Closing Down – We’ve Done Our Job

Twenty to thirty people attended the walk to the pauper’s graves on a warm and sunny day, including the mayor and a local poet. About 10 people lit candles, rather fewer than in previous years. The workshop event also went well with a DVD from ASCT followed by and art activity.  There were About 20 people attended.  Jason writes: ‘We had some amazing food cooked by a supporter.  A banner ‘Demand Dignity’ was prepared.’

 

Future of the coalition

It was agreed that the coalition had made some significant achievements over the last 7 years.

Our aims are as follows:

·         Increase     awareness of the need to eradicate poverty
·         Promote     the dignity of and show solidarity with those who experience poverty
·         Involve     people who have witnessed poverty
·         Support     local organisations fighting poverty

We have run 7 awareness raising events of which those with the most impact were:

·         The Make Poverty history fund day in 2005
·         The Walk from St Peters Frimley to Frimhurst in 2006
·         The Community Lunch in 2007
·         Making a Song and Dance about Poverty in 2008

We have involved school children (the Tapori silhouettes project in  ),young people (2008 ), community leaders and the general public.  Members of the group have been instrumental in initiating the following organisations –St Vincent de Paul, Frontline Debt Counselling Service, and the Besom and in raising awareness of ASCT, Ghurkha Welfare Trust,  Frimhurst Family Centre, and Churches Together in Camberley. 

We have built valuable links with the Friends of Brookwood Cemetery, and Camberley Youth for Christ addition we have raised awareness of the campaigns of Make Poverty History, Amnesty International, United Nations, ATD Fourth World, the campaign to make Surrey a Fair Trade county.  We have involved families and individuals with direct experience of poverty and given them the opportunity to make their voice heard, we have also valued the lives of those who lived and died in extreme poverty by lighting candles at Brookwood Chapel. 

In his blog interview on the walk to the pauper’s graves this year the Mayor commented that Surrey heath residents are good at volunteering to help those in need.  The committee felt that this represents a significant shift in public opinion and activism compared with the situation when we started out  when reactions to issues of poverty were disinterested or on occasion hostile.

The committee felt that as far as it is possible to assess we have achieved the aims we set ourselves.  For this reason it was agreed that the coalition would close to allow individuals to focus more time on the individual organisations they now support.

The committee agreed that the website should be closed down in the New Year. 

Congratulations were expressed all round for the work achieved by the coalition and for the camaraderie that had been generated through working as a team with like minded people.  We were all a little sad to draw things to a close as well as proud of what has been achieved.

Many thanks to one and all

Tish

Occupy London

by Tish Mason

I found myself near St Pauls with an hour to spare on Wednesday so I wandered round the Occupy London camp, looking at all the posters posted on the wire fences. I found it peaceful, compassionate and well ordered. There is a kitchen tent, a first aid tent and an information tent with clear pathways between the tents so that anyone can wander around and look at the notice boards.

I particularly liked a poster with two pigeons facing the viewer with a bubble saying 'Occupy London, we do!' I also liked the sign above one of the tents saying 'Compost capitalism'. It seemed to capture in a nutshell the need for an alternative approach to our economy and way of living. One amusing moment occurred when one of the metal fences put up by St Pauls because of health and safety concerns fell over with its sharp metal spikes pointing directly at my head. Several of the protesters leapt to prevent its fall and with cheerful mutters of 'health and safety' attached it to its neighbouring fences again.

No-one asked me to think anything, believe anything, or sign anything. No-one commented or queried the presence of a middle aged woman in a mac with handbag in the camp. In fact there seemed to be a wide range of people passing through and reading the posters. I am sure if I had asked there would have been people willing to explain what was going on but I was left free to make up my own mind - and I was impressed.

St Paul’s Action Day For Camberley Besom

Members of St Paul’s Volunteer for Besom

A group of volunteers from St Paul’s spent a day helping out the Besom charity processing the harvest gifts kindly donated by local schools and churches in Camberley.

The Besom are a local charity who specialise in providing food packs and other items to those in need, in Camberley and the surrounding area. On 22nd October the group of eight helped sort out the harvest gifts, separating out tins into categories, and sifting out those passed their sell-by dates, ready to make food parcels for those in need in the local area. The quantity of gifts ensured this was a worthy challenge for the team.

One of the volunteers, Ted Crew says: “On this occasion 'the fields were all white and the reapers were many' and the work of Besom can proceed reaching out to those in need. We also enjoyed the work”.

For more information on Camberley Besom see the previous post Camberley Besom - Sweeping Away Suffering.

Mayor and Mayoress of Surrey Heath on the UN Day to Eradicate Poverty 2011

Mayor Tim Dodds pays his respects at the Pauper's Graves, Brookwood Cemetery

The Mayor and Mayoress of Surrey Heath joined the Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty at Brookwood Cemetery on Saturday 15 October, in the run up to the United Nations international day to end poverty (which occurs annually on 17 October).

