Church Action on Poverty North East: current activities

End Hunger UK

Moving beyond food banks to tackle the causes of hunger in the UK:

• Benefit sanctions (Meadow Well and Hexham)
• Welfare Safety net and disability benefits (North Tyneside)
• Living Wage (Hexham and Morpeth)

Engaging with local authorities and other partners

• North of Tyne Authority’s Inclusive Growth agenda
• Faith in the Community
• Communities Together in Durham
• Gateshead Poverty Truth Commission
• Gateshead Local Authority councillors
• Tyne & Wear Citizens

The Poverty Premium

• Working with credit unions to ensure people can get affordable credit, and to campaign against loan sharks.
• Asking funeral directors and churches to help people on low incomes to plan meaningful but affordable funerals.

Prison Matters

Church Action on Poverty North East members worked with South Tyneside Churches to initiate Prison Matters, which:

• provides a weekly drop-in for ex-offenders
• researches needs and current services for ex-offenders
• encourages faith communities to support ex-offenders

Marking the seasons and outreach to local churches

• Advent reflections for our supporters and campaigners.
• A church service, fundraising lunch or discussion event on Church Action on Poverty Sunday (the last Sunday before Lent).
• Display boards and speakers for local churches.