ways in which people can help from direct work with the homeless, to fund-raising or campaigning. The Bishop asked from where can we draw our strength to do this? When the prophet, Jeremiah, despaired of the tasks ahead of him, the Lord said: For you shall go to whom I shall send you and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid for I am with you to deliver you. He emphasised that Christians in Sheffield and this region are playing their part in the battle against homelessness and often leading the way. Each of us should be sustained in our work by a vision and a call to serve those who are poor, in the name of Christ.

The spirit of the Lord is upon me Because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor He has sent me to proclaim release to captives And recovery of sight to the blind To let the oppressed go free He concluded by reminding us that there are many different ways to share in Gods great mission but that we are all called in our different ways to fight homelessness and to care for the poor in the name of Christ. We should draw encouragement from all that is being achieved in our community and ask for strength from God to continue the call He has given us. -----------------------------------------------------Enough for all (Theme of the week) Enough! Weve had enough greed and selfishness. There is Enough for all! Wealth is not just in material things. We are wealthier together than on our own. Lets use what we have. Lets share what we have. There was not a needy person among them, for as many owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold: Acts 4;35

POVERTY AND INEQUALITY ON DISPLAY in SHEFFIELD

An abiding challenge for CAP is how to get our message about poverty to a wider audience? How about an exhibition? We contacted the Central Library and they agreed that we could have space in their entrance lobby from 2 9 November. We decided on the theme: Poverty and Inequality in Sheffield and the UK. The Equality Trust let us have two large graphs based on Wilkinson and Picketts groundbreaking book The Spirit Level David Price developed ideas for the other displays drawing on the Council website, CAP literature and other sources. Kay Hudson, former Committee member, kindly did the design work. Shaun Smith let us use the publishing facilities at his Presbytery. On 2 November, a group of us installed the displays in the Central Library. We left post-its for members of the public to record their comments. We showed the exhibition next at the CAP National Conference on 14 November at St Marys Bramall Lane. Then we persuaded Sheffield Cathedral to display the exhibition for two weeks including Poverty and Homelessness Week. We had a public launch on 29 January by Kate Plant, Anglican Director of Faith and Justice, who said This is a brilliant exhibition. I really hope people will come and see it. It shows clearly the poverty and inequality in this city of ours and in the UK but also it offers hope. There are ways to work for a better society.

The exhibition in the Cathedral Subsequently the exhibition moved to St Marks Church Broomhill and we hope to show it at Victoria Hall Methodist Church. The post-its showed that it had made people think. Here are some examples: Until we commit ourselves to tackling these shocking inequalities, we cannot fulfil our mission. And still the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Thats why I am a communist What a striking exhibition. It has taught me a lot These are highly relevant matters for the Election. We should lobby the candidates He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour. 1 Samuel 2:8 PILGRIMAGE AGAINST POVERTY IN SHEFFIELD (Organised by Sheffield CAP) We had about 50 pilgrims, including the Bishop of Sheffield, Rt Rev Steven Croft who joined us half way. We started with a service in at the Anglican Cathedral, prayed outside the Catholic Cathedral, proceeded up to the Cholera Memorial. We stopped for prayer and reflected on the improvements in medicine. We walked on up Norfolk Park to Arbourthorne and to Holy Family RC Church, where Sister Eileen Keating carries out a remarkable ministry in support of asylum seekers and other vulnerable people. We prayed then Sister Eileen gave us lunch and some asylum seekers sang to us. We continued downhill to pray at St Wilfrid's day centre for vulnerable people and finally to St Marys Bramall lane, Here we had a short final service in the open air and the Bishop gave the final blessing.

Pilgrims at the Anglican Cathedral

The Sheffield CAP Civic Breakfast

Theme A Report from Sheffield Stop GAP Night Shelter and Homeless Issues (Facilitated and organised by Sheffield CAP) Guests included the two Sheffield Bishops, other clergy from the city centre Churches, The Lord Mayor Council leaders, the Chief Constable and reps from projects and the Salvation Army,

offered for the night by four city churches hosted by volunteers for those needing the service. Guests have been signposted the next morning to day projects after the night shelter for a breakfast and to be able to access other services.

You don't have to be living on the street to be homeless. You may be legally classed as homeless if you are sleeping on a friend's sofa, staying in a hostel, or suffering from overcrowding or other housing bad conditions. Unfortunately there are estimated to be 1 million people in Britain that are homeless by this definition. As the Lord Mayor said this situation should not exist at the beginning of the 21 st. century. Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; When you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?" Isaiah 58;7 In Sheffield there are many wonderful day projects working with people who are homeless and vulnerable but it was always felt that what was lacking was provision for emergency over night accommodation. (at the breakfast, Richard Webb ,Executive Director, communities at the council suggested a joint initiative with the voluntary sector) In the winter of 2008/9 the Sheffield Churches soup runs were extended to 7 nights of the week and there were concerns being expressed on the number of guests coming to the Soup Runs, usually between 15 and 25 people a night and particularly for those who declared themselves to be rough sleeping. The only solution in many cases that the soup run could offer was a sleeping bag for the night but it was felt that more could be done. Under the auspices of SAVE (Sheffield Agencies for the Vulnerable and Excluded ) a small steering group was formed to take forward this concern and in the winter just gone (2009/10) the group organised a night shelter available on 39 nights out of a possible 40 nights for rough sleepers during the coldest winter months. The shelter offered a warm place for the night in a secure, friendly environment using church premises

To enable the shelter to function, day projects and soup runs were able to refer guests to the shelter that they came across who had need. In total 30 guests were offered the facilities of the shelter and 11 people took up the offer. After this initial provision the steering group are now looking at what went well, what could be improved upon and whether the shelter will operate again in 2010/11 If many little people, in many little places Do many little deeds They can change the face of the Earth African Proverb --------------------------------------------------------------Members! Supporters! As always we rely on you to advise us on where we should be directing our efforts and on helping us to do this. We are also totally reliant on church and individual members subscriptions for all the expenses involved in raising awareness of poverty in our area. Subscriptions for 2010-2011 are now due and we should particularly encourage churches as well as individual members to show their support by subscribing. Please ask your church to support us. Information about subscriptions (which range from 0 -25) can be requested from the Treasurer, Bernard Greenwood, on 0114 2872991 or CAP.treas@Waitrose.com. Please contact us if you wish to have more details about any of the items in this newsletter, have suggestions about what we should be doing, or can offer any help. Enquiries to: Chair: David Price 0114 2960806 davidprice2@googlemail.com Secretary: Sarah Baker 0114 2309552 sarahbaker17@live.co.uk