Church Action on Povertys vision for change

We believe in freedom from oppression, equality, hope for a better and a fairer world We are all made in the image of God and therefore all people are of intrinsic equal value; we believe in inclusivity, respect and care for others, and responsibility We affirm peoples inherent power to generate solutions to the problems they face; to have their own voice, ownership and power, and a right to learning We believe in naming, fighting and challenging injustice, being prophetic, and holding power accountable We believe in establishing trust, and valuing peoples unique contribution and voice We believe in going the extra mile; long-term commitment to communities, seeing it through and seeing change happen

Church Action on Poverty should

continue

to emphasise the theological concerns,

and the urgent imperatives for

raising awareness about injustices

is the Right Revd John Packer ds Bishop of Ripon and Lee

Reducing the gap between rich and poor Challenging policies and structures which create inequality Holding those with power and wealth accountable Enabling people in poverty to live more robust and sustainable lives

Building a more just society

The UK is more unequal now than at any time in the past 50 years

Building the skills, capacity and assets of local people in communities across the UK Enabling local communities to have a more effective public voice, and bring about change for themselves

Building capacity to exercise power

Power is the ability to bring about ge social, political and economic chan

Martin Luther King

Building a movement for positive change

Building strategic alliances Mobilising churches, communities and others to come together to drive change

Poverty is a battle of invisibility, rlessness a lack of resources, exclusion, powe ys problems being blamed for societ ...

Celebrating positive images of people in poverty and stories of how people bring about change Challenging negative media representations by communicating the stories and reality of life in unequal Britain

Changing public perceptions

Securing the resources to achieve maximum reach and impact Being transparent, accountable, creative, learning and sustainable

Building an effective and sustainable organisation

y. I want to be heard and have my sa Church Action on Poverty has helped me create changes with my voice.

Sarah Whitehead took part in our Salford Apprentice programme

We want to see significant changes in policy and practice, including: action to reduce tax avoidance and evasion; fairer employment (with public bodies and churches paying the Living Wage); better access to affordable credit; and a reduction in the poverty premium. We will work to achieve this through lobbying, campaigning and social media. To be successful, we will build a bigger movement with a unified multi-faith voice, comprised of national networks and local groups, which listens to people in poverty and amplifies their voice.

2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Church Action on Poverty. The need has never been greater.

Niall Cooper is Church Action on Povertys National Coordinator

We aim to mobilise support from the churches, government and people for a society in which poverty will no longer exist, and all are able to pursue realistically their fulfilment as human beings made in Gods likeness
Statement of Church Action on Povertys aims when launched in 1982

We are in the middle of the most prolonged squeeze on household incomes in modern times. Yet we remain the sixth wealthiest nation on the planet. Poverty in a developed country is scandalous and immoral. UK poverty is linked to lack of opportunity, lack of support, and exclusion from financial services. People in poverty are stigmatised, ignored and forgotten. We need greater awareness and more positive media coverage. Excessive wealth, inequality and poverty are increasingly linked and it is less and less possible to tackle them in isolation. There is a pressing need to close the growing gap between rich and poor in the UK not only higher than at any time in the past 50 years, but growing more rapidly than in any other developed nation. The unequal distribution of wealth, and the global economic forces which are enabling this to happen, need to be addressed. The government must act, and yet politicians generally do not understand the reality of UK poverty. We are compelled to take action if we wish to realise our vision of a world which reflects our Christian conviction that we share a common humanity. Partnerships of Hope and Transformation sets out the ambition and direction of our work for the coming decade, as we strive to bring about real and positive changes in the lives of some of the poorest individuals and communities across the UK. The framework will provide a guide and stimulus for Church Action on Poverty members, supporters, churches, staff and partners to build a powerful movement for change over the coming decade. It builds on the work and achievements of the past years and lays a foundation to build on over the years ahead. 30 years on, we remain passionately committed to working alongside people in poverty and communities as they struggle to fight poverty and bring about change for themselves. We hope you will join us in this task!

Get involved at www.church-poverty.org.uk!

Dale House, 35 Dale Street, Manchester M1 2HF Telephone 0161 236 9321 Fax 0161 237 5359 Email info@church-poverty.org.uk @churchpoverty facebook.com/churchpoverty

Company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, number 3780243. Registered charity number 1079986.