th is se wa ec sa en cti tre on pa we ge ek s !

summer 2012 autumn 2011

were 30 years old in 2012

help us to celebrate kindle a flame in your church or community

on our 30th birthday, help us raise funds to tackle poverty!

Hold a church service and appeal Raise funds in your community with creative sponsorship and event ideas Help us build partnerships to tackle poverty and transform communities

kindle a

Use the enclosed flyer to order resources, see page 5 or www. church-poverty/kindleaflame 30 years of Church Action on Poverty

room for hire

Maximum capacity 60, depending on layout Central location with good transport links

Church Action on Povertys Micah Room is a versatile and affordable space in central Manchester, minutes from the station, suitable for all kinds of meetings and events.

Full facilities: free wi-fi, data projector, laptop, flipcharts Fairtrade coffee and tea included Lunches available and serviced Competitive prices, with special rates for voluntary groups For more information or to make a booking, visit www.church-poverty.org.uk/micahroom or contact Janet Gee on 0161 236 9321 extension 1.

hope & transformation

Our National Coordinator Niall Cooper invites you to Kindle a Flame to lighten the dark.
Whilst all the headlines about the Coalitions third Budget have attacked the Chancellors new Granny Tax on middle class pensioners, it is the poorest households who lose most. The Chancellor is rightly being taken to task for handing out tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% of taxpayers at a time of increasing austerity, escalating unemployment and a doubling of the numbers turning to food banks. and seeing change happen. But in times such as these, we must also not lose hope, or retreat from aspiring to bring about a better world.

Church Action on Poverty

Dale House 35 Dale Street Manchester M1 2HF

It is imperative that we are clear about the values we seek to embody in what we say and do as Christians: freedom from oppression, equality, hope for a better and a fairer world; belief in our common humanity; belief in peoples inherent power to generate solutions to the problems they face; belief in speaking truth to power and belief in going the extra mile, long-term commitment to communities, seeing it through

Even as we celebrate Church Action on Povertys 30th anniversary, we must continue to look to the future, and redouble our efforts to bring about a more just society; a fairer financial system, with reduced tax avoidance and evasion; fairer employment, with public bodies and churches implementing the Living Wage and better access to the Minimum Wage; more access to affordable credit and a reduction in the poverty premium, and a fairer distribution of power in society. We hope you will wish to join us, not just in celebrating what we have achieved, but in building partnerships for hope and transformation: for it is better to Kindle a Flame than to curse the darkness

T: 0161 236 9321 F: 0161 237 5359 E: info@church-poverty.org.uk W: www.church-poverty.org.uk Registered Charity no 1079986 Company no 3780243

give

Kindle a Flame for our 30th birthday See page 5 Remember us in your will See page 9

act

in this issue

4 news and events 5 Give: Kindle a Flame Help celebrate our 30th birthday 6 Act: speak out! Join our speakers network 7 Give: leaving a gift in your will 8 this was action week 2012

10 in progress: PeoplePowered Change 12 all together better Two MPs explain the benefits of cooperation 14 celebration: Im Spartacus 15 Pray: looking for Gods reflection Prayers from our Close the Gap prayer community

Get news updates by Facebook, Twitter or email www.church-poverty. org.uk/news Join our e-action network www.church-poverty. org.uk/act

pray

Join the Close the Gap prayer community www.church-poverty.org. uk/pray

spark news from Church Action on Poverty summer 2012

news
VAT loophole stays shut!
In the winter edition of SPARK, we brought you news of the successful closing of a tax loophole which allowed retailers to avoid paying VAT by sending goods from subsidiaries in the Channel Islands. A judge has since dismissed an appeal from lawyers representing Jersey and Guernsey. This should set a clear precedent to any companies spying new tax dodges.

