Drooped Shoulders, Poverty and People Power
It was not so much his words but his tone. It spoke volumes. Most of all, it spoke of defeat!
I was chatting to a local barista this week when we got onto the dreaded subject of Christmas (Yes, I’m all bah humbug and don’t start me on corporate pressure!). He shared that he’d taken on extra shifts just to afford Christmas before briefly listing the series of bills that were due through his door. His back was to me but I saw his shoulders droop and heard his overly long and weary sigh.
Sadly, he’s by far not alone. In these times, where you have to almost take out a bank loan to afford a block of cheese, growing numbers are seriously struggling with the cost of living and the scandal of poverty should have us all rising up to act. But do we?
Poverty was the topic of last night’s tutoring session and as my student penned the first words of her mini speech, "It’s not fair", I considered the vast number of speeches that had been delivered on this very subject of tackling poverty. And yet, here we still are with huge numbers - one in five in some areas of Scotland – still experiencing the absolute injustice that is poverty.
It’s the same with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), embedded into Scots law over two years ago. How many speeches have voiced a commitment to children’s rights when the reality is that the right to food and clothing, a home, support, education and employment are amongst those being breached for too many on a daily basis?
I’ve heard too many heartbreaking stories throughout my career, particularly as a teacher, a local councillor, a volunteer and now through my Comms for Kids work. For over 20 years, my husband’s church (Shhh! I rarely declare that I’m a minister’s wife) served the Granton and Pilton areas of Edinburgh, where a food bank was a vital church activity.
One story that still sticks with me is the primary pupil whose hand shot up during news time and who so innocently shared that he finally had food in his house because he and his family had visited the food bank the night before.
Does this enrage us into action?
Add to this the stigma that exists around poverty, created and sustained by those who wish to excuse the inaction away. It is, of course, the lifestyle and poor decisions of those experiencing poverty that is the issue here. Isn’t it? It couldn’t possibly be a case of broken systems and…there but for the grace of ‘support’ go you and I?
As a young family, we too struggled. Often, we didn’t know how we’d make the next food shop or afford new clothes for our boys. Benefits became our friend and debt became our trap. However, we were prevented from falling into further difficulty because our parents, although not having much themselves, were able to offer their support.
Whether parental or wider safety nets, that support is not the case for everyone and just one event can leave finances and lives spiralling out of control.
Whilst poverty continues to be the one of the popular battles on the political stage, it’s clear that all have failed in ensuring enough progress and there is an urgency now for every one of us to become that support network in whatever way we can. Eradicating poverty needs more people power.
Imagine if we all bombarded the decision makers at every level, demanding greater progress and holding them accountable for not delivering on rights. Flexible work that pays well, warm and affordable homes, greater investment in local services and especially prevention, social security that promotes dignity and sufficiently recognises support as a right, more affordable childcare, child poverty action plans that actually realise the action and so much more. Imagine if we influenced more politicians to walk their talk through that activism.
We can maximise on people power as individuals and collectively.
In the past two or three years, I’ve found myself wandering about in community council land and encouraging belief in the people power of our communities.
We’ve developed our own anti-poverty action plan which includes educating others about the right to support and what’s available; ensuring a greater diversity of local voices informs our ongoing work, especially those from low income households and disadvantaged groups; action to create more free and affordable community activities, play spaces and wider achievements; poverty proofing our own practice and calling out wider policy decisions that jar with the compassionate and inclusive communities we seek to build. And, of course, rolling up our own volunteering sleeves and encouraging that spirit in others.
Don't let the failure of the politicians to robustly reduce poverty persuade us that it can never be possible. Yes, it's complex but we can all play a part in ensuring better progress. There are drooped shoulders in every corner of Scotland who need us to rise up and actively show that… “It’s not fair!”.
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