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This Lent I am feeling the tension between action and contemplation more acutely than ever.

‘Our Lent should awaken a sense of social justice’

As always the words that Oscar Romero wrote in 1980, weeks before his assassination are key to my Lenten practice. This year, a year of elections, working for social justice is more crucial and urgent.

No Time To Wait was published last week by North East Child Poverty Commission, and as the title suggests, there is no time to wait.

Over one third of babies, children and young people in the region are growing up in poverty and one tenth are living below the very deep poverty line.

The report’s authors warn that –

‘is not only limiting the life chances and outcomes of tens of thousands of children and families across the North East – and their ability to benefit from everything this part of the world has to offer – it is holding the whole of our region back.’

Many of the levers to reduce child poverty sit with the UK government and consequently general elections are key moments where civil society organising for change. Here in the North East devolution provides another opportunity to tackling the injustice that is child poverty.

Faith groups are often on the front line of responding to poverty and therefore have great insights into the causes and yet, in my experience, we struggle to focus our energy upstream.

During a recent session with new church leaders in the region, they admitted that they felt unable challenge injustice. They, and their congregations, were amazing at providing pastoral and social activities, responding to need through loving service and activities that evangelise. However, there wasn’t a single of example that would be described as challenging unjust systems.

The main reasons given for this was lack of capacity, not knowing what to do, concern about being too political and not feeling that anything would make a difference.

During this election year we must collectively embrace practical, achievable actions that church communities can get involved that will make a difference and are not party political. Here are three that we are working on in the North East.

1. Finding Radical Hope in a Year of Election?

On 18^th March we are hosting two events with Willaim Temple Foundation. One in Durham and the other in Newcastle. The events will bring together contemplation and action.

2. Mayoral Assembly. The creation of the North East Mayoral Combined Authority has been highlighted as a key opportunity to reduce child poverty in the region. Over the last year members of Tyne and Wear Citizens, which includes many faith-based organisations, have been sharing stories of poverty and the Cost-of-Living Crisis. Ask that have emerged from this process will be put to the candidates at a Mayoral Assembly on 22 April 2024.
3. Voter registration UK Democracy Fund estimate that 8 million people across the UK may still not be correctly registered to vote, many are living in low-income communities. Faith and community groups are being encouraged to become Voter Registration Champions. The church community project in my parish of Houghton-le-Spring took part in training last week. Staff and volunteers practiced how to have conversations about the importance of voting and how to register. Next month they are holding a week of voter registration in the town.

Here lies the tension this Lent, like many I am overwhelmed and exhausted.

‘The frenzy of the activist neutralizes one’s work for peace. It destroys one’s inner capacity of peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of one’s work because it kills the roots of inner wisdom which make work fruitful.”  Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, 1968

This Lent all of this action must be balanced with slowing down and contemplation to ensure we can continue to challenge injustice.

Yesterday I stood in front of the North East Suicide Memorial Quilt  on display in Newcastle Anglican Cathedral. The intricate and personal stories sewn into the quilt both desperately sad and yet hopeful. One read ‘There is a light that will never go out’.  How therapeutic the process was for those who had to slow down and contemplate to make the small squares? Did it provide strength to carry on, many who will be fighting for a very personal and painful justice?

The Church of England’s Lent book by Dr Selina Stone, Tarry a While is a beautiful gift in a search for a completive resource that will enable spiritual self-care.

Tarrying, Selina explains, is a particular spiritual practice within many Black churches, especially Pentecostal congregations. It is a collective time of waiting for God.

‘It is a time of surrender to God, in the hope of personal and communal transformation. It is also a moment of intersession, for bringing our personal needs to God as well as our loving concerns for our neighbour and the world’.

May we all find time to tarry a while this Lent while also awakening our sense of social justice.

Val Barron

This blog first was written for William Temple Foundation

The UK has been experiencing a cost of living crisis since late 2021. During this time the cost of everyday essentials such as food and bills has increased more quickly than the average household income.

In December 2023 the Office for National Statistics (ONS), published the latest figures on the cost of living and these can be found in full here. The data shows that both food and energy prices have been rising markedly over the past year. This has partly been in response to the conflict in Ukraine and the continuing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on prices.

These stark figures can only give a clinical perspective of the crisis and as such cannot tell of the wider impact the current situation is having on the day to day lives of the population. Whilst this crisis affects us all, and we each make our own adjustments to household budgets, people on lower incomes are disproportionately impacted. This impact is felt not only through price rises but also through benefit sanctions and deductions, and unique factors that affect working families as well as refugees and asylum seekers.