Church of Scotland calls for new economic thinking

The poorest suffer most in the Budget

Church leaders handed in our letter to the Treasury calling for the VAT loophole to be closed

A new report commissioned by the Church of Scotland has advocated a rethink of our economic system, challenging simple obedience to market forces. Professor Charles Munn OBE, chair of the commission, noted that some in our society are making huge financial gains, while for too many this winter the stark choice is whether to heat or to eat, as they cannot afford to do both every day. The report calls for action to end poverty and inequality, moving towards mutuality and sustainability. It will be presented to the general assembly of the Church of Scotland in May. Find out more at http://s.coop/gnns.

Church in Wales diocese adopts Living Wage

St Asaphs has become the first diocese of the Church in Wales to pay a Living Wage to all directlyemployed staff meaning they will be paid at least 7.20 an hour. The Bishop of St Asaph, Rt Revd Dr Gregory K Cameron, said: As Christians we should be committed to respecting the dignity of every human being. This includes taking a stand on ensuring that employers take care to support the wellbeing of those who work for them. In these times of increased food, fuel and heating costs the Church needs to lead the way in ensuring employees are paid a wage which allows them to provide for their families.

The March Budget is set to increase the pressure on the finances of many up and down the country. Our Coordinator Niall Cooper condemned the Coalitions failure to honour its pledge in the Coalition Agreement to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from the impact of spending cuts: At a time of increasing austerity, escalating unemployment and a doubling of the numbers turning to food banks, there can be few more morally repugnant things a Chancellor can do than to hand thousands of pounds out to millionaires. Within the Budget there were moves to tackle tax avoidance which are to be welcomed, but there is still plenty to do. Paul Morrison, Public Issues Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church in Britain, says: It is simply unjust that those with wealth and privilege often have the option of selfishly sidestepping their obligations, while others continue to contribute regardless of the financial pressures they face. Hopefully the Coalition will pay more than simple lip-service to the issues of tax avoidance. Revd Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, suggested the Chancellors statement that he wants to come down on tax avoidance like a ton of bricks, is something that many Christians will welcome ... as an important way of tackling injustice. Read Niall Coopers analysis of the Budget at www.church-poverty.org. uk/news/budgetanalysis

give

kindle a flame

We are 30 years old this year. Our Community Fundraiser Clare McBeath invites you to help us celebrate by raising funds to support our work and by working in partnership with us for the long term.

his autumn, you can create hope and transformation by raising funds for us and building partnerships for the future.

calling all children and young people! enter our competition to design a Christmas card!
design
Can you design a Christmas card that brings a message of hope and justice? Try your hand at designing a cartoon, taking a photograph, using computer graphics or creating a 2D collage, drawing or painting. Maximum size A3.

In your church

Celebrate our work alongside the UKs poorest people, and enable your congregation to support us through giving, action and prayer. Our free resource pack will help you to plan a celebration service with specially commissioned prayers and songs, followed by coffee and a cake stall. Or explore the biblical imperative to tackle poverty, with our Bible study series.

Use any materials you like but please remember your creation will need to be scanned, so it will need to lay flat. Do not design the inside or back of the card.

ask permission

Please ask your parent or carers permission before designing your card and entering the competition or sending us your details. You may need to ask them to help package and send your entry to us so that it will not get damaged.

send in your entry

In your community

We also have a free resource pack full of creative ideas to help individuals, youth groups and communities to take part. Organise your own sponsored event. Hold a movie evening or swishing party. Pack bags in your local supermarket. Get children involved with facepainting or decorating biscuits. Use the enclosed flyer to request a resource pack. Or see www. church-poverty.org.uk/ kindleaflame or call 0161 236 9321.