We were there to pay our respects to the Paupers of London in the 1850’s. This is about the only time of the year when the pauper’s graves get visited and remembered, so a special time. In the mid-nineteenth century the volume of London's dead was causing public concern. So in 1850 the idea of a great metropolitan cemetery, situated in the suburbs and large enough to contain all of London's dead, was promoted. The outcome was Brookwood Cemetery, the largest burial ground in the world when it was opened in 1854 by the London Necropolis & Mausoleum Company.

I interviewed Mayor Tim Dodds, on his thoughts about the UN Day to End Poverty, and poverty locally in the borough.

 

On the United Nations Day to Eradicate Poverty…

The Mayor says: “The United Nations Day to End Poverty is a laudable thing and just focuses peoples minds on those that have little or nothing”.

On poverty in Surrey Heath ….

Surrey Heath has pockets of poverty. The Old Dean, St Michael’s and Watchetts have the highest numbers of 0-19 year olds in poverty in the county.

On local poverty the Mayor says: “Poverty exists everywhere. Those with money will be in poverty quite quickly if they loose their job they are unable to afford the lifestyle that they currently have. Recently I was at Avenue Sucy at a church led event, celebrating the people who live there, and trying to say to them that they are not forgotten. People understand some of the difficulties that some of them live with. Their issues are recognised by a number of organisations in the borough.

Surrey Heath does have pockets of poverty which we need to recognise, and I think as a borough, we do pretty well. It’s a very volunteering conscious borough, and lots of organisations do fantastic work, more so than people recognise. Whilst poverty exists in part of the borough, there is recognition that it exists, and there is a willingness to do something about it”.

On the role of voluntary organisations in eradicating poverty…

Mayor Tim Dodds says: “I don’t have any vision for any greater role for the charities and organisations in the borough than we currently have. There are a huge number of them, supported by dedicated volunteers. I’m sure most voluntary organisations can’t do any more. I spoke to somebody last night who’s a governor of a school, a trustee of the Frimley Fuel Allotments and a number of other things. These people who want to volunteer and contribute make a difference in a big way, because they use most of their time to do voluntary work. We just need more volunteers, I think that’s the solution”.

Mayor and Mayoress at the start of the Pauper's Graves walk

This Weekend – What is the Poverty Line?

Saturday Unite Together for World Poverty, Local Poverty, All Poverty

October 17 is the UN Day to End Poverty worldwide. This weekend in Surrey Heath, the Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty (SHCAP) are commemorating on Saturday 15 October with two events that people can take part in. A serious look at what happened to the deceased of London in 1850, followed by a fun workshop for all the family.

The day, which is commemorated globally, seeks to promote increased awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and serves to remind all people that sustained and concerted effort is vital to achieve the millennium development goal (MDG) of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015.

Poverty doesn’t just exist in the third world, it also exists locally. Whilst poverty is low in Surrey Heath compared to the regional benchmark, The Surrey Heath Families in Poverty Needs Assessment says: “Surrey’s appearance as a wealthy county can be deceptive”. It goes on to state that there are 1,605 children and young people living in poverty in the borough. The Old Dean, St Michael’s and Watchetts have the highest numbers of 0-19 year olds in poverty.

This week, the national news reported that “UK seeing a big rise in poverty, says IFS”.  What does this mean for us as individuals?

Well poverty is defined as an income which falls below 60% of the median income. The IFS report advises the real median household incomes have fallen significantly between 2009 and 2011. So in real figures, here is the scoop….

What is the Poverty Line IN THE UK?

• Single adult, no children: £165 per week
• Couple, no children: £248 per week
• Lone parent, 1 child: £215 per week
• Lone parent, 2 children: £264 per week
• Lone parent, 3 children: £314 per week
• Couple, 1 child: £297 per week
• Couple, 2 children: £347 per week
• Couple, 3 children: £396 per week

As SHCAP start their tour of the 1850  London Paupers Graves in Brookwood, we shall also be thinking about the  'Pauper funerals' in Wales right now in 2011, due to the rise in  burial costs.

Saturday is also about fun and creativity. ATD Fourth World, based at Frimhurst Family Centre, are putting on a creative workshop for the whole family. Refreshments are provided, and a big balloon release will end a day in Surrey Heath, that we spent thinking about those less fortunate than ourselves.

On Twitter, we shall be using the hashtag #SHCAP throughout to day to bring live updates on events, and more information about poverty and what is being done to help locally. More information on the Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty (SHCAP) at http://surreyheathcoalitionagainstpoverty.org.uk/

15 October – Afternoon of Events to Mark UN Day for Ending Extreme Poverty

Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty (SHCAP) are running several events to mark the United Nations day for ending extreme poverty.