Churches and community groups across the Diocese continue to step up and offer practical support in many ways such as running Places of Welcome, community markets and fridges, and most recently through offering cookery classes where participants can learn to cook and then share a meal together.

This change in focus away from the ‘sticking plaster’ approach of food banks and emergency food provision has been seen across partner organisations too such as Feeding Britain. National Director, Andrew Forsey has told CTD that across the Feeding Britain network this shift has enabled many more households than before to access provision which preserves (and often improves) their sense of choice, dignity, and autonomy – saving them just enough money on a broad enough range of items, so as to prevent their having to use, or becoming dependent upon, food banks.

Throughout 2024, Feeding Britain will be allocating resources, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practice, and advocating reforms in an attempt to cement that shift, ‘from food bank to food club’, as part of a multi-layered strategy to ensure everyone in the communities they serve can access and afford food and other essentials without having to use a food bank.

To do this they will be focusing on a number of key themes throughout the coming year and these include:

Engineering a major shift ‘from food bank to food club’ –helping households, grassroots organisations, and whole communities move away from dependence on emergency food provision to more sustainable ‘food club’ models such as pantries and social supermarkets, which offer a dignity of choice and purchase as well as holistic wraparound support.

Nurturing and reforming the ‘food club’ model – While continuing to expand the reach and coverage of ‘food club’ provision, to also take additional steps to enhance both the supply of food for, and financial sustainability of, this model. Many ‘food clubs’ are reforming their membership and pricing structures, while other regional and local partnerships have begun piloting collective purchasing and warehousing arrangements in an attempt to diversify their supply of food. There is a particular focus on accessing nutritious products, and items that meet cultural and dietary requirements.

Co-locating services with community food provision – Highlighting the importance of wraparound support within community food provision as a means of providing pathways out of acute or chronic food insecurity. This includes debt advice, support with benefits and welfare, employment rights, housing support, access to Credit Union services, cooking and growing activities, communal eating, volunteering opportunities, holiday programmes and social activities. Looking to engage a broader range of services to offer wraparound support, given both the complexity of need as well as funding constraints.

In response to these key themes, Feeding Britain will also be:

Expanding a pilot exercise through which a regular and varied supply of core non-surplus goods can be ordered in bulk, at reasonable prices, for groups of ‘food clubs’ wishing to develop collective purchasing arrangements.

Working to secure the funding that is required to commission the appropriate range of services within food projects that currently lack those services and have identified a specific need for them.

Advocating reforms which address the drivers of need and demand by engaging with parliamentarians and government departments on Feeding Britain’s proposed reform programme, which includes: proactive public services which automatically register all eligible families for their Healthy Start and free school meal entitlements, and ensure tailored wraparound support is available to households when and where it is required to prevent destitution; reforms to benefit sanctions, deductions, and assessments; long-term commitments to, and reform of, publicly funded support for children and young people during school holidays; a robust new mechanism to ensure benefit levels truly guard against destitution; and labour market reforms to address the scourge of in-work poverty.

As an immediate step, they are gathering evidence to call for the renewal of the Household Support Fund in 2024-25, and to reform standing charges and debt collection linked to prepayment meters.

These are all aims that Communities Together Durham wholeheartedly support and which echo our work with parishes across the Diocese, as well as in our partnership with Citizens UK, and we look forward to working with Andrew and the Feeding Britain team in 2024 and beyond. For more information regarding the work of Feeding Britain and how you can become involved, please do see their website.

Almost all of us will know someone that is living with a form of dementia. Given the ageing profile of our communities, it is likely that this will become a more common experience. As churches, we want to continue to involve those living with dementia in church life and it is possible to continue to nurture spirituality even where short term memory is impaired and people appear not to be able to participate in worship, reflection and study in a conventional way.

We are aware that a number of churches are offering services and community activities to support people living with dementia and their families, but we also have conversations with many people who are unsure how best to do this for members of their congregation who are finding it hard to participate as they used to, and are aiming to support as many churches as possible in becoming Dementia Friendly.

Christmas is an ideal opportunity to offer intentionally dementia-friendly activities (if we can involve people with dementia in services that are open to all, so much the better), and singing carols and telling the familiar Christmas stories can help unlock happy memories that can be shared together, and allow the person with dementia to fully engage.

Dementia affects short term memory, and as it progresses, can impair perception, speech and motor function. Older memories remain longer than more recent events, and the part of the brain that remains undamaged the longest is the part that deals with emotion, so while someone with dementia may not remember what they did, they will remember how it made them feel. Tapping into happy childhood memories can therefore create something really positive for people, and making small adjustments to, for example, a carol service, can make this experience available to families living with dementia.

