The Poverty Alliance - Taking Action on Rural Poverty
Argyll and Bute Council · 5 November 2024
Back to Bute and Cowal Area Community Planning Group — 5 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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Taking Action on Rural Poverty Update for Bute and Cowal ACPG Nov 2024 Becky Hothersall Development Officer (Argyll and Bute) Becky.Hothersall@povertyalliance.org
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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.
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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
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Taking Action on Rural Poverty: citizens’ panel Argyll & Bute
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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
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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
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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?
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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/