Remember to include your name, your parent or carers name, and your age, address, phone number and email address. By post We are sorry but we are unable to return entries to you. Use the Freepost address provided so you do not need to pay postage. Send your entry and details to: Freepost RSHB-TUGR-RAGU, Church Action on Poverty, Dale House, 35 Dale Street. Manchester M1 2HF. By email If you have access to a scanner or have created your design on a computer, you may prefer to email your entry. Make sure it is scanned or saved in the highest quality you can, and send to info@church-poverty.org.uk Please make sure we receive all entries by 30 June 2012.

prizes

If you win, you will see your design worked up into Church Action on Povertys Christmas card for 2012, and receive 30 cards to send to your family and friends. Runners-up will receive a Church Action on Poverty 30th birthday T-shirt.

online gallery

By sending in your entry you are giving us permission to use the design as a printed card, in publicity materials or displayed on our online gallery. If you want to see your entry and others on our online gallery, go to www.church-poverty.org.uk/kindleaflame

announcing the winner

The winner will be announced in our autumn newsletter and receive an invitation to our 30th birthday celebration service in November to be presented with their prize.

ordering Christmas cards

Christmas cards will be available to order from September 2012 at www.church-poverty. org.uk/kindleaflame

spark news from Church Action on Poverty summer 2012

speak out!

We are building a speakers network to promote our campaign to Close the Gap and we need you! Supporter Relations Manager Liam Purcell explains how you can make a difference in your church.

ur campaign to Close the Gap depends on people and churches throughout the UK Giving, Acting and Praying together. For that to happen, we need all of our supporters to spread the word in your churches and communities. And were providing resources and training to help you do just that! The first step is to do something within your own church. You could give a talk, put an article in the newsletter, run a workshop, or get poverty and inequality featured in Sunday worship. Our resource pack includes easy-to-use materials to help you do any of these things including plenty of background information to give you a good understanding of the issues. If youre really keen, the second step would be to Pledge to speak about the campaign on our behalf. Youd become part of our speakers network, and if we receive invitations to speak at churches in your area, well ask you to represent us. Weve already trained dozens of potential speakers and distributed hundreds of resource packs. The quotes on this page give a flavour of the things people have achieved in their churches. Please join us! Download a resource pack and make your Pledge at www.church-poverty. org.uk/act/resources You can also request a printed pack, or ask about speaker training, by calling Liam on 0161 236 9321.

a full churc Our service went well,

h of nearly 90

people and positive comment from many people

Methodist I wrote an article published in the Circuit magazine on the Close the Gap campaign

Very

resource I got the Church Action on Poverty ewsletter letter into our parish n

got 90 to report that we pleased

responses

Our free resources will help you to spark discussion and action in your church!

give

leaving a gift in your will

Supporter Relations Manager Liam Purcell explains how you can help mark our 30th birthday with perhaps the most thoughtful kind of gift.
For 30 years, Church Action on Poverty has worked to create hope and transformation with churches and poor communities across the UK. In partnership with people like you, we have... challenged the unjust treatment of people seeking sanctuary; tackled irresponsible lending practices; given thousands of poor and marginalised people the confidence and opportunity to influence decisions which affect their communities. We have influenced government policies on the Minimum Wage and financial inclusion, and made sure the voices of people in poverty are heard at Westminster. Our work has alleviated or eradicated poverty for hundreds of thousands across the UK. If we have managed to achieve this over the last 30 years, imagine what we could do over the next 10 or even 50 years in partnership with you, local churches and communities. As the gap between rich and poor continues to grow, our work remains vital. We need to carry on speaking out for justice for future generations. One of the ways you can help is by making a thoughtful gift in your will. An act of kindness today which will make a real difference to those who face exclusion and poverty in the future.

By including Church Action on n Poverty in my will, I ca continue supporting

its outstanding work

beyond my own

Helen Hood is a member and trustee of Church Action on Pove rty

lifetime and also

more generously than

is

possible at prese

nt

making or updating a will

Making a will and leaving a gift is easy. It ensures that your wishes are carried out, and that family and loved ones are provided for. It also helps to avoid misunderstandings later on. A solicitor or legal adviser can help you with this. If you already have a will and want to add a gift, your solicitor can write up a codicil (a straightforward legal addition). Legacies to charities are tax-free under current legislation. The most common types of gifts are: Residuary A gift left when all other legacies and expenses have been paid. Pecuniary A gift of a specific sum of money (eg 500, 5,000). Specific A gift of a specific item (eg jewellery, painting) or property.