So, how do we make our services Dementia Friendly? There are a few simple, practical tips that can make attending less stressful for people with dementia and their carers:

• Have a team to welcome at the door to guide people to seats
• Create clear, large print signage, including simple pictures
• Offer some quiet space available away from the main seating in case anyone becomes agitated
• Place volunteers around the congregation to help support people in following service sheets
• Offer Dementia Friends awareness sessions to all volunteers beforehand
• Invite residents of local care homes and dementia support groups ahead of time
• Choose familiar carols and prayers
• Use visual aids in story-telling – a nativity scene or mime alongside the reading is ideal
• Give space and invite people to share memories of Christmas
• Keep things short, but gently paced – everything slows down with dementia
• Make sure parking and toilets are accessible and well-signed
• Offer refreshments before or after
• Avoid using elaborately patterned cloths/plates/mugs etc for refreshments
• Aim for afternoon services if possible – mornings and evenings can often be difficult times
• Invite and welcome everyone – make the service inclusive for people with dementia, not solely for them – it is always better to make something accessible rather than ‘singling out’.

There is a wealth of resources available for becoming Dementia Friendly, and Communities Together Durham can give support.  If you would like to offer more dementia friendly worship, include care homes in pastoral visiting, or explore how you can continue to meaningfully involve people with dementia in your congregation, contact maddy.fisher@communitiestogetherdurham.org.uk.  We will also be offering some training, workshops and materials about becoming Dementia Friendly in the new year, and are exploring various models and accreditation schemes– if this is of interest please also get in touch to let us know, and help shape the offer.

On the 27^th of March, the Government’s proposed Illegal Migration Bill entered the committee stage in the House of Commons.  The Bill is being sold as a solution to the dangerous English Channel crossings undertaken by sanctuary seekers in small boats, but what will the Bill mean in practice if it becomes law?

With the Bill in place the government says it will help to ‘prevent and deter unlawful migration’, particularly by ‘unsafe and illegal routes’.    It sets out to ‘Stop the Boats’ as was seen on the Downing Street podium when the strategy was launched.   Of  course we do need to look at the people traffickers and gangs who are making money from sending vulnerable people across the channel in unsafe vessels, but is this the way to achieve that?

The plan will be that anyone arriving through what is deemed to be an illegal route could be detained and then deported back to their own country.  This could happen if an agreement exists and the country is deemed ‘safe’.  For those from countries deemed unsafe, deportation to another safe country such as Rwanda could happen.   In addition, anyone entering in this way will be barred from ever being granted refugee status, British citizenship, or any other kind of leave to remain.  This would also extend to their children, even those not yet born.

The Bill, if accepted fully, would oblige the Home Secretary to deport anyone who entered the UK irregularly or travelled through a ‘safe’ country before arriving here. It would also give them the power to detain both adults and children indefinitely until their removal from the country could be arranged.  This includes those who have been victims of human trafficking and other crimes and unaccompanied children.  All would be prevented from seeking Asylum in the UK now and in the future.

Many will argue that those that wish to seek Asylum should use the ‘safe’, legal,  routes available.  However, for most, these routes simply do not exist.  Those who have come seeking Asylum tell us stories of fleeing their country because their lives were in danger or they were to be imprisoned.  Decisions to flee had to be made in a moment, they did not have time to find papers or the money and ability to make applications for visas before they left.  They are often in fear of completing any paperwork and putting themselves into a system where they or their family might be identified in their home country and put at risk.

Yes, there are some safe routes, but they only apply to a small number of people.  Schemes such as the Syrian Vulnerable person Resettlement scheme and the Vulnerable Person Resettlement scheme are good, and have seen some settled directly from UNHCR camps. These schemes are only allowing relatively small numbers through.  For example, the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), is the only available ‘safe’ route for Afghans at risk of human rights abuses, it has so far led to the resettlement of less than just 30 people.  In an attempt to leave Afghanistan and settle in a country that they believe offered sanctuary, more than 8,000 Afghan citizens took the dangerous option of crossing the Channel.  If safe routes are the way forward we need more of them, for more people and for them to be made accessible.

Under the Bill, even those arriving from countries recognised as being unsafe by the Home Office would be denied access to the asylum system if arriving by irregular means.  In effect we would not have an Asylum System, even though seeking Asylum is a fundamental Human Right.