Every year, October 17 marks the UN Day for Ending Poverty. This year SHCAP are organising two local events on Saturday 15 October in the run up to the UN Day, to raise awareness of poverty in Surrey Heath and worldwide.

The Mayor of Surrey Heath will be present as local historian John Clarke  leads a guided walk to the paupers graves area of Brookwood cemetery. John will tell the story of how these graves represented the largest burial ground in the world during 1850, and were used to bury the dead of London, sent on a train from a special terminal at Waterloo station. This event runs between 1.45pm to 4.30pm from the Visitor Centre Car Park, Brookwood Cemetery Glades, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood GU24 0BL.

Later in the afternoon, there is an opportunity to get creative in an all age workshop to explore poverty both locally and internationally. No artistic talent needed, come along and have a go. There will be refreshments, a group art activity, and a helium balloon release. This event runs from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at Frimhurst Family House, Guildford Road, Frimley Green GU16 6NU.

Tish Mason from SHCAP says about the day: “It’s not about fund raising, it’s just being aware about issues of poverty. We try and raise the profile of local organisations who are working to campaign and help people living in extreme poverty”.

So come along, learn something new, and have fun!

Frontline Offers Free Debt Advice in Camberley

Frontline in Reading explain how the charity works

Frontline, a successful free debt and benefits advice service in Camberley, is finding it tough to engage local organisations, despite a list of happy clients they have helped over the last 18 months. Although the team are trained volunteers, and Frontline is registered with the Office of Fair Trading, sadly they are not receiving any referrals from local agencies. 

Unemployment has risen across the UK (up 80,000 over the quarter to 2.51 million), the largest increase since the three months to August 2009. In Surrey Heath, which covers Camberley, there were 1,282 people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. Despite this, Charles Bruce, from Frontline says: “Most of our clients are coming from leaflets left in churches, personal references and references given by existing clients. Sadly there have not been any clients referred by local agencies”.

In previous posts, we have highlighted who Frontline are, and the valuable work they do for people in need in Surrey Heath. Many of the 18 clients the Camberley branch have advised continue to require ongoing support due to long running legal cases. Now we can report on the real success stories they have had.  One client wrote: “Just a note  to thank you so much for all the support you have given us over the past weeks. We felt very much less alone after we had our first meeting with you, and do now feel that at least every avenue has been explored . I'm sure there will be the odd darker moments. Still, I think we both now feel quite positive about the future, that perhaps it all might work for good, so to speak. I wish we could find the words to express our thanks for someone who has been willing to give such time and effort to help us see the way through. Thank you”. One extreme case of financial distress was a client evicted from rented accommodation, with no job, and sleeping in their car. Since Frontline got involved, the client is receiving the benefits to which they are entitled, back in rented accommodation, and attending job interviews. Another case was a single parent and teenage child,  who had been sleeping on the floor for fifteen months. All their white goods were about to be repossessed. With the help of St Vincent de Paul in Camberley, and the Lions, they now have sufficient furniture, including beds and appliances. Negotiations are in hand with their creditors.

Frontline welcome local organisations to refer people who may be heading towards debt, or are already in debt, or simply need benefit advice. To find out more about Frontline in Camberley, email camberley@FrontlineDebtAdvice.org.uk or phone 07880 711730 (24 hour message line).

07880 711730 (24 hour message line)

 camberley@FrontlineDebtAdvice.org.uk

Camberley Frontline, St Paul’s Church Centre, Crawley Ridge, Camberley GU15 2AD

Camberley Besom - Sweeping Away Suffering

As we head towards winter, some people are going to have to make a choice between eating, or heating.

There are a number of charities in Camberley, that are helping to eradicate poverty. We are going to highlight these organisations, and what they do, over the next few weeks, starting with the Besom. Surrey Heath is often thought of as an affluent area, but there are pockets of poverty too. A survey, in March 2010 by Confused.com, into credit card debt showed that Camberley, at £2001 per resident, had the highest in the UK.

The Besom are a local charity specialising in providing food packs and other items to those in need, in Camberley and the surrounding area. They work with local churches, who provide a support network of collection points, where various items may be dropped off. Demand has increased over recent months, and the concern is that as we head towards winter, some people are going to have to make a choice between eating, or heating.

I spoke with Diane Marlow, one of the volunteers from Camberley Besom. They are a national organisation, but each branch is unique, run by local Christians, on behalf of local churches, to meet the needs of local people. They help people of all ages and situations. They have created a series of packs, which can quickly be dispatched to those in need. For example food packs, new mum packs and kitchen starter packs. The Besom have a specific ethos when it comes to donated items used to make up the packs. A food item with “value” on the label makes people feel that’s all they are worth. Diane says: “the clients we work with have very low self esteem, very little self confidence and very little money. When they go shopping they have little choice, they have to buy the basic items in order to survive. We want them to see that their value is greater than that. So in a small way, when we take a gift to someone, we want them to feel it’s a small reflection of the way in which God values them”. This ethos means anything donated should be of the very best quality, not from a value or basic range, but of a standard that shows that people are valued.  People on the poverty line have very little choice, so we need to make them feel special.

