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

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