Democracy Spraffa

The Poverty Alliance - Taking Action on Rural Poverty

Argyll and Bute Council · 13 November 2024
Back to Oban Lorn & the Isles Area Community Planning Group — 13 November 2024 and its agenda

Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.

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Page 1

Taking Action on Rural Poverty
Update for Oban, Lorn and the Isles ACPG Nov 2024
Becky Hothersall
Development Officer (Argyll and Bute)
Becky.Hothersall@povertyalliance.org

Page 2

Taking Action on Rural Poverty
Our new 3-year project is taking a collaborative approach to develop new ways of
addressing the rural cost of living in Argyll and Bute and Aberdeenshire
• Income based measures do not take
account of the higher cost of living in rural
and island Scotland (the ‘rural premium’)
• The minimum cost of living in rural Scotland
is between 15% to 30% higher than
urban areas of the UK.

Page 3

Taking Action on Rural Poverty
We will develop practical, local measures aimed at reducing the
rural premium. We will test, measure and share them and we
will:
• Support people with lived experience to collaborate with
Voluntary and Community sector organisations, the private
sector and public bodies to address the rural premium
• Enable people with experience of living on low incomes to
contribute to local decision making
• Help strengthen evidence-based advocacy work locally and
nationally
• Share our learning nationally and into policy

Page 4

Taking Action on Rural Poverty: citizens’ panel
Argyll & Bute

Page 5

Adaptations
Panellists identified
better vouchers
Flexible approach
to childcare
Access to data,
device or space Differences
Experience of
participation processes
Lack of single urban centre

Page 6

povertyalliance.org @povertyalliance
…So far• Getting to know each other
• Defining key issues
• Writing a Working Together Agreement
• Experiences of specific issues – costs; barriers;
good practice; potential solutions
• Hearing from local projects
• Contributing to reviews of funding priorities
• Speaking at events
• Meeting the First Minister
Next…
• Consultation – discretionary housing fund
• Advising on measures of poverty
• Developing criteria for choosing a project to
fund

Page 7

povertyalliance.org @povertyalliance
Supporting rural organisations
• Talking to organisations and groups
• Cross Party Group Inquiry: Rural Poverty
• Poverty Awareness training
• Shared learning and networking event (July)
• National event (October – over 100 attendees)
• Rural involvement in Challenge Poverty Week
Next…
• More local networking events from December
• Funding a ‘test of change’ project
• How can we support you?

Page 8

Breakout Room Discussion 2 –
15 minutes
• What networks or structures do you
currently use?
• Is it useful to come together to have anti-
poverty conversations?
• What would you want those to cover?
www.povertyalliance.org/g
et-involved/join-us/
Next anti-poverty meet-up
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/argyll-bute-meet-up-anti-poverty-
sharing-and-learning-tickets-1073218719079?aff=oddtdtcreator
Research – Mental Health Foundation and Poverty
Alliance Training Needs Overview
https://www.povertyalliance.org/research-mental-health-foundation-and-poverty-
alliance-training-needs-overview/
Get in touch
becky.hothersall@povertyalliance.org
07810 530094