Govanhill groups ‘demand better’ as they call to protect people from poverty
Stagnant wages, in-work poverty and inability to keep up with the cost of living all affect people in our neighbourhood. This Saturday, groups from across the country will come together as Scotland Demands Better, a campaign calling on the government to improve wages and invest in social security and services to protect people from poverty.
Scotland Demands Better leaflet
By Devon McCole | Photos by Iain McLellan
“Across the country too many people still live in poverty because they aren't paid enough to keep up with the cost of living, can't get the services they need to help lift them out of poverty, or struggle to get by on social security that doesn't cover the essentials.” says Peter Kelly, Chief Executive of Scotland’s antipoverty network, Poverty Alliance, “This is why we launched the Scotland Demands Better campaign earlier this year.”
The campaign is calling for a change across work, as well as investment in social security and life’s essentials to protect people from poverty – including in-work poverty. It’s becoming all too common for people to be working one or more jobs and still not have enough money to make ends meet, or save for the future.
Whilst the campaign already supported by over 260 organisations across the country, including charities, trade unions and churches, Peter says more is still needed: “We know that when we stand together, from whatever sector or walk of life we are from, we can make real change – we would love to have your support.”
Local organisations like SEIN, Glasgow SE Foodbank, Milk, Parents For Future Scotland and Community Renewal are among the hundreds of organisations up and down the country, demanding change.
John Halliday, CEO of Community Renewal: Rom Romeha said “our work shows that Roma migrants are…too often exploited in their housing or in work,” and that “All those facing such disadvantages in Scotland need more support for their housing rights, employment rights, and overall more support to live fulfilling lives.”
Parents For Future Scotland, a climate justice group supporting the campaign, say climate change and poverty are interlinked. “Climate is about power and resources. At the moment very few people hold the power and resources and the poverty gap is getting bigger and bigger,” says
Claire Larkin, Head of Parents For Future Scotland.” highlighting that if things don’t change for the better, they’ll only get worse.
Poverty, racial injustice, social justice and climate justice all sound like separate battles, but looking at Scotland Demands Better’s list of supporting organisations shows these issues feed into each other. One solution identified is the redistribution of wealth to ensure everyone has enough to eat, earn a fair income and live in a warm, healthy home. As Claire puts it, “We need to take the power back.”
Scotland Demands Better will march through Edinburgh from the Scottish Parliament at 11am this Saturday 25 October in what Peter Kelly describes as a “significant moment for the campaign.”
The march will go through Edinburgh’s city centre to the Meadows, where a family friendly mini-festival will be held. Speaker Darren McGarvey, activist and author of Poverty Safari, will be there to deliver a talk, alongside Rev Rosie Frew from the church of Scotland. Musicians Declan Welsh and Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5 will be there to show their support and provide some entertainment, plus there will be vendors selling their goods and activities planned for the wee ones.
If you want to show your support for the campaign make sure you’re there. But if you can’t make it this weekend and still want to be involved, you can sign up here for updates on the campaign and ways to take part.