New anti-poverty network launches in Lancashire

By Patsy Davies, Network Development Coordinator (Lancashire) at Resolve Poverty

On Wednesday 11 June, Resolve Poverty launched the Lancashire Anti-Poverty Network (LAPN) in Burnley with our partners, the Lancashire Association of Councils for Voluntary Service (LACVS). The morning saw both Voluntary, Community, Faith, and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) organisations and public sector professionals coming together in solidarity to look to the future of tackling poverty in Lancashire.

Recent statistics released by the End Child Poverty coalition have revealed the unacceptable state of child poverty in Lancashire, with three local authorities from across the county in the top ten areas with the highest rates of child poverty in the UK. Pendle has the second highest child poverty rate in the UK, with 45% of children living in poverty compared to the local authority national average of 31%. Blackburn with Darwen has the seventh highest rate of child poverty at 43.3%, and Hyndburn is tenth on the list with 42.6% of children living in poverty.

In addition, Chris Webb, MP for Blackpool South has conducted research into the impact of the cost of living on childhood and found that: 

• 73% of respondents said they struggle to afford to meet their children’s basic needs
• 57% said that financial strain impacts their children’s education
• 90% said that the cost of living negatively impacts their children’s enjoyment of childhood
• 66% of respondents regularly worried about money.

Attendees heard testimony from Morecambe Bay Poverty Truth Commission Community Commissioner, Rebecca, about how far money needs to stretch as both a parent and carer living in Morecambe today. Her words sparked necessary conversations about how we maximise in the incomes of people living in poverty across Lancashire and the amount of benefit entitlement which goes unclaimed each year in the UK. Discussions centred around how we support members of our communities to understand their entitlement, as well as the resource and capacity needed to deliver this support. 

Network members received resources developed from Resolve Poverty training and experience on maximising household incomes which they could take into their own practice, including encouraging the uptake of social tariffs – which are as low as 5% for some tariffs. 

Finally, attendees were also presented with the findings of Resolve Poverty’s recent Poverty Awareness, Prioritisation and Activity survey which found that: 

• The principal areas of development for organisations to improve their awareness of poverty were around support with data, training and lived experience engagement, as well as an increased understanding of what anti-poverty services were available locally. 
• Respondents felt that anti-poverty responses could be improved through partnership working and increasing the accessibility of services, alongside a focus on preventative approaches to anti-poverty support alongside existing crisis support measures. 

Through engagement with LAPN, members of the network have been shown the datasets available through the North West Poverty Monitor to improve their access to up-to-date poverty statistics. They have been shared information around Resolve Poverty training opportunities and have access to our expertise and experience delivering effective anti-poverty responses, as well as opportunities to connect and share practice with others in the anti-poverty space. 

The next steps for the network are currently out for consultation among members. Utilising both existing relationships between organisations, and new relationships formed through the network, organisations are considering how we use insights from poverty data and survey findings to develop a vision and action plan for a Lancashire without poverty. 

If you would like more information about the Lancashire Anti-Poverty Network, or would like to be involved in its future activities, please contact patsy@resolvepoverty.org. 

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This article is featured in our 2 July newsletter.

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