Salford’s Poverty Truth Commission can produce “amazing” results, according to the project’s organiser Sarah Whitehead.
It’s a new scheme to highlight what can really be done to improve the lives of those in Salford suffering in poverty.
The Truth Commission held its official launch at a packed-out Eccles Town Hall with a plethora of influential Salfordians present.
Among those at the launch were Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett, the Bishop of Salford John Arnold, and representatives from local businesses.
15 Business Life Commissioners pledged their resources at the launch, and the group will now sit down and discuss with them how to take the project forward.
Sarah Whitehead said: “We’re not going to tell the Business Life Commissioners how they can fix poverty for us, its not about that.
“It’s about everybody in the room having some responsibility, having experience and sharing resources and ideas.
“We’re not promising any outcomes, other than that you’ll meet local people and discuss poverty and hopefully through these relationships that you create some amazing things will come from that.”
The Truth Commission aims at bringing together local people who have experienced poverty with influential public figures and businesses.
Run as a partnership between Community Interest Company Community Pride and Church Action on Poverty, the project uses case studies to highlight serious issues of deprivation in Salford, whether that poverty be physical, mental or emotional.
By appointing the very people who have experienced poverty themselves as commissioners and leaders of the project, the Salford Poverty Commission believes this marks a better way of helping those in need, rather than using people from the outside looking in.
Laura Kendall, from Ordsall, is one of the commissioners that had the courage to tell their personal poverty story at the official launch on 8 July.
Laura was put into care from a young age after her mother felt unable to look after her due to suffering nervous breakdowns.
At the age of 14, after witnessing two of her friends die whilst she was in care, Laura was put on antidepressants and sleeping medication to cope.
She was given little counselling and support during this period, which led her to self harm.
Despite being admitted from care at 17, and beginning her new life as a mother, Laura’s problems worsened.
She was passed from social worker to social worker, none of whom ever got to the bottom of her issues and she felt like her children may be taken away from her if her mental health didn’t improve.
Laura has since got her life back on track, with this commission offering her the chance to tell her story, feel respected and hopefully prevent others from going through the same pain that she has.
Talking about telling her story at the launch, the mother of two said: “When it comes to talking about it, you re-live it all again.
“They’re like scars that never go away.
“Personally it was a massive achievement for me, you’re opening yourself up and hoping that other people are going to accept what they’re hearing.”
Sarah, 32, from Weaste, was full of praise for the commissioners, she said: “They are survivors but they’re not through it, the way that they survive is by helping others and by sharing what they’ve been through and just supporting each other.
“People were brave, people stood up and nobody cried, it was a real big thing for them to do that.”
City Mayor Paul Dennett, who sponsored the Commission, said: “At the Commission we gave them space to tell their stories and really listened to their experiences and ideas.
“We will continue to work with them now the link has been made so we, the decision makers in the city, start to gain a real understanding of the root causes of poverty and can find solutions in what we do.”
Also on board is Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rebecca Long-Bailey, who has long been a campaigner fighting against deprivation in Salford, having previously spoken out on fuel poverty.
Read more: Rebecca Long-Bailey MP speaks out on fuel poverty as winter bites in
From April to September of last year, Salford had an average of 9 people per day visiting foodbanks in the city according to the Trussell Trust, which suggests that some forms of poverty still remain an issue.
Read More: Scandal as 1,400 children use Salford food banks in last 12 months
Previous poverty committees have taken place in Glasgow and Leeds to a good reception, which the Salford committee are looking to build on.
“Nothing about us, without us, is for us” is the project’s tagline and it seems extremely pertinent given the commission’s heavy emphasis on teamwork and people working together.
The commission isn’t claiming to be able to eradicate poverty, only to try and improve lives and conditions for others.