xt what to do ne ed in leaving us a gift

rest 161 If you are inte ntact me on 0 r will, please co in you -poverty.org. liamp@church 236 9321 or et. a legacies leafl uk and ask for

this was action week 2012

The theme for Poverty & Homelessness Action Week this year (28 January to 5 February 2012) was Breaking Barriers. We mobilised churches and campaigners around the country to raise funds for the vital work done by the Action Week partners and to raise awareness of the barriers which trap people in poverty and homelessness. Barriers are created by unfair benefits rules and inadequate wages. By the stigma attached to being poor or homeless. And by the growing gap between the richest and poorest people in our society. As Christians, we are called to break these barriers. Throughout the nation, Action Week supporters showed their readiness to do so taking heed of James 2:20 that faith, without works, is barren...

more events than ever before!

This Action Week, we know that well over 200 events took place across the country and its likely that many more events slipped under our radar. There were events from Jersey to the Scottish Highlands, with supporters showing great imagination: activities included special services, sleep-outs, flashmobs, coffee mornings, poetry events, information days and ladies nights. You can read about a few of of the most successful events opposite. Events raised anything from 20 to 200, welcoming from 10 people to several hundred, yet whatever the size, each tackled the injustices at the heart of life in Britain today, challenging stereotypes, raising money for vital campaigning work and standing in solidarity. Whatever the event, wherever it was held, and whoever attended, the Action Week partners Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice and Scottish Churches Housing Action would like to take this opportunity to thank all our supporters for your hard work, commitment and thirst for a better world. Without you the Action Week message would be mere rhetoric. We wish you all the best for the rest of the year, and hope that you continue to work with us and others as we strive to break barriers.

resourcing your work

As always, we provided a range of FREE resources to help people take part in Action Week. This year, the materials contained worship ideas, childrens activities, event suggestions, prayer cards, videos about the barriers, and promotional materials. The return to simple prayer cards proved to be very popular. We combined them with a series of videos on the Action Week website or DVD, each aiding peoples understanding of a specific barrier. In feedback, Sister Sheila from the Community of All Hallows remarked on this years splendid resources, which enabled her and the small weekly congregation to pray both publicly and privately in an informed way. Sister Mary Clare from Peterborough was very impressed with the mini videos which featured the former head of Christian Aid Michael Taylor (pictured) and disabilities campaigner Sue Marsh, along with other inspirational figures.

www. actionweek. org.uk

it doesnt take a lot

cuts from rhetoric to reality

Merseyside and Region Church Action on Poverty, together with Liverpool Justice and Peace and Nugent Care, staged this conference in Liverpool. The main focus was a panel discussion featuring Church Action on Povetrys Niall Cooper, Housing Justices Alison Gelder and the Liverpool MPs Luciana Berger and Louise Ellman, all chaired by Roger Phillips from BBC Radio Merseyside and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Frank Prendergast. The event drew a full house and provoked a great amount of thought on what ordinary people can do in the current climate to ensure a just world. Alison Gelder remarked, It was great to see so many people turning out to hold their Liverpool MPs to account about poverty and homelessness.

The Doorway project held a sponsored sleep-out and church service in St Andrews Church, Chippenham where guests, volunteers, Doorway staff, sponsored sleepers, local dignitaries, ordinary people, the currently homeless, the previously homeless, those who had narrowly avoided being homeless, and those for whom that shadow has not (yet) crossed their lives, mingled without barriers. Specially written poems were read out, including this one by Mark Urmston: Redundancy and lack of jobs Economy gone to pot The welfare state on life support It doesnt take a lot.

a mustard seed?
Staff and pupils at Holy Cross College Bury were once again great supporters of Action Week. The school collected over 10 boxes and numerous carrier bags of toiletries to aid the Mustard Tree charitys work with the homeless in Manchester, and they also sent over 100 to Church Action on Poverty.

breaking barriers and asylum

The Boaz Trust, a Christian organisation in Greater Manchester serving destitute asylumseekers, tailored the Action Week resources to their own needs. They prepared a special prayer booklet for churches, focusing on the barriers that lead to destitution for people seeking sanctuary in the UK.

what are the things that need to change?

