Growing up Poor

After church one Sunday I was chatting with Sarah. She is normally one of those children who lights up a room with her energy when she bounds in, but this week she was a little more subdued. She started to tell me: ‘I’m not gonna get a birthday present next week because Mum needs to pay the rent.’ Her Dad had recently moved out and she was also doubtful whether or not he would prioritise buying her something with all the other bills he was faced with. Sarah would have to forego something most children would take for granted.

This is just one of the many stories I could tell from my work with children and families living on the financial margins. However, this reality is no longer confined to urban or deprived areas, as the effects of the recession hit communities right across the UK. A recent Which? survey found that one in three consumers were struggling to feed themselves. Chris Mould, executive chair of the Trussell Trust, a charity which provides support and sustenance for those in crisis, said that he has seen a 200 per cent rise in the number of people needing food banks in the first quarter of this financial year compared to last year. Regardless of where we live, we’re likely to have families in our community for whom financial difficulties are now a real worry.

CURBS (CHildren in URBan Situations) has a particular focus on inner-city or estate-based children. The project was established to provide resources and support for children’s ministry in low-income areas. Our approach starts with the world of the child and seeks to build bridges through positive relationships to enable children to experience God’s love. Children’s leaders have a vital role in recognising and nurturing the ‘God spark’ in all children; starting in their world, coming alongside them and helping them discover our life-giving gospel.

Though developed in more deprived areas, these principles are relevant to anyone doing children’s ministry in any community across the UK. The growth of reliance on food banks highlights the fact that no church or community is immune from the effects of cutbacks. So as we face this reality as Christians and children’s workers, what can we really do about it?

Be aware... …Of the issues

Poverty is more than a lack of money. The Church Urban Fund (CUF) has produced a report called Web of poverty: area-based poverty and exclusion in England, which highlights the various different aspects of poverty:

Poverty of identity:

a lack of a strong sense of self and intrinsic worth, or an identity devalued by others. This can lead to depression, low self-esteem, poor health, dependency or drug and alcohol misuse.

Poverty of resources:

a lack of the possessions, skills and resources needed to negotiate what can be an overwhelming existence. Where resources are limited, so are people’s choices and opportunities.

Poverty of relationship:

a lack of relationships that strengthen and support, and on which individual, family and community life is built. When relationships are under pressure or communities are fragmented and hostile, it is difficult to thrive.

Recent key welfare reforms will make a real impact on families in your community. Local Housing Allowance is now capped, those eligible for incapacity benefits are being reassessed and the introduction of the Universal Credit brings with it a tighter regime of conditionality. Figures gathered by the Trussell Trust indicate that changes to the benefit system are the most common reasons for people using food banks.

Debt is one of the major pathways to poverty in the UK. CAP (Christians Against Poverty) report that for those struggling with debt, 61 per cent were unable to provide adequately for their children, 26 per cent have experienced total relationship breakdown and 40 per cent have either considered or attempted suicide; all as a direct result of debt.

…Of attitudes and feelings

We can often make judgements about people who are struggling financially, even subconsciously. A recent report entitled The lies we tell ourselves: ending comfortable myths about poverty (published by The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT), a cross-denominational group) challenges us about the systematic misrepresentation of the poorest in society, debunking many of the myths about those in difficulty. All Christians have a responsibility to challenge this injustice. We should seek after truth, and that means facing up to our own blindness as well as calling others to account.

Linked to this is the shame felt by families in reduced circumstances. Many children will have learnt from their parents that they should hide their lack of money and make up excuses if necessary to distract from this fact. And those newly in difficulty (through redundancy, for example) may not want to admit that they now need help. Gwyn Rhydderch, who lives in rural Wales, commented on local families struggling on low incomes: ‘Many parents won’t allow their children to have the free school meals entitled to them in the primary and high schools because of pride and the shame of their neighbours finding out.’

Many children living in poverty are used to being disappointed and ‘let down’. Life can be full of broken promises from parents or carers who are struggling, stressed and hard pressed. Children from families coping with lower incomes will find this disappointment an increasing reality and may struggle to come to terms with the reduction in their standard of living. On the other hand, appearances can be deceptive – sometimes the best-dressed children are in clothes that have been bought from a catalogue to which the parents owe a high level of debt. …

Of our actions

Many of our churches have been at the heart of a response to UK food poverty that is focused on short-term, emergency, food aid. However, churches need to get more involved in addressing root causes and looking at the wider structural causes. The CUF ‘Hungry for More’ report survey shows that 81 per cent of respondents indicated their church supports a food bank, while just 30 per cent of churches are seeking to address causes of food poverty.