Those who did try and seek Asylum via those irregular routes would be detained, possibly indefinitely, and this would include children.  This would overturn the protection that a successful campaign in 2010 achieved stopping the detention of children – prior to that around 1000 children were detained each year. To make things worse, this bill’s new powers would mean detention for far more children and for far longer time periods.   As the detention system is already struggling to cope, we can only assume that many adults and children accompanying them, would simply disappear into the community and with no right to work or to public funds, have no access to healthcare and would likely be destitute and seeking whatever way they can to earn enough to survive, leaving them and any dependents open to exploitation.

As this Bill continues to progress over the coming months there will be numerous opportunities to speak out.  A number of high-profile public figures have spoken up and over 1000 church leaders have signed a joint statement opposing the legislation.  They argue that ‘when two in three people who cross the channel to seek sanctuary in the UK are granted asylum following rigorous checks, it seems unthinkable to reject them before they have even had a chance to have their claim for asylum heard’ (https://jpit.uk/response-to-illegal-migration-bill).   Citizens UK and other Refugee charities are already working on a campaign against child detention.  Other are working to develop resources to help us challenge our MP’s and government.  With enough challenge and opposition, the Government may back down.  Watch this space for more updates on how you can help!

A little over a year ago a new phrase began to emerge in news reports; ‘The Cost of Living Crisis’. As we enter a second winter where pressures on household budgets continue to increase, these five words have now become embedded in everyday speech. The colder weather inevitably leads to conversations around the cost of heating, and the choice to ‘heat or eat’ is a tragic reality for many. Here in the UK a total of 9.7 million adults experienced food poverty in the month of September. That’s 18% of households – affecting four million children!

Since joining the CTD team in the Autumn I have been heartened by the work that Churches and other organisations are doing to help those affected by the cost of living crisis, and to challenge social injustices in their parishes and communities. There are many amazing projects that have emerged through loving kindness as a response to the current needs. Foodbanks, pantries, community markets, warm hubs and so many more enterprises are meeting people where they are and helping to alleviate some of the strains of existing in the current economic climate.

I have been particularly struck by the gradual movement away from the foodbank model towards the more empowering pantry or community market projects. While there will still sadly be a need for foodbanks when people are in crisis, providing clients with choice, where they can select their own food restores autonomy and gives back dignity to the individual.

A number of projects are also working with external partners to present a range of services under one roof. For example, one community market has invited Citizens Advice to operate a drop-in session from their premises alongside the market, and another runs a CAP advice service to provide free professional debt help.

Some have found that simple things such as redesigning a waiting room with better seating or having a designated greeter have made huge differences to the welcome offered, and the way clients respond to the project. Breaking through the stigma often attached to accessing food aid is essential. Being able to choose the food we eat is a basic right and being able to do so regardless of income fosters a sense of pride while asking for help during a difficult time—and eradicates the shame associated with food insecurity.

The care of humanity is a fundamental task of the Church and the Bible makes it clear that God calls us to look out for one another (John 13:34). It is evident from the ongoing work in the diocese that here in Durham we are answering this call, difficult though it may be, and that each act of generosity, support and love that is carried out in the name of Christ is helping to bring the kingdom of God ever nearer, and the time when justice will reign.

We’re looking to offer a Zoom conversation in the new year to help answer any questions there may be around setting up a response to food insecurity – watch this space!

Anne

Welcome to the Communities Together Durham website.

We are here to work together as we explore ways to respond to and challenge poverty in our communities.

It is over 14 years since the global financial crisis and in that time we have seen lower wages, insecure work, benefit cuts, poor housing; the list goes on. Then the pandemic and now another cost-of-living crisis.

What have we learnt during this time? I would argue that the local church, however small and vulnerable itself, can be an important place in our communities to respond to these issues, and we really have.

We have set up foodbanks and Places of Welcome, run debt advice centres and holiday clubs. We have seen our schools being poverty proofed and adopting Just Change, to ensure free school meal money is carried forward. We have been fighting to see more Living Wage employees in the diocese and had some big wins including Newcastle and Sunderland Universities.  The COVID pandemic saw many parishes working in partnership with local authorities to support the most vulnerable.

This work is exhausting, and we may be trying to do it with fewer volunteers, so our aim is to work alongside you to help build realistic responses. We want to use this blog to tell stories of what’s happening in Durham Diocese, from the small to the more established.

We would also love you to write about something you are trying out too. We are seeing a lot of innovation, for example trying out a community supermarket approach for a few hours a week.  By sharing how it is going and what are you learning along the way, we can encourage others to experiment and have a go.

You will see the website reflects the Marks of Mission, to respond to human need by loving service and to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation. While the majority of the churches’ social action can be seen as responding to loving service, we also believe for long term change we need to challenge some of the structures that result in that need.

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