In Glasgow, 50 people joined together in the newly-built Church of Scotland Community Church in Gorbals, and were challenged to think about the questions What are the things that need to change if everyone is to know that they matter? and What are the promises we need to remember as we look for justice to reign? John Harvey writes that everyone left encouraged and determined.

So many events took place that its impossible to mention them all here. Theyre listed on the Events page at www.actionweek.org.uk.

spark news from Church Action on Poverty summer 2012

in progress
Church Action on Poverty staff report on the work being done by our grassroots projects in deprived communities.
schools of participation: training the trainers!
Since 2005, our Community Pride Unit (CPU) has been running successful and inspiring Schools of Participation in Greater Manchester. Weve worked with disadvantaged and marginalised communities including refugees and people seeking asylum, Deaf and Deafblind people, homeless men, Asian women, and residents of deprived local communities. Schools of Participation enable individuals, local groups and organisations to play an active role, have a greater say, mobilise themselves and take action to improve their lives and their communities. We now want to share this approach more widely nationwide helping more excluded communities, and hopefully bringing in some income to support our own work. Were offering a training package for community activists and leaders, which will equip them to run their own Schools of Participation in their communities. Our training programme includes: Introduction to Schools of Participation workshop (one day) Schools of Participation workshop (two days of in-depth training plus ongoing mentoring and support) To find out more about Schools of Participation and the training programme, see www.communitypride. org.uk or call 0161 236 9321 Ex 3 and ask for further information.

pathways to inclusion

Thrive, the community organising and livelihoods project we support on Teesside, is getting busier and busier. Now an independent charity, Thrive has attracted its first few members, giving it additional legitimacy when campaigning for change. Thrive has been working on a range of issues identified by local people. It continues to enable people on low incomes to meet directly with high-cost lending companies and work for better regulation of the industry (part of the Rip-off TV campaign which many of our supporters in churches have been part of). Its volunteers have been working closely with over 20 local households on Pathways to Financial Inclusion - advising them on ways of saving money, managing their finances and getting affordable credit. Finally, Thrive is now considering some work on inequality, connected to our wider campaign to Close the Gap between rich and poor. As a first step, they will be pressing local authorities and businesses to pay the Living Wage and instigate a maximum pay ratio.

Joyce Kay is Community Pride Link Worker

Greg Brown is Project Development Officer at Thrive

in progress

11

including the exluded

Over the past year, Manchester ChangeMakers has used participatory budgeting programmes in Old Trafford, Moss Side and Collyhurst to identify key concerns in those communities. One of these concerns was the alarming numbers of Black young people being excluded from school. The consequences of any child being excluded from school can be devastating for the individual, their family and the wider community. Black young people of AfricanCaribbean heritage are four times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than White British pupils. This situation might seem shocking to some people, but this is old news to those who feel it and have known it for years. In February we held a community event to hear from local people, and found that most were very unhappy about the level and quality of education provision for Black youth. Schools are forced to decide at a very early stage which students are likely to pass their public exams, and these are the ones in which time and money is invested. The rest predominantly Black and workingclass young people are left to struggle along in overcrowded classrooms and schools with the least resources. Racism means they are more likely to be characterised as lazy, stupid, aggressive and disruptive. Consequently, they are more likely to be marginalised and excluded. Were now planning direct action at all levels to tackle this issue. We are working with parents to help them take a more active role in the schooling of their children, and to enable them to challenge the current climate of use of exclusions. We want to ensure that African-Caribbean young people achieve their full potential. To ensure that our work in Manchester can improve the situations in other cities too, we will feed information into the Childrens Commissioners inquiry in London (which is looking at whether the current system of school exclusions is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of The Child).