Cathie Smith tells of a church in North London that has developed a small-scale care scheme where people offer others time, skills and money and then, when needed, can receive help themselves. She says: ‘The church deliberately avoided just giving out money or gifts because they could have become known locally as a soft touch and may have become overwhelmed. When people receive help (food, clothing, child care etc.) they know they can do something for others. This helps reduce the level of embarrassment that some recipients might feel in times of great need.’

Living Better for Less is an initiative introduced by SEARCH (Social and Economic Action Resource of Churches in Hull and district). Along with others on her local estate, Liz Dorton is involved in growing vegetables in underused gardens and disused spaces; SEARCH have lent them tools and supported them in developing this food project. She is also involved in bringing the community together for ‘Big Food’, which she describes as a place for families to cook, share personal stories and enjoy nutritious meals together. ‘Giving food away for free through schemes like food banks doesn’t value food or teach people how to cook for less,’ says Liz. ‘Often the food given out is poor quality and buys into the poor diet of many local children.’ She is passionate about teaching people how to make cheap, nutritious and tasty food and developing recipes with few ingredients.

Keep relationships at The heart

The key foundation for any ministry with a child or family affected by the impact of austerity is the need to build a quality relationship. This will require time, space, energy, prayer, honesty and investment from you but will mean that you can start to support the most vulnerable in your community. Practically it might mean that you can:

• Find out the real (often hidden) needs of the child and their wider family.

• Support them in the tough times – emotionally, practically and where, appropriate, financially.

• Help them deal with the shame they feel.

• Offer security both personally and from the wider church you represent.

• Challenge your church about the reality of poverty on the doorstep and encourage them to pray and discuss how to respond.

Small steps, big difference

There are many small ways in which you and your church can make a difference in people’s lives. Kate Wharton, a minister in Liverpool, has supported several families in providing vouchers for the local Foodbank and gaining financial support through ACTS 435. ‘We need to help families in real need who have little or no food in the cupboard, no electricity and children who need clothing,’ she says. ‘Building links with the next door primary school has been a step forward in supporting those in real need.’ Within her church, she has asked someone with a car to help drive people to the food bank because often there are issues with paying for transport and in carrying the items home. She also keeps a stash of bus tickets available in the vicarage when needed!

Encourage buy-in

It may seem strange, but asking families to fund even a small part of an activity enables them to feel worth and to value the activity much more than if it were free. Following a stressful morning when only one out of five children turned up to meet the minibus for the summer Christian camp, Jean Elliott learnt that getting the cost fully subsidised hadn’t enabled families to ‘buy into’ the camp themselves. ‘Families probably would have viewed it all a lot more seriously if they’d had to fund even a fraction of the amount themselves over a period of some months,’ she reflected.

Practical tips FOR supporting struggling families

01. Parents may not be able to put credit on their mobile phone and this may make communication a challenge – arrange to call them rather than relying on them contacting you.

02. Take opportunities to give children Bibles and Christian books when you can – parents may not be able to prioritise purchases like these within their limited means.

03. If you have children in your community whose families might be struggling financially, find reasons to build your relationship with parents or carers by ‘popping round’ to hand deliver letters or inviting them to a celebration party or event.

04. Provide food whenever you can – some children may be hungry and not eating well at home.

05. Parents or carers may not have a bank account or a credit card (due to debt issues or poor credit rating). Is there a way you or your church can help?

06. If you are arranging a holiday club and know families will struggle to pay the full cost, arrange for a subsidy and negotiate with them what and how they will pay. You could apply to trust funds, ask the church to subsidise or arrange a fundraising event.

07. Get in touch with CAP and consider whether there is a need to offer debt advice or a money management course in your community or church groups as a CAP Money Coach.

08. Find out about the reality of poverty in your parish by using the CUF ‘Poverty in your parish’ on-line tool.

09. Accept that we all have different priorities with our money and be aware of our own personal judgements, particularly if you are home visiting.

10. Consider encouraging your wider church to explore some of the ‘Myths around poverty’ using the JPIT group study resource. Review how you are keeping the balance between meeting need and addressing root causes of poverty in your community.