Empowering People to make their voices heard: Sarah Welford Policy and Parliamentary Officer

Introduction Poverty Alliance Evidence Participation Change project The under stated role of disadvantaged communities in influencing policy.

Poverty Alliance Who we are:  Network of organisations across Scotland. Core funded by Scottish Government and Glasgow City and North & South Lanarkshire Councils plus project funding.  Our main aim is to combat poverty to affect change in the distribution of power and resources We do this by:  Working with people and communities to empower them to tackle poverty  Working to build a strong anti-poverty network across Scotland  Supporting the development of policies to combat poverty  Increasing debate and awareness about poverty

Evidence Participation Change February Funded by Big Lottery for four years Overall aim: to inform and engage community and voluntary organisations affected by poverty and to enable them to influence Scottish Government policy.

3 areas of EPiC Establishing processes whereby people and communities can engage with policy makers. Participatory Research projects Training to support people and communities to engage in influencing policy.

The role of communities Untapped and valuable knowledge. Ensuring the right to participate: 1) Creating spaces for discussion 2) Supporting people and organisations to take part.

Ensuring the right to participate 1 Organising and facilitating meetings between people responsible for policy making and those who have to live with the results of these decisions. Actively challenge the barriers to participation - Costs of participating - Language - Balance - Grounding the event with activists on the planning group. - Advance preparation meetings

Ensuring the right to participate 2 Training sessions - Understanding the society we live in and structural causes of poverty - The right to influence these structures and the people in power - Effective ways of getting heard and increasing citizen power

What need does it address? Informing – Busting the myths around poverty Myths lead to misinformed decisions The right to speak out and the right to be part of the solution.

Building a better society starting from the weakest Quote “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little”

Addressing the democratic deficit A question of apathy? “ Nothing ever changes” “Who’s going to listen to me?” “There’s a war against the poor”

Questions for discussion Engaging communities in getting their voice heard - What works well/doesn’t work well? What should we be doing more of? What can we do to support people to get involved in influencing policy. How do we support communities, particularly in the current economic climate?