Daniel Nkrumah is Manchester ChangeMakers Community Organiser

Niall Cooper is Church Action on Povertys National Coordinator

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead At Church Action on Poverty we believe in peoples inherent power to generate solutions to the problems they face; to have their own voice, ownership and power, and a right to learning. On our 30th birthday we are proud to launch our brand-new People-Powered Change training programme. It draws on our work over more than a decade supporting local people to reclaim power over decisions which affect their lives. ChangeMakers and our Community Pride and Participatory Budgeting Units draw on expertise from across the globe, including the work of Brazilian popular educationalist Paulo Freire; US Community Organiser Saul Alinksy; and the roots of the Participatory Budgeting movement in Latin America. We have successfully applied these models to tackling poverty and empowering local people in lowincome communities across the UK. We have now pulled all of this learning together into a programme of training events. With this newsletter, you will find a leaflet giving more information on the training on offer between now and the end of July and you can also read more on our website at www. church-poverty.org.uk/peoplepoweredchange. Most training will take place in our fully accessible Micah Room training facility, just five minutes walk from Manchester Piccadilly train, metro and bus stations. We can also develop any of our workshops into a bespoke training solution for your organisation. Call 0161 236 9321 ext 1 well bring our training to you! Join us now in unlocking People-Powered Change!

spark news from Church Action on Poverty summer 2012

all together better

This article first appeared in The rising tide, a supplement sponsored by the Webb Memorial Trust in the 27 February 2012 issue of New Statesman magazine. It appears here by kind permission.

Kate Green (Labour MP for Streford and Urmston) and Chris White (Conservative MP for Warwick and Leamington) are both part of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty. They explain why cross-party dialogue is essential if any government is to make progress on poverty.
an important step in ensuring that the efforts and progress made in the years up to the last General Election are not lost. In a democracy, where changes of government are frequent, it is easy for good ideas and innovative proposals to fall between the cracks. The same is also true within the British Cabinet system. Constant movement makes cross-party dialogue more difficult, with new ministers or spokespeople feeling that they have to make an impact or define themselves by reinventing or simply opposing the policies of previous incumbents. More continuity would therefore not only help policy implementation but would also help in the creation of consensus. All political parties should make a concerted effort to work together on tackling poverty, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Poverty is an effort to create the dialogue and space required for policy-makers to come together and work together without the need for tribalism. For example, all parties agree that in general, for those who can work, work should always be a more attractive option than not working. And each party can bring different elements to the poverty debate which they have specifically championed over the past few months. For example, under the leadership of Ed Miliband, the Labour Party has taken up the cause of the Living Wage. This would see workers paid a wage which enables them to have a good standard of living - outside of London this is presently considered as 7.20 by the Living Wage Foundation [Church Action on Poverty and the churches still recommend a rate of 7.60 an hour], and within London, around 8.30. This would build upon the work that was done to create the national minimum wage under the last government, and provide a real incentive for people to seek employment and stay in employment. The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition is pursuing the issue of benefit reform. Under

ll parties oppose poverty. This is useful to emphasise because it means that we can focus on means and not ends, and on how we reduce and eventually eliminate poverty, rather than engaging in circular debates about whether we need to focus on the issue at all. Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats all have notable legacies when it comes to reducing poverty. The Conservative Party in the 19th Century passed a number of Factory Acts that helped to improve the conditions of the working poor, and the Liberal Party (one of the predecessors of the Liberal Democrats) began the 20th Century with a series of bold welfare reforms such as creating the labour exchange and unemployment insurance. The Labour Party, born from the trade union and co-operative movements, built on this to create the modern welfare state in the wake of the Second World War (on the back of a report of a Liberal, William Beveridge), and on taking government in 1997 pushed forward with a range of policies which helped to reduce poverty, including a national minimum wage. No political party owns the issue of poverty, and all parties have an interest in working together to create long-term consensus around policies. Making real reductions in poverty takes time, usually beyond the lifetime of one government. This means parties need to work together to ensure continuity of approach and follow-up on the progress that has been made. The decision by Iain Duncan Smith to continue with the previous governments child poverty target and to maintain the Child Poverty Unit is

