North Ayrshire Council is – once again – proudly backing Challenge Poverty Week to help people who are living in crisis.
The week-long drive (October 6 to 12) focuses on poverty and what we can do to help make life better for people who are struggling to make ends meet.
Arranged by the Poverty Alliance charity, the week of events and awareness raising inspires communities to work together, support each other and find new ways to change attitudes.
This is the tenth consecutive year the Council has proudly shown its support, and it is vital now – more than ever – for people living in our communities to show compassion and empathy towards those who are in need or are at risk of poverty.
The themes for this year’s activities are:
- Social security – building a foundation for a better life
- Better jobs, pay, hours, conditions and worker voice
- Better investment in life’s essentials
- Better investment in our communities
- Warm homes, green travel and safe climate and
- Time for reflection on Saturday and Sunday.
Here in North Ayrshire, throughout the week, the Council’s social media channels will be used to highlight:
- How the team at North Ayrshire’s welfare rights and money advice service, Money Smart, can help residents financially
- The great work being done through our network of community larders
- How local employers are playing their part by hiring locally and paying a fair wage
- The role our Third Sector partners play in supporting residents
- The Council’s investment in new homes and capital projects and
- How access to different forms of transport, like bikes, is making a real difference.
The Council’s top priorities include reducing child poverty and supporting residents through the ongoing Cost-of-living Crisis.
Existing support available through the Council includes: Crisis and Community Care Grants; free school meals and clothing grants; Council Tax reduction and Discretionary Housing Payment.
Follow the Council’s social media channels, using #ChallengePoverty and #CPW25, to find out more about what is happening across the week.
If you – or someone you now – needs help with Cost-of-Living support, please visit the Council’s dedicated webpage for information. You can find out more about the work of the Poverty Alliance by going to the charity’s website.
To help raise staff awareness and work towards the Council’s key priority of reducing child poverty, the Child Poverty Strategy Team has developed an E-learning module called Child Poverty in North Ayrshire.
This explains the current landscape in North Ayrshire, drivers of child poverty, Council initiatives and our strategic approach.
Staff are being asked to complete this training as part of the journey to eradicating child poverty. The module will be live from October 6 on iLearn.