One example of the help the Besom has provided in Camberley was a young family from Staines with a 6-month-old baby. They were required by Social Services to move into local B&B accommodation, as they had a relative in the Camberley area. The father lost his job because he didn’t have transport to get from Camberley to Staines. With the resulting delay in benefits, they found themselves unable to feed themselves or their baby. Besom were able to support them over a number of weeks with food and other essential items until their financial difficulty was resolved.

Another example was a young mum in difficult circumstances, who had given birth earlier than expected and was unprepared. The Besom were contacted with a request for a baby bath. They went out with the bath, a new mum pack and a food pack. Often people need a selection of items, and the Besom try and meet those needs.

I asked Diane what motivates her as an unpaid volunteer to work for the Besom. Diane says “this is God’s direction for me, it’s what I sensed him wanting me to be doing. Also in my normal work [with young people] I had one girl who was made homeless, and it was a real eye opener, just how difficult it was to find sources of help for her, and how much need there was for people in this area”.

Demand for the service that Besom provide is growing, with an unexpected increase in August. Diane forecasts with the current economic pressures, she believes it will get tougher as people have to choose if they spend their money on fuel or food. In a future blog post, we’ll be looking at Frontline, another local organisation that provides free debt advice. The Besom and Frontline work together, along with several other organisations, as often people on the poverty line require help from several specialist organisations.

The packs are their primary focus, but the Besom can also help in other ways. For example, from time to time they can organise a group of volunteers to help with gardening, painting and decorating or cleaning. The Besom take referrals from recognised organisations such as a Doctor or other health professional, local school, social services, or housing associations.

For more information on Camberley Besom, or to get in contact with them, you can email camberleybesom@gmail.com or phone 07543 319921

You can hear the full interview with Diane by clicking on the play button below.

Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty – Who Are We?

Surrey Heath Coalition Against Poverty (SHCAP) is a group of organisations, from different parts of the community, who have got together to raise awareness that poverty still exists. These include Amnesty International, Churches Together in Camberley, ATD Fourth World, Ghurkha Welfare Trust, Asian Students Christian Trust, Christian Aid, and the United Nations Association.

Poverty not only exists abroad, but in the UK too, and surprisingly, Surrey Heath. The coalition formed several years ago to do something about poverty here and abroad. We aim to increase the awareness of the need to eradicate poverty, and promote the dignity of, and show solidarity with, those who experience poverty. SHCAP involves people who have witnessed poverty, and supports local organisations fighting poverty.

On 17th October 1987, in the presence of 100,000 people from diverse social backgrounds and many countries, Father Joseph Wresinski, founder of ATD Fourth World, unveiled a commemorative stone for the UN day for ending poverty, in the Trocadero Human Rights Plaza in Paris.

October 17 each year marks the UN Day for Ending Poverty. This year the coalition are hosting two local events to give local people opportunities to take part in the UN Day. These will be held on Saturday 15 October (to give everyone an opportunity to attend).

 

The first event will be a guided walk to the paupers graves area of Brookwood cemetery, led by historian John Clarke, who will tell the story of the graves.

In the mid-nineteenth century the volume of London's dead was causing public concern. So in 1850 the idea of a great metropolitan cemetery, situated in the suburbs and large enough to contain all of London's dead, was promoted. The outcome was Brookwood Cemetery, the largest burial ground in the world when it was opened in 1854 by the London Necropolis & Mausoleum Company. The cemetery now contains almost 240,000 burials and is still privately owned and administered.

Coffins of the wealthy were brought by train and transported from one of the two stations in the Necropolis by horse drawn hearses. Many churches had their own designated areas but paupers were taken in carts to be buried in unmarked graves on the outskirts of the cemetery.

Later in the afternoon, we will host a Creative Workshop for all Ages, at Frimhurst Family House in Frimley Green, where individual efforts build into a group achievement. No artistic talent or training needed, come along and have a go. There will be refreshments, a group art activity, and a helium balloon release.

 

 

We’ll be taking a closer look at the member organisations, and other groups involved in eradicating poverty in Surrey Heath, in the coming months.

For more information on the coalition, and the events to mark the UN day for ending poverty, contact Tish@SurreyHeathCoalitionAgainstPoverty.org.uk or check the website at http://SurreyHeathCoalitionAgainstPoverty.org.uk

Listen to the full interview with Tish on AudioBoo.