Making real reductions in poverty takes time, usually beyond the lifetime of one government.

feature

13

the proposals for Universal Credit which the government has articulated, benefits would be made simpler and people would be able to keep more of their benefits when they start work. By changing the tapering to ensure that it always pays to work and who those that begin work are not forced to temporarily reduce their standard of living, the Universal Credit aims to create a far stronger incentive for people to get into jobs. So there is shared interest in how employment can be a secure route out of poverty, and the opportunity to ensure that the ideas of the different parties complement one another. There is also significant overlap between all parties around using the skills, knowledge, dedication and passion of the voluntary sector, charities and social enterprises in order to reach out to local communities and use those organisations which have been most effective in fighting poverty. All Members of Parliament know of excellent projects that have been particularly effective at addressing poverty, and MPs can play a role in disseminating best practice and ensuring that the individuals and organisations running these schemes get the attention and recognition they need in order to keep making a difference. There are clearly limits to what can be done between opposing political parties, and that is where individual Members of Parliament can have an important influence on the process. By coming together, they can build bridges between the parties and ensure that policy consensus is developed on issues as broad as poverty. The truth is that so far all parties have fallen short of their goals when it comes to reducing poverty, and this shows that no party on its own has been able to find the answers in isolation. So we would like senior politicians of all parties to feel able to talk to each other at all times on matters as complex as poverty. The media can assist in this by not polluting the atmosphere with excessive discussion of U-turns and coverage of confrontation. Finally, if we are going to create a broader consensus on tackling poverty, politicians need to ensure that they work not just between themselves but also with interest groups, charities and businesses. Given the important role that these organisations play in feeding into the political process, and the way in which their practices too will impact directly on individuals experience of poverty, any effort to improve communications and develop solutions on poverty must also include these important players. Over the past few years, all the major parties have spoken about the need to create a new

politics in the wake of the expenses scandal and the reduction in public confidence we have seen in politicians over previous decades, and to create a society which tackles the culture of excessive rewards and high levels of inequality. We agree that now is a good time to begin building that new politics, and we believe there is no better place to start than with the issue of poverty.

In her capacity as Chair of the APPG on Poverty, Kate Green joined church leaders in launching our campaign to Close the Gap in January 2011

If we are to build a cross-party consensus on tackling poverty, we need to work to hold all MPs accountable for what they do and promise. Church Action on Povertys MP Accountability Network already has over 100 member groups, all committed to meeting regularly with their MPs. But we still need to grow the Network, and ensure it reaches MPs of all parties. If your church or group could meet regularly with your MP about UK poverty, we need you to make the Pledge now! To get involved, visit www.church-poverty.org. uk/mpan or call Liam on 0161 236 9321.

spark news from Church Action on Poverty summer 2012

Im Spartacus
We celebrate a campaign on welfare reform which won the argument but lost the vote.

D
Read the Spartacus Report at www.ekklesia.co.uk/ responsiblereformDLA

uring January and February, Church Action on Povertys campaigners played a small role in one of the most exciting new movements of the last couple of years. A tiny band of disabled activists, with no support from any official source or organisation, mounted a campaign that seriously challenged the government on one of their key policies. They produced Responsible Reform, a detailed report which exposed how the government distorted evidence in preparing their reforms of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and how harmful those cuts and reforms are going to be. Cleverly using online social media to enable people to express their solidarity with the tag phrase Im Spartacus, they built a huge level of awareness of their findings, just as the House of Lords were to debate the governments reforms. Thanks to these campaigners and to principled bishops who also spoke out, the lords roundly rejected the governments proposals. Despite further campaigning, the government invoked an obscure parliamentary rule to overturn the lords changes, and their welfare reforms are now almost certain to go through with some concessions. But the Spartacus campaigners have made sure that many more people are now aware of the devastating impact these cuts will have on the UKs most vulnerable people. And the fight will continue.

Sue Marsh, the disabled campaigner who was one of the creators of the report, pointed out afterwards that the campaign had effectively won the argument and persuaded many people but the government simply forced through their agenda regardless. She was also pleased that the campaign had achieved genuine changes and concessions, even though these were not enough to prevent the DLA reforms from being harmful. I have never seen ordinary people not politicians or think tanks ordinary people, effect actual democratic change in the way I saw last night. Never. The Spartacus Report is a perfect example of the principle we often express in our work: Nothing about us without us is for us. We are proud that Church Action on Poverty staff and supporters played a small role in producing the report and lobbying their MPs and the Lords. We encourage you to support the ongoing campaign, and to stand in solidarity with the sick and disabled people who will be affected by reforms in the coming months and years. Watch our video interview with Sue Marsh at www.church-poverty.org.uk/what-we-do/ what-we-do/voicebox/benefits/stigmatisation/ Follow the campaign on Sues blog, Diary of a Benefit Scrounger: http:// diaryofabenefitscrounger.blogspot.com

Peers got hundreds of letters

Would you like to be part of future campaign actions? Pledge to Close the Gap now at www.churchpoverty.org. uk/act

and emails. The pressure

you put on Governmen

t
Sue Marsh is a disability ri ghts blogger and campaigner

was truly extraordinary.

pray

15

looking for Gods reflection

Our Jesuit volunteer David Adams shares some resources and ideas for the community of our supporters who are Praying to Close the Gap.
As we move from winter into the brighter days of spring, looking at conditions in this nation today, it seems fitting to end with a prayer specially written for us by Andy Delmege, a vicar and blogger from Birmingham: In these dark days we can be struck by a number of gaps. This year, there is one that is very much on my heart. This is the gap in life expectancy.

nly a few months have passed since our last newsletter but, including both Advent and Lent, it has been an important period for our prayer community with ample opportunity to both reflect and be inspired. Christmas inevitably formed a key part of the prayer communitys thoughts and hopes for the future. Stephen Holmes, the director of the Theos think-tank, wrote in the build-up to Christmas that despite attempts to depoliticise the period, it remains a powerful testimony that God is interested in, and concerned about political matters, particularly as they concern those who, through poverty, or oppression, or plain bad luck, are most vulnerable. In this spirit, Adrian Wait and Maureen Tinkler both used the Pray to Close the Gap group on Facebook to share WH Smaws Advent poem drawn from Revelation 22:20: In your life do you see me In the ragged men and women Who search the cold street Looking for my reflection in your heart?

In my context of outer estate urban Birmingham, we have found that the life expectancy in the poorest parts of my parishes is 10 years less than in the most affluent parts of the city. This, more than anything, for me, forms the basis of Together with Elderly People in Weoley Castle and Bartley Green.

This gap is, literally, a matter of life and death. Lets pledge ourselves to close it

As a number of churches come together to explore and plan for the Birmingham Winter Night Shelter I am reminded that life expectancy for homeless people is around 30 years less than for the general population. And, if we look further, that there is a gap of around 30 years in life expectancy between people in Western countries and those in the poorest countries. Lets pledge ourselves to close it. Amen

With time marching on into Lent, Liam Purcell was moved to link to an article from Jon Kuhrt who wrote about how Lent offers people: a time to re-order their lives in light of the truth of what God has done. A season to challenge existing patterns of behaviour or thought, a chance to establish a new rhythm to our daily lives. A time to resist what easily tempts us, a time to be renewed by what nourishes us. With many across the UK facing extreme challenges, its a necessary and timely reminder. (See http://bit.ly/jonkuhrtlent to read Jon Kuhrts full Lent reflection.)

This gap is, literally, a matter of life and death. If you would like to join our Close the Gap prayer community, please visit www.churchpoverty.org. uk/pray, or call David on 0161 236 9321.

(You can read more reflections from Andy at http:// pilgrimpace.wordpress.com.)

spark news from Church Action on Poverty summer